Ronnie Scott (originally Ronald Schatt) was born in Aldgate, east London, into a family of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Portuguese antecedents on his mother's. Scott began playing in small jazz clubs at the age of sixteen. he toured with Johnny Claes, the trumpeter, from 1944 to 1945, and with Ted Heath in 1946, as well as working with Ambrose, Cab Kaye, and Tito Burns. He was involved in the short-lived musicians' co-operative Club Eleven band and club (1948–1950), with Johnny Dankworth and others, and was a member of the generation of British musicians who worked on the Cunard liner Queen Mary (intermittently 1946–c. 1950) in order to visit New York and hear the new music directly. Scott was among the earliest British musicians to be influenced in his playing style by Charlie Parker and other bebop musicians.
In 1952 Scott joined Jack Parnell's orchestra, then led his own nine-piece group and quintet featuring among others, Pete King, with whom he would later open his jazz club, Victor Feldman, Hank Shaw and Phil Seamen from 1953 to 1956. He co-led The Jazz Couriers with Tubby Hayes from 1957 to 1959, and was leader of a quartet including Stan Tracey (1960–1967).
During this period he also did occasional session work; his best-known work here is the solo on The Beatles' "Lady Madonna". He was said to be upset at the amount of his saxophone that made the final cut on the original record.
From 1967–69, Scott was a member of The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band which toured Europe extensively and which also featured fellow tenor players Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, at the same time running his own octet including John Surman and Kenny Wheeler (1968–1969), and a trio with Mike Carr on keyboards and Bobby Gien on drums (1971–1975). He then went on to lead various groups, most of which included John Critchinson on keyboards and Martin Drew on drums.
Ronnie Scott's playing was much admired on both sides of the Atlantic. Charles Mingus said of him in 1961: "Of the white boys, Ronnie Scott gets closer to the negro blues feeling, the way Zoot Sims does." Despite his central position in the British jazz scene, Scott recorded infrequently during the last few decades of his career. He suffered periods of depression and, while recovering slowly from surgery for tooth implants, died at age 69 from an accidental overdose of barbiturates prescribed by his dentist.
He was cremated at the Golders Green Crematorium.
Scott is perhaps best remembered for co-founding, with former tenor sax player Pete King, the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, which opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district, with the debut of a young alto sax player named Peter King (no relation), before later moving to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street in 1965. The original venue continued in operation as the "Old Place" until the lease ran out in 1967, and was used for performances by the up and coming generation of domestic musicians.
Scott regularly acted as the club's genial Master of Ceremonies, and was (in)famous for his repertoire of jokes, asides and one-liners. A typical introduction might go: "Our next guest is one of the finest musicians in the country. In the city, he's crap".
After Scott's death, King continued to run the club for a further nine years, before selling the club to theatre impresario Sally Greene in June 2005.
Selected band line-ups:
As well as participating in name orchestras, Scott led or co-led numerous bands featuring some of Britain's most prominent jazz musicians of the day.
Alan Dean's Beboppers
1949
Ronnie Scott (ts), Johnny Dankworth (as), Hank Shaw (tp), Tommy Pollard (p), Pete Chilver (g), Joe Muddel (b), Laurie Morgan (d), Alan Dean (vocal).
Ronnie Scott Orchestra
- 1954, 1955
Ronnie Scott (ts), Derek Humble (as), Pete King (ts), Hank Shaw (tp), Ken Wray (tb), Benny Green (bs), Victor Feldman (p), Lennie Bush (b), Phil Seamen (d).
Ronnie Scott Quintet
- 1955
Ronnie Scott (ts), Hank Shaw (tp), Victor Feldman (p), Sammy Stokes/Lennie Bush (b), Phil Seamen (d).
Ronnie Scott Big Band
- 1955
Ronnie Scott, Pete King, (ts), Joe Harriott, Doug Robinson (as), Benny Green (bs), Stan Palmer, Hank Shaw, Dave Usden, Jimmy Watson, (tp) Jack Botterill, Robin Kaye, Mac Minshull, Ken Wray (tb), Norman Stenfalt (p), Eric Peter (b), Phil Seamen (d).
The Jazz Couriers
Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib), Terry Shannon (p), Phil Bates (b), Bill Eyden (d).
(On 7 April 1957, The Jazz Couriers co-led by Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, debuted at the new Flamingo Club in Wardour Street, Soho. The group lasted until 30 August 1959).
Ronnie Scott Quartet
(1964)
Ronnie Scott (ts), Stan Tracey (p), Malcolm Cecil (b), Jackie Dougan (d).
Ronnie Scott Quintet
(1990)
Dick Pearce (tp), Ronnie Scott (ts), John Critchinson (p), Ron Mathewson (b), Martin Drew (d).
Selected discography
1948: Boppin' at Esquire (indigo)
1958: The Couriers of Jazz! (Carlton/Fresh Sounds)
1965: The Night Is Scott and You're So Swingable (Redial)
1965: When I Want Your Opinion, I'll Give it to You (Jazz House)
1969: Live at Ronnie Scott's (Columbia)
1977: Serious Gold (Pye)
1990: Never Pat a Burning Dog (Jazz House)
1997: If I Want Your Opinion (Jazz House)
1997: The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (Jazz House)
2000: Boppin' at Esquire (Indigo)
2002: Ronnie Scott Live at the Jazz Club (Time Music)
How High Is the Moon
Ronnie Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you
Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
Ronnie Scott's song "How High is the Moon" is a romantic ballad that speaks of the love and longing of two people for each other. The song talks about the presence of music as an element that is omnipresent and how its faint tune provides comfort to the lovers. The first two lines of the song set the tone that the music is ever-present, but it is just a matter of perception. The next two lines suggest that the love between the two is like heaven above, but just out of reach until they acknowledge their love for each other.
The next few lines of the song reveal that the lovers are miles apart, but the thought of their love makes them feel that they are together. The line "There is no moon above when love is far away too" speaks to the emptiness one feels when not in the presence of their love. The song then shifts back to how music is this transcendent force that bridges the gap between the two. The last two lines of the song is the climax of the song, it represents the highest point of the song where the character expresses the deep yearning they have for their loved one. The expression "How high the moon" encapsulates the depth of the love and longing for the lovers.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere there's music
In some corner of the world, there is music present
How faint the tune
The music is so soft that it's barely audible
Somewhere there's heaven
There exists a paradise at some place
How high the moon
The moon appears to be at a great height in that paradise
There is no moon above
If someone is far away, there seems to be no moon in the sky
When love is far away too
In such absence of love, even the moon seems to be missing from the sky
Till it comes true
This situation will continue until love comes back
That you love me as I love you
The love must be mutual to bring the moon back into the sky
Somewhere there's music
Again, there exists music somewhere
How near, how far
The distance between the person and the music can vary
Somewhere there's heaven
Once again there is a paradise present somewhere
It's where you are
The paradise is the place where the person is located
The darkest night would shine
The night sky would brighten up
If you would come to me soon
If the person comes near, this will happen
Until you will, how still my heart
Until the person arrives, the singer's heart is still with anticipation
How high the moon
When the person arrives, everything will shine brightly like the moon again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Morgan Lewis, Nancy Hamilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind