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Pianist Julian Joseph will perform at the Jazz Fest |
Ronnie’s zestier than ever for all star fiftieth bash
PREVIEW: BRIT JAZZ FEST
Ronnie Scott’s
GOLDEN Anniversary celebrations are gathering pace at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club for its 50th birthday in October.
Next month, the club is paying tribute to support from domestic musicians in its early years by hosting a two-week all-British jazz feast comprising a gorgeous plethora of home-grown talent from established names to rising stars.
Starting on August 1, more than 100 musicians will be performing over the course of two weeks.
Opening the jazz feast will be Julian Joseph, the outstanding pianist, bandleader and composer who had his first taste of the glories of jazz as a teenager in the 1980s at WAC, the arts and performance centre then located in Talacre, Kentish Town.
Among his WAC teachers was trumpet and flugelhorn player Ian Carr, who died recently.
Carr’s jazz-rock fusion band Nucleus became world renowned and a special event, Nucleus Revisited, on August 4 will celebrate his life and legacy.
Other established musicians contributing to the jazz feast include Courtney Pine, Liane Carroll, Michael Garrick and Evan Parker.
Clark Tracey recalls his first club engagement in 1979 as a drummer with the quartet led by his father, Stan Tracey, that also included Don Weller and Peter Ind.
“There were three 45-minute sets,” he says. “It was a work-out.”
Rising stars and bands will include Soweto Kinch, Polar Bear, Get the Blessing, Arun Ghosh and the Sunburst Band.
Young songstress Natalie Williams will turn August 9 into Soul Family Sunday.
“I first played Ronnie’s in September 2006 as the singer with the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars over three consecutive days,” she recalls.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking being on that stage for the first time, I must say.
“I remember spending ages working on the ‘perfect’ set list at home, wanting it to have the right balance of audience-friendly songs and hardcore jazz tunes with lots of improvising.”
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