Down in the smoke for a couple of days with the wife for a pre Christmas break.
At Ronnie Scott’s last night to see the always excellent Ray Gelato and the Giants playing swing, jive standards from the great American songbook. Music that I would never listen to at home or in the car, but which I love live. We’ve seen Ray and various incarnations of the Giants five or six times since about 1990, in venues ranging from the Bulls Head in Barnes (audience of about six), to a packed Pata Mata’s club in Milan to the 100 Club a couple of years ago. Really great musicians although a little too much comedy this time.
Ronnie Scott’s is interesting, hadn’t been before. Very expensive and obviously lots of tourists, but good atmosphere and the downstairs room, where the ‘names’ play very like a 50’s US nightclub, quite cool. Apparently the upstairs bar is where the ‘new’ experimental jazz happens. The place is open, with live music, until 3.00 every morning. Niiice. We’ll be back to see Ruby Turner (not really jazz) in February I think.
I always love spending time in my home town, and the west end was very lively for a Wednesday night when it’s pouring with rain. But man is there a lot of homelessness. Walking up to the club we were intrigued by a crowd just off the Strand. Turned out to be at least 100 people queuing for a meal from a Sikh run mobile soup kitchen. Multiple panhandlers working the queue to get into the club. Tents and bundles of sleeping bags all over the place. I’ve spent time in Paris, Chicago, Amsterdam and New York over the last six months. All have issues but none, at least in my experience, at this level in the heart of downtown. Though I’m told Los Angeles and San Francisco have very bad problems.
Off to the V&A today. One of my 18th century ancestors was a silversmith and we are going to try and find a sugar bowl he made which is in the museum somewhere.
At Ronnie Scott’s last night to see the always excellent Ray Gelato and the Giants playing swing, jive standards from the great American songbook. Music that I would never listen to at home or in the car, but which I love live. We’ve seen Ray and various incarnations of the Giants five or six times since about 1990, in venues ranging from the Bulls Head in Barnes (audience of about six), to a packed Pata Mata’s club in Milan to the 100 Club a couple of years ago. Really great musicians although a little too much comedy this time.
Ronnie Scott’s is interesting, hadn’t been before. Very expensive and obviously lots of tourists, but good atmosphere and the downstairs room, where the ‘names’ play very like a 50’s US nightclub, quite cool. Apparently the upstairs bar is where the ‘new’ experimental jazz happens. The place is open, with live music, until 3.00 every morning. Niiice. We’ll be back to see Ruby Turner (not really jazz) in February I think.
I always love spending time in my home town, and the west end was very lively for a Wednesday night when it’s pouring with rain. But man is there a lot of homelessness. Walking up to the club we were intrigued by a crowd just off the Strand. Turned out to be at least 100 people queuing for a meal from a Sikh run mobile soup kitchen. Multiple panhandlers working the queue to get into the club. Tents and bundles of sleeping bags all over the place. I’ve spent time in Paris, Chicago, Amsterdam and New York over the last six months. All have issues but none, at least in my experience, at this level in the heart of downtown. Though I’m told Los Angeles and San Francisco have very bad problems.
Off to the V&A today. One of my 18th century ancestors was a silversmith and we are going to try and find a sugar bowl he made which is in the museum somewhere.
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