Ronnie Scott’s in London is still a traditional jazz club: it has resisted the temptation of many night clubs to turn into a lap dancing club!

Security at the door is VERY high! Several of my friends remarked on this as they joined me at the table! Not like the old days! The Maitre D’ will allocate you a table. The room is full of tables covered in red chequered table cloths, dark lampshades hang from the black ceiling, each lampshade surrounding a small red bulb. The bar is on the side but there is no need to walk there for drinks: you are allocated a personal waiter. Ours was lovely and we smiled to each other every time he walked past! The service was prompt, the food lovely: the steak tender and succulent and the chips, they were more-ish…

Nigel announces his team: We are privileged to have such charismatic, talented, free spirited musicians: the Smietana band:
Key board: Piotr Wylezol
Trumpet: Tomasz “Shrek” Nowak
Drummer: Adam Czerwinski
Bassist: Tomasz “Cool” Kupiak
Guitar: Jarek Smietana

Oh yes, Z Star too!

We all end up with a sore throat and sore hands as we shrill and clap each time a new musician is announced!

Okapi is our starting point: we know it well! Both biologically and musically! Nigel, a born teacher, feels obliged to explain to us what animal the okapi is and we learn all about the Okapi’s feeding and reproductive habits!

The bass starts the Message and Z star accompanies the bass! Marvellous! I notice that since I last saw Z star in Birmingham she has had her hair cut! I feel guilty as I should not bother with the appearance of the musicians and I should concentrate on the music! Some punters start to talk and a hush noise rises from the floor, all is quiet again! How dare people talk during Nigel’s performance!

1983…(A merman I should turn to be) is our next song and I noticed that even though Z star sang at Symphony Hall, the piece is totally different! Gone are the cetacean cries and the blue/violet hues of the underwater, but still we have the pain and the struggle of the merman! The spotlight is on Z star and rest of the room is in darkness… perhaps we are much deeper underwater, where the sunlight does not reach…

“Third stone from the Sun”: oh, that is us! Mercury, Venus, Earth…and the music does not seem to last long, but it is only an illusion as we have had our allotted time before the interval.

Interval time: as I raise my glass for another drink I realise that we have not heard any swearing from Nigel! Well, it is after the nine o’clock watershed, it is all right to swear, but no, no swearing! Please mark this date in your diary!

The second part of the evening takes place in front of a different audience: the second part starts after one o’clock in the morning and at about midnight some of the public changes as the early birds must catch the last train home! Too early for the night bus!

We now have traditional jazz: “ Sunshine Alley,” “Sidewinder,” “ Songs for the Father.” Nigel is unusually quiet, not very talkative, but the tunes merge into each other and we have non- stop music… We relax in our chairs and look at the stage, savouring the music and the good wine! Luxury! This is how jazz must be enjoyed: good musicians, good food, good wine and we have all night! Carry on playing! It soon is half past two in the morning: we have been listening to music for nearly five hours… Nigel’s music wraps time in a warp! Never boring, always instilling in you the wish for more music… Nigel’s stamina, and for that matter that of his companions, is truly amazing! Apart from being wonderful artists they are true athletes! They do drink beer whilst playing, but that is only to replace the body fluids, the standard of the performance does not diminish…

“What the fuck do we do next?” remarks Nigel, awaking us from the languid torpor! Sorry, did I say no swearing this evening?!?

“Hey, Joe!”

I have not heard that one for a while! I wish there was a recording of it! Party time! The first time I heard that one it was at a party…Such a jolly tune: whoever Joe was, he was a jolly old chap! We are revitalised by the music!

Nigel has his second wind, did he ever run out of the first one? and announces: “One more for the road!”

Who are we to object? We all carry on enjoying the evening! We have all night! …and some of us have Brighton lined up for Monday...

Eventually we exit the jazz club and venture into the street: it is still night but the sky is looking pale on the east! Are we tired? No! People are everywhere, rushing around…

“When a man is tired of Nigel, he is tired of music; for there is in Nigel all that music can afford.” Angela.