“Strike up the band and bring your date- classical music has never felt so sumptuous”
There’s nowhere on Earth like Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. A Soho institution made of infinite class and talent. On a nondescript “Blue Monday” night in February, musical director and pianist James Pearson lead his 7-piece band through its inaugural Ronnie Scott’s Classical All-Stars night. Its first outing began with a refined back catalogue of the inimitable Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein repertoire. The upstairs venue has been freshly revamped from its more urban, stripped back black box club interior and is now as plush as its big sister venue downstairs. Jacquard-lined floral fabric panels embellish the beautiful art deco/mid-century modern wooden walls, tropically patterned fabric adorns the sound-proofed ceiling segments, and warm-hued velvet bedecks every booth and banquette, all covered in a hushed golden lamp-lit glow. Though still squeaky clean and fresh from its grand opening a few days ago, the place evokes pure golden era nostalgia. Like a 1940s supper club, the crowd is packed in, basically part of the band itself; suspender–clad waiters jostle cocktails and crockery with ease, all adding to the intimate atmosphere. The place just feels so cool.
Now, let’s get to the show itself. Kicking off with Strike Up The Band, it becomes immediately clear why the musicians have been chosen for this weekly slot. Violin virtuosa Lizzie Ball is Pearson’s band leader counterpart, weaving her bow and banter like the pro she is. Gershwin’s work is the perfect blend of musical melting pot. His compositions were truly the pop music of their day and his Carnegie Hall shows would have drawn as much hype as Bad Bunny at the Superbowl. Fortunately the only thing better than Gerwshin’s hype is the band at Ronnie Scott’s. Saxophonist Peter Long expertly oozes charisma, his playful trills and harmonies are matched only by Tom Dunnett on trombone, whose ability to switch mufflers and evoke a speakeasy vibe with his brass tones is magical to witness.
A well thought out set-list exemplifies why this show is already such a crowd pleaser. Intertwining the overture from An American In Paris (complete with French car horns), Porgy and Bess, and Oh! Lady, be Good leading into the eternally sensational Rhapsody in Blue had the audience absolutely r[h]apt. I was surveying them for reactions but they were all so focused on the performance- nobody dared to take their eyes of the band for a moment. The encore came in the form of a 15-minute West Side Story mash-up: a welcome surprise to me and a real demonstration of Lizzie’s string skills.
It’s hard to come up with anything they could work on; such is the testament to the new programming decision at Ronnie’s. It really feels like perfect date-night material, or a place to bring someone you’d like to impress. I did notice the majority of the crowd was older, and I wish more young people got to experience Gershwin and Bernstein in all their glory like this with such a talented band in a lavish setting- why should our parents have all the fun? In such a plush setting, this timeless production is pure melodious escapism. This new weekly show presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy famous compositions in a fresh, lively and accessible way.
Ronnie Scott’s Classical All Stars runs two shows every Monday night Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, with different classical themes.