THE JAZZ SCENE A Few,Blokes Off Piccadilly

By Ken  Grady

IF YOU ARE Europe bound, this year,  and London is one of your stop off points, whether for vacation or business this guided tour of the Jazz hot spots could prove useful.

If you’ve been to London, and you like Jazz, you’ve probably checked out Ronnie Scott’s Club, near Piccadilly Circus. Ronnie Scott’s is an iconic Jazz club in London where you can still see top American and international Jazz Musicians perform. 

A sax player, Scott, who is from England, dreamed of having a Jazz club in London after he and fellow countryman and musician, Pete King, started hanging out at the 52 St. clubs of New York in the 40’s & 50’s. Their dream came true when they opened the club in Soho, in 1959. I’d heard about Ronnie Scott’s, so on my first trip to London thirty years ago, I went about trying to find it. 

I stopped a London “Bobby”  and asked if he knew where Ronnie Scott’s Club was. I’ll never forget his answer. He said, “Yeah mate. Just a few blokes off Piccadilly Circus”. Of course, he meant “a few blocks”, not blokes, which refers to a British or English guy. Well, he immediately laughed at his mistake before I could. Then we agreed that either word could apply.

Ronnie Scott’s is a classy Jazz joint, in the style of a fancy New York Jazz club. When I got there, Billy Eckstine was on the stand. An unforgettable experience.

Another great London Jazz spot is The 100 Club, located at 100 Bond Street where I saw saxophone icon, Archie Shepp, about 25 years ago. I stopped in the hall during intermission and spoke with Archie, who seemed pleased to see another American. When I saw Shepp at The 100 Club it was in 1988. I am very pleased to see that the club is still around, and in the same location. The100 Club features Jazz & Poetry sessions during lunch, and in the evening. If you go on Tuesdays, you’ll also find The Blues is alive and well, as it has been in England for several decades.

Also, the Camden Lock section of north London houses a great club, called  Dingwall’s, that features Jazz, and more, on Saturdays. I caught Hugh Masekela there in the eighties.

My favorite Jazz club in London, however, was the The Bass Clef, in East London, founded by English bassist Peter Ind, who played with Billie Holiday, Miles, and Buddy Rich. Unlike Ronnie Scott’s, The Bass Clef was way off the beaten path in the neighborhood of Hoxton. In 1981 Peter Ind opened a recording studio in a building in Hoxton Square. Three years later he turned the building’s basement into a Jazz club and dubbed it, The Bass Clef. Nothing fancy here, though, just the basics, with a great kitchen. I was last there in the late eighties and saw alto saxophonist, Bud Shank. Other notables who have appeared there include, Brandford Marsalis JohnDankworth, and Courteny Pine. In addition to world class Jazz musicians, you might have also rubbed shoulders with the likes of the late Leonard Bernstein, or Sade, who were among the notables who frequented the club. Sadly, I believe this club  closed it’s doors in 1994.  

There is plenty more Jazz in London including, the 606 Club, in Chelsea, where you can find Jazz, Latin, Soul and R&B, seven nights a week making it one of the busiest clubs in all of Europe.

In addition, check out theatre venues like The Drury Lane Theatre, where I caught Chick Corea and Gary Burton in concert many years ago.

For more info go to, www.ronniescotts.co.uk,

www.the100club.co.uk, www.dingwalls.com, and www.606club.co.uk