Opened by the British saxophonist Ronnie Scott in 1959, this legendary Soho institution made its name as the first club to host American jazz musicians in the UK. As well as welcoming the biggest names on the jazz scene (Zoot Sims, Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt) it's also made room for other artists that fit the distinctive Ronnie Scott's vibe – Tom Waits, Elkie Brooks and even Mark Knopfler have all performed here.
Ronnie’s was completely refurbished in 2006 when theatre impresario Sally Green took over – Scott had died ten years previously and his business partner wanted out. Capacity was expanded to 250 and the club is now consistently booking a wide variety of top-notch artists that – while featuring the biggest names from the world of jazz: Kurt Elling, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Chick Corea, Billy Cobham – has also included the likes of guitar hero Jeff Beck, former Cream bassist Jack Bruce and soul and blues stars. The club's success is testimony to Ronnie Scott's original ambition: to create a place for British jazz musicians to perform at regularly, and in turn to create our own world-class jazz scene.
Check out our guide to all things jazz in London.