Jazzing it up at Ronnie Scott's (Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (London))

Member Name: xalala

Product:	Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (London)
Date:	21/03/06 (2602 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great music, easy to get to, not too expensive

Disadvantages: Getting home again, seating not very comfortable

My husband is a fan of jazz, and plays the saxophone too, so for Christmas I booked him (and me) a night out at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in central London. After all, it's best to buy Christmas presents for other people that you'll get the benefit from too, right?!

The date I chose (14 January) featured a jazz saxophonist plus a support act consisting of a jazz singer and backing band. Neither of us are particular fans of jazz singing, but despite that we had a great time.

I'd had to give a time to the venue when I booked the tickets, which cost £25 each - this was the latest time we would arrive by, and if we weren't there around 30 minutes after that time, our table could be sold on to other customers. So, getting to the area about an hour in advance of the time I'd specified, we had a quick drink in the pub on Old Compton Street, then headed off to the club.

The venue:

Ronnie Scott's has been around a while in one form or another. It's now located in Frith Street, right in the heart of London's West End, but it started out life in nearby Gerrard Street in 1959. In 1965 it moved to it's current location in Frith Street - and the length of time the venue's been in use is beginning to show.

Arriving at the club, we immediately noticed the queue forming outside. Fortunately, I'd been organised, so we were able to join the much shorter queue for people who had reservations. Just as well, as the temperature was freezing, and I was starting to shiver (brrr).

As we went up the steps into the club (there didn't appear to be any wheelchair access) there was a table where someone took our name, checked us off the list, and we proceded. Coats went into the cloakroom, which a very polite young man was looking after. Moving forward in a queue-like formation, we got to an area which looked like the entrance to a restaurant, with a tall desk area and a maitre d' type person, who again took our name and then we were escorted to a table. We were given a choice of table to sit at, either a shared table for 4, or a table for 2 just for us. We chose the latter, and ended up sitting right alongside the stage - if I stretched my legs out, I could have touched the amps.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stretch my legs out at all, as the table was blocked off (like having a drop-leaf in front of you that didn't move). What's more, the table was fairly small, so even having room for your knees was a bit of a struggle at some times. At first we assumed that this was because we were squashed in next to the stage, but we moved seats before the second set, and that wasn't really any better.

The seats weren't especially comfortable, we first sat on what looked like basic kitchen chairs. After two or three hours, my backside was suffering rather, and beginning to go numb! Fortunately our neighbours sitting on the padded bench seats left after the first set (presumably to get the tube home), so we moved in on their territory. Sadly, the padded seats weren't ever so much more comfortable, and there was no more leg room than we'd had previously.

The loos were downstairs, as always there was a queue for the ladies, probably because everyone seemed to wait until the break between sets to go. If you had trouble with mobility then be warned, the steps were fairly steep and narrow.

In fact there were steps seemingly everywhere inside the club - to get to our table we had to go up and down I think four sets of steps - sometimes only one or two, but with the low-level lighting, I felt they were rather treacherous.

The whole club was clean, but slightly worn looking - it's closing for refurbishment this month (March 2006), and not before time, I'd say. Nothing was dirty or ripped, just tired and in need of refreshing. The walls mainly were filled with photos of jazz musicians who have played at Ronnies over the years, and I'm sure that one of the men in the photos was the person manning the desk as we entered.

At some point during the evening (and I'm not sure when) extra people were allowed into the club. They were standing, spread along the backs of the tables. This made it rather difficult for us to get out to the bar or to toilets for some of the time, until the crowd of standing people began to thin out during the second set. Fortunately there was waitress service at our tables, so food and drinks were readily available.

The food:

Food is available right up until 1am at the club, and people were eating and drinking throughout the time that we were there. Having said that, the food wasn't especially spectacular although it tasted nice. I was expecting something a little more unusual or impressive with the food, but instead we found standard stuff, ranging from club sandwiches to steak and chips and similar. Neil opted for a vegetarian club sandwich, while I chose spicy potato wedges. Prices were actually cheaper than I might have expected, and the service was both fairly quick and discreet, which it has to be as service continues during the sets.

If you go to Ronnie Scott's in a group of 6 or more, a set menu is available to choose from, and details of the menus are available on the club's website. The vegetarian choices are uninspiring but tasty, so as long as you don't expect haute cuisine, you'll be fine!

The drink:

We shared a bottle of wine between us, and again the prices were reasonable, especially considering the location. The price for a bottle started from around £15, and choosing something from the cheaper end of the range, the taste was good.

The waitress was happy to bring us a jug of iced water along with our wine, and I saw a couple of tables with only the iced water on, so I assume that they are happy for you not to pay for drinks if you wish. Of course soft drinks are available, as well as beers, cocktails and spirits.

The music:

This is perhaps the most important element in a night out at Ronnie Scotts. But it's also the most difficult to review, as the musicians change so frequently. A musician (or group of musicians) is booked to play at the club for "a season". Each season ranges from one to three weeks, depending on the artist (excluding Sundays).

On the night we went, I enjoyed the main act - the saxophonist who we really wanted to see - and I thought that the support act was good but not brilliant. The singer had a habit of waffling between songs, which I don't enjoy - telling a little story about who she wrote each song with, and where, and when. It sounded more like name dropping, if only we'd recognised the names! The main attraction, on the other hand, just came on stage and blew his sax. No talking, just music, and it was fantastic. I don't know much about jazz sax (other than it's difficult to play!), but I couldn't help but marvel at the quality of what we heard. The other musicians were equally good on double bass and drums.

The first set started at around 10pm, slightly later than the website advertises. The length of each set were almost exactly as advertised though, and the only effect the later start had was that when we headed off to get the 2am train home, the second set hadn't quite finished, which was a shame.

You can find out who is due to be playing at the club on any given date via the website (details below). The schedule is given out around two months in advance, but be aware that the venue reserves the right to change the bill without notice.

Dress code:

There's no dress code at all at Ronnie Scott's - and that's pretty unusual in a club type atmosphere in central London. I think it's partly why I liked it so much, there were people there dressed smartly (some in evening dress), there were men in suits and people in jeans and t-shirts. I certainly felt completely comfortable wearing jeans and a smart/casual top, while Neil just wore jeans and a shirt.

Transport:

Getting to Ronnie Scott's club is fairly simple, as it's right in the middle of the West End and served by tubes, buses or taxis. However, since the club doesn't close until around 3am each night, getting home again can be much more complicated. Not a problem perhaps if you either live or are staying in central London, but if you live in South London like I do, it gets more complicated. Despite that, we managed, as there are a few 24-hour bus services that took us to Victoria, and there's one 24-hour train service, which goes through East Croydon, a short-ish cab ride away from our house. Otherwise, you'd be looking at a night bus from Trafalgar Square, or at missing a considerable portion of the club's entertainment.

Conclusion:

We had a fantastic night out, and really enjoyed the music. I'd have got on better if the seating had been a little more comfortable, but despite that I'd definitely go back - and perhaps after the refurbishment it will be more comfortable anyway.

I'm impressed that the club don't try and take advantage of the fact that they have a captive audience by over-charging for food and drink, as so many other places do. The atmosphere in the club was good, and nobody was rude enought to talk loudly during the sets. The only thing I'd change would be to give people slightly more space at the tables.

I'd recommend a night out - it's not too expensive, and is definitely an experience that you won't forget in a hurry.

Other information:

Reservations: 020 7439 0747
Discounts available for members, students, and members of the Musician's Union.

www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Summary: Great and fairly cheap musical night out in central London - highly recommended!