38 RETAIL & HOSPITALITY
REINVENTING RONNIE SCOTT’S
When your venue has welcomed everyone from Miles Davis to Amy Winehouse, standing still isn’t an option. The most recent Ronnie Scott’s redevelopment proves even an icon can evolve Words Verity Butler F or almost seven decades, Ronnie Scott’s has occupied a unique place in the world of live music. Since saxophonist Ronnie Scott opened the doors in London’s Soho in 1959, the club has welcomed a huge roll call of artists, including the likes of Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse – as well as countless contemporary stars. Now firmly established as the London jazz club, it has become an institution where audiences expect world-class performances delivered with an intimacy that’s becoming increasingly difficult to find. This has been a particular challenge in a live music landscape that finds itself dominated by sold-out stadium shows and arena tours. But, when you’ve spent almost 70 years earning a place among the world’s greatest live music venues, how do you expand and evolve without diluting what made the original so special? Following a recent and ambitious redevelopment, Upstairs at Ronnie’s has transformed a relaxed first-floor bar into a purpose-built, 140-capacity performance space that reflects everything the club has learned about presenting live music over the past six decades. The project went above and beyond, seeking to create a venue capable of handling anything from intimate classical recitals and near-acoustic solo performances, to energetic soul, funk and Cuban nights. This was all with the aim of sustaining the close connection between artist and audience that defines Ronnie Scott’s. As Charlie Dale, the technical manager at Ronnie Scott’s, explains to LIVE : “With Upstairs at Ronnie’s, we set ourselves the
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