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Ronnie Scott's in crisis as artistic director quits
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent11.12.07
Ronnie Scott's jazz club is in turmoil after its artistic director quit.
Leo Green resigned amid speculation that he had fallen out with Sally Greene, the Old Vic owner and jazz fan who bought the club two years ago.
He made clear his dissatisfaction in an email to industry contacts. Green, 33, son of saxophonist and broadcaster Benny Green, said he had left after "some soul-searching".
He blamed his decision on the "total inability of the club to attract a general manager who lasted more than a few months" and an apparent lack of interest from some of the staff.
"When it came to the point where certain members of management had to ask me who McCoy Tyner [the veteran American jazz pianist] was, I arrived, fairly rapidly, at the conclusion that perhaps my skills were to be best utilised elsewhere," he said. Green stressed that he had merely booked the acts and had nothing to do with other aspects of the club's strategy, such as ticket pricing.
However, many feel he was responsible for its change of direction since it re-opened under new management after refurbishment. "Leo Green has been a disaster, both as a businessman and artistic director," said one jazz insider. "Jazz lovers have found themselves betrayed and discarded by a combination of soaring prices and pop star bookings that shattered the club's 48-year reputation and proud standing as an international jazz citadel."
Unhappiness among purists has focused on appearances by figures such as Craig David, Joan Armatrading and Tony Christie, although some saw them as an injection of new blood.
Jon Newey, editor of Jazzwise magazine, said: "There has been growing concern in the jazz community that soul, pop and cabaret bookings appeared to be taking precedence over jazz bookings and that Ronnie Scott's was becoming an upscale supper club rather than one of the great jazz clubs.
"This is one of the major cultural landmarks in London and people come from all over the world. It's absolutely vital this icon of the jazz world, its crown jewels, is protected. We want it to succeed and get back to where it was because it's far too important to try to do anything else."
He said the refurbishment had been "tremendous" but the club no longer offered support slots to up-and-coming performers and tickets were too expensive for musicians and students.
The club, which denies bad blood with Green, is expected to name a replacement soon. Peter Wallis, former manager of Soho's Dean Street Pizza Express, a successful jazz venue, is one candidate.
Reader views (9)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I had been a regular visitor to Ronnie's for over 30 years. Sadly however, everything must change. It was inevitable that prices should increase, how Ronnie and Pete managed to keep them so low for so long leads one to think they were running a charity. However, they do seem to have gone from one end of the scale to the other. A great shame.
As a club owner you are entitled to put on whatever acts you think suitable, but if you are going to use the word 'jazz' in your promotional literature, then jazz it must be. At least Jazz fm was finally forced to remove the dreaded four letter word from its premises and broadcasts.
If they must put on non jazz to survive, then be honest, never let the word darken their doorstep again. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that, my memories of that wonderful place are legion, but better the truth than to masquerade under false pretences.
I wish it well, but as they do say, I won't be holding my breath.
- Brian O'Connor, Horley UK
Who in their right mind these days would have a jazz club in a place with such high costs as Soho? Ronnie Scott and Pete King managed to balance through highs and lows with Ronnie’s for so many years. And I know how difficult it is to make a jazz club stack up financially, having lost the Bass Clef in Hoxton Square in 1994 after 10 years. Ronnie and Pete were always supportive; they knew how difficult it is.
So I did not envy the new owners the problems they faced to make it work.
But quite simply it had got too expensive for us jazz musicians. Yes, the Musician’s Union has negotiated rates for jazz musicians but if you went with others they still had to pay high prices.
And, as Jack Massarik bravely pointed out recently, Ronnie's had moved very far away from jazz at times.
But there is still hope. I am surprised that the 606 club in Chelsea is not quoted more as a superb venue for jazz musicians? I remember last year 606 had an incredible programme of some of the best jazz and there was virtually nothing in the papers!
Maybe we just have to accept that Soho is just too expensive a place for jazz –it is not the place I remember in the 50s when all the musicians congregated at the corner of Archer’s Street to see if they could get gigs! I think Ronnie did too! We all did. Soho, like Hoxton, has become a ‘boutique’ place, no longer the place for good, raw jazz improvisation. But there are other venues we can all support and not just in London. I'll be there!
- Peter Ind, Twickenham, UK
I saw Ahmad Jamal at Ronnies about a month ago. It was one of the best musical performances I've ever seen. I can't comment on the ticket price as it was bought for me, but having been going to Ronnie's since the late seventies, one change that is very apparent since the refurbishment is the sheer number of staff. Not just staff, but on one occasion a few months ago, I was introduced to no fewer than 4 managers. Could this be the reason for the high ticket prices?
As for the musical direction - just look at the listings, and then say there isn't a much jazz. They've always put on other stuff - I saw Madeleine Bell there, singing r'n'b in about '78!
I've never known a time when some jazz fans weren't whingeing about Ronnie's.
- Mark, London, UK
Wow, how the club has moved away from its founders original vision: to bring over the best American Jazz players (esp. saxophonists) onto the British scene. It was the most vibrant place, and as a tennager in the early nineties it made such an impression on me - as did the man himself. The club wasn't set up to make money. Ronnie himself declared that Jazz clubs were a losing proposition, - paying the staff, rates, musicians etc. Yet against the odds they survived. It became what it was from the fifties until after Ronnie's death because of that vision. It seems our new owners, understandably, are attempting to capitalize on this institution - to borrow strength from its unique brand and history. Unfortunately, it is not New York's Plaza, it is a Jazz club, a simple space where musicians and lovers of Jazz came to hear the best. I am saddened by the article, and I hope that it's traditions will continue for decades to come.
- Paul Dunn, London
If running Ronnie's today is so expensive that you have to charge ridicilous prices for admission and food/drink while also watering down the musical profile, I'd suggest they move to a smaller and less prestigious venue, work hard on serious programming and introduce prices ordinary jazz fans and not only Japanese business visitors can live with.
Back to basics in Gerrard street, maybe?
Meanwhile, thank God for Pizza Express and Vortex.
- Pete, Molde, Norway
I am quite shocked and very disappointed to read this article. I was a member of Ronnie Scott's club for three years or so back in the 1970s and there was no-where quite like it in London at that time. I saw many jazz
giants there and quite a number are no longer with us. I saw Ronnie Scott many times and listened to his jokes over and over again and yes I always laughed! He created a very special home for jazz music and fans were very loyal - it was a great place to be. Those in charge at the club now should think of him through the present turmoil and how he would feel if he could see what was happening. If you don't live and breathe jazz you shouldn't be there. Surely there are other venues for pop and other types of music - Ronnie Scott's was very special and I sincerely hope problems soon get sorted! Anybody who remembers the good old days there and has either money or influence or both - please do help.
- Dawn Bonham, Northampton
Prices! We used to be members when Ronnie was alive and had some very enjoyable evenings seeing some of the world's best musicians at very reasonable prices. When the family came along our night-time habits were forced to change so we stopped going.
Recently I saw that one of my all-time guitar heroes was going to be playing at the new Ronnie's - then I saw the price of a ticket!
For the pair of us it would have cost about £200 before drinks for the evening.
That for me, takes it out of the realm of being a jazz club and into the realm of being clip-joint.
- Dt, Harrow, UK
Cometh the hour, cometh the influential. Has the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Group ever actually done anything?
- Dan, London
The situation at Ronnie Scott's is sad, in that one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world with nearly 50 years of history is becoming a venue of ridicule as a soap opera there develops. Someone should step in as soon as possible to save a club which is a beacon for the music.
Especially as elsewhere in London, the jazz scene is at its most vibrant for years. Look at the Vortex in Dalston and 606 in Chelsea, as well as the success of last month's London Jazz Festival.
- Oliver, London
