Live at Ronnie Scott's Club for June 2007

Ronnie Scott’s June News Letter

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, 47 Frith Street, London W1D 4HT

Box Office: 020 7439 0747   

31^st May – 2^nd June: Mark Murphy, £26

Long regarded as one of the most impressive singers of his age, Mark Murphy’s career started in 1956 with the release of his first album, ‘Meet Mark Murphy’.  Since then, he has established himself as a true authority in singer circles, performing alongside Blue Mitchell, Bill Evans, Clark Terry and Ella Fitzgerald.  He has been voted Downbeat magazine’s Best Male Vocalist of the Year award four times and is renowned for his vocalese and scat improvisations, his inventive phrasing and immaculate sense of rhythm.  Still gigging and recording in his 70s, Murphy is a veteran of his art and these shows at Ronnie’s will showcase the skills and experience he has garnered from over half a century of performing.

4^th – 6^th: José Neto, £26

Brazilian guitarist José Neto was introduced to music through his family, learning guitar firstly from his mother and then his uncle.  An early exposure to Jimi Hendrix expanded José’s influences, and his twenty-plus years touring with singer Harry Belafonte, for whom he served as musical director, cemented his abilities as a performer. Incorporating elements of traditional Latin-American, jazz, rock and world music into his work, he is a long-time friend of Ronnie Scott’s and his welcome return to the club sees him with his excellent backing band, featuring Frank Martin on keyboards, Gary Brown on electric basses, Celso Alberti on drums and percussionist and vocalist Ćafe.

7th – 9^th: Billy Cobham, £36

Billy Cobham is ranked as one of the best drummers in jazz, and with a history that includes time served with Horace Silver, Kenny Burrell, Miles Davis, John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Brecker brothers, Freddy Hubbard, Ron Carter and Count Basie, amongst countless others, his reputation is well deserved.  A powerful, expressive and dynamic player, Cobham has released over 30 albums as a leader and has contributed to hundreds of others.

10^th: Ronnie Scott’s Big Band – A Tribute To…, £26

Every month, Ronnie Scott's Club Big Band, fronted by Musical Director and award winning band leader Pete Long, will offer a perspective on the work of one musician.  This first-class big band is comprised of the cream of UK jazz talent and once a month will offer a retrospective on different aspects of jazz music.

11^th – 13^th: Stan Tracey Octet, £26

British piano legend Stan Tracey has a special place in the heart of Ronnie Scott’s.  He was the house pianist at the club for most of the Sixties, playing every night for six years alongside artists like Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and Wes Montgomery.  Even in such illustrious company, Tracey was recognised as an exceptional musician – Sonny Rollins once asked the audience, “Does anyone here know how good he is?”  His playing is influenced by players such as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington, but after being immersed in the world of jazz for so long his voice is entirely his own.  Now in his eighties, he continues to impress audiences across the world, and he makes a welcome return to the club.

15^th – 16^th: Winston Rollins “REAL”

Winston Rollins has established himself as one of the UK’s best jazz-funk trombone players through his work with Jools Holland, Jamiroquai, Incognito, Courtney Pine and the late, great James Brown.  Formed in cooperation with singer Louise Pollock, his 8-piece group REAL play funky, danceable tunes rooted in a jazz style.  These nights at Ronnie Scott’s will showcase the band’s ability to serve up energetic funky soul that is as accomplished as it is animated.

17^th: Soul Family, £20

Hosted by soul singer Natalie Williams and her band, the Soul Family sessions offer the chance to catch some of the best R&B, soul and jazz musicians in the UK up close and personal.  While guests vary from month to month, there is always the opportunity to hear music of the highest quality where the stars of the British scene showcase their material in an exciting ad hoc setting.  Guests this month include up and coming soulstress Cleo, and Ben Westbeech, whose fusion of jazzy vibes with hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass has earned him acclaim with his debut single ‘Feels So Good…’, released last year.

18^th - 20^th: Macy Gray £100/£150

Often confined to the pop charts, Macy Gray’s distinctive vocals come to Ronnie Scott’s to showcase her soul credentials four years after her last album with a new release, ‘BIG’.  One of the biggest stars in the r’n’b world at the moment, Macy’s vocals have earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, roles in Hollywood blockbusters and millions of fans across the world.  These exclusive Ronnie Scott’s performances are one of the few occasions when audiences will be able to see her up close and personal in a sophisticated, intimate setting and are not to be missed.

21^st – 22^nd: Liane Carroll

Liane Carroll is a singer and pianist whose 2003 debut album ‘Billy No Mates’ garnered her two BBC Jazz Awards in 2005, making her the only musician ever to have picked up two such awards in one year.  A versatile and distinctive singer, she has lent her soulful vocals to acclaimed instrumental drum ‘n’ bass group London Elektricity, has performed and recorded with the likes of Guy Barker, Julian Siegel, Gerard Presencer and Sir Paul McCartney, as well as being a well-respected friend of Ronnie Scott’s – not only has she recorded two live CDs for the club’s Jazz House label, but she recently picked up the first ever Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Award for “Best UK Female Vocalist”.  Liane returns to the club with her regular trio, featuring her electric bassist (and husband) Roger Carey and Mark Fletcher on drums.

23^rd: Gerard Presencer’s ‘Platypus’

Widely recognised as one of his generation’s most talented flugelhorn and trumpet players, Gerard Presencer is known as much for his funk playing as he is for his straight ahead bop and jazz chops.  As well as his pedigree in jazz/hip-hop group US3 (most famously their 1993 release ‘Hand On The Torch’) and work on the Acid Jazz label with The Brand New Heavies and Incognito, Presencer released his ‘Platypus’ album in 1998, with John Paricelli on guitar, Jason Rebello on keyboards, Andrew Cleyndert on bass, Jeremy Stacey on drums and Chris Fletcher on percussion.  While rooted in the vibe of seventies jazz-funk, his group takes its influences from a variety of sources and incorporates post-bop, soul, funk and pop sensibilities into Presencer’s original compositions.  An intriguing opportunity to see a highly skilled player in a slightly different set-up than that in which he is often found when playing with other groups.

24^th: Mica Paris, £26

British soul singer Mica Paris started off singing in church before turning professional in her mid-teens.  She has fronted a number of radio and television shows and will be co-hosting a new series of the highly successful BBC 1 TV series, What Not To Wear with Lisa Butcher later in the year. For her new monthly residency at Ronnie’s, Mica will draw upon music from her previous albums as well as tracks from 2005’s ‘Soul Classics’ which cemented her reputation as one of the finest soul vocalists to have emerged this side of the Atlantic.

25^th – 26th: Ronnie Scott’s Big Band – A Tribute To…, £26

Every month, Ronnie Scott's Club Big Band, fronted by Musical Director and award winning band leader Pete Long, will offer a perspective on the work of one musician.  This first-class big band is comprised of the cream of UK jazz talent and once a month will offer a retrospective on different aspects of jazz music.

27^th – 29^th: Tower Of Power, £75

Originally formed by tenor saxophonist Emilio Castilio with baritone saxophonist Stephen Kupka and trumpeter/trombonist Mic Gillette, Tower of Power have been belting out their own mixed bag brand of soul, funk and rhythm and blues since the early Seventies.  They have released over twenty albums during the course of their career with more than sixty different musicians passing through the band’s collective doors and have justifiably built up quite a reputation amongst fans and fellow artists - their horn section especially is much in demand for acts as diverse as Elton John, David Sanborn, Aerosmith, Phish and Rod Stewart.  Their formidable live shows are renowned for being full of the energy and excitement that has driven them for nearly thirty years, and these dates at Ronnie Scott’s will be no exception.

For further information, please contact Air, on 020 8834 7373

Joe Baxter [email protected], Sheela Bates [email protected] or John Lyons [email protected]