Ronnie Scott (1927-1996) “All That Jazz”
Ronnie Scott (1927-1996) “All That Jazz” by Peter Beyfus
During my younger days, in the sixties, I used to enjoy listening to
jazz, both traditional and modern. I was lucky enough to be taken
by my boss, when I worked in London, to Ronnie Scott’s club in
Firth Street, Soho. The club was a magnet for emerging British
musical talent. From its humble beginnings, in 1959, in a basement
in Gerrard Street, to becoming world famous for its artistes and
venue for celebrity, the success of the club says a great deal about
Scott’s entrepreneurial ability and his virtuosity on saxophone.
Ronnie Scott, born Ronald Schatt, was of mixed Ashkenazi and
Sephardi origin; his father, Joseph, was of Russian descent, while
his mother’s family were members of the Portuguese synagogue,
close to Bevis Marks. His father left the family when Ronnie was
four. He was brought up by his mother and grandmother. His
mother Sylvia remarried, and it was Ronnie’s stepfather, Solomon
Berger, who recognised his musical ability and gave him his first
tenor saxophone. By...