Ronnie Scott's is the cornerstone of the UK jazz scene and has been since its opening night in 1959. There has always been a tradition of having a house band since Stan Tracey's Trio first accompanied Zoot Sims in 1961 at the club's original home in Gerrard Street.
After the move to Frith Street, the owners, Ronnie Scott and Pete King maintained their support of the UK scene by booking local artists in the support slots. Often, Ronnie would front the support band such as the trio he co-led with organist Mike Carr and the now classic Ronnie Scott Quintet featuring trumpeter Dick Pearce and rhythm section of John Critchinson, Ron Matthewson and Martin Drew, which became the club's house band from the early 80s until Ronnie's tragic death in 1996. When theatrical impresario Sally Greene became the new owner in 2006 the tradition of the house band was continued.
Today, the hard-driving combo of Pearson, bassist Sam Burgess and drummer Pedro Segundo often establishes the mood for an evening at Ronnie's in their opening set and they are frequently joined by singer Natalie Williams and tenor saxophonist Alex Garnett.
Personnel: Natalie Williams (vocals), Alex Garnett (saxophone), James Pearson (piano), Sam Burgess (bass), Pedro Segundo (drums) amazon.com
