Jazz breaking news Exclusive: Wynton Marsalis Returns To Ronnie Scott’s For First Time In Five Years
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Jazzwise can exclusively reveal that Wynton Marsalis has just been confirmed for an unprecedented five night residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club commencing Tuesday 16 August.
This will be in sharp contrast to Marsalis’ last visit to London which saw him lead an epic residency at the Barbican centre with the Jazz At Lincoln Centre Orchestra in June 2010. This summer’s performances see him play two sets a night for five nights in the intimate and highly charged atmosphere of this iconic club. His appearance coincides with the fifth anniversary of the club’s purchase, restoration and re-launch by theatre impresario Sally Greene in 2006.
Marsalis’ return sees him join the ever-lengthening list of world class musicians – that includes the likes of Tony Bennett, Dame Cleo Laine, Van Morrison, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Michel Legrand and Jeff Beck – who have appeared at the club in the last five years, in favour of larger concert halls. Guitar legend John McLaughlin also makes an extremely rare club appearance on 11 July, while new stars like Blue Note signed trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and pianist Robert Glasper (who continues his sold-out four night run tonight at the club) are also bringing younger audiences to the club in droves.
This news also comes as Ronnie Scott’s is enjoying a staggering level of success as a business too with new managing director Simon Cooke steering the club through a period where the likes of Live Nation are seeing sales and profits slide. Under his management over the last two years the club has run at an amazing 98% capacity for the past two years. Throughout the same period, the club's membership has tripled from 450 to 1400, up an impressive 211%, and the annual turnover is an equally stunning £7m, up from £ 2.4 in 2006. These figures go hand in hand with the burgeoning success of Jazz FM and its move to going nationwide on DAB, and the launch of the Ronnie Scott’s Radio Show next month. The show, to be broadcast every Friday night between 10 – 11pm, will feature a mix of interviews and music from performing artists past and present, representing the full diversity and vibrancy of Ronnie Scott’s both historically and as a venue that’s very much alive and kicking today.
- Mike Flynn