GREAT SCOTT
© words & music by Don Read 23385
If you like jazz then head down to Ronnie Scotts
Every night’s a musical treat
All kinds of folks from cockneys to Hottentots
Congregating down in Frith Street
Smart beauticians, politicians
Love the sound that’s so universal
Movie stars, a party from Mars
Sneak in just to catch a rehearsal
Now I’m gonna name
A few of the guys who came
And played their music in Ronnie’s Hall Of Fame
The memories will remain
Life will never be the same
Stan Kenton brought a very large orchestra
“Peanut Vendor” broke up the crowd
They say they heard ‘em down at the Dorchester
I don’t think they were that loud
Jimmy Knepper, Art Pepper
Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis
Francy Boland, three guys from Poland
Claimed they played with Parker in Paris
And Carmen McRae
A very neat Anita O’Day
I could have listened to Ella through ‘til dawn
And Sassy, sweet Sarah Vaughan
Ain’t you glad that jazz was born
Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins and Buddy Rich
Barney Kessell and Bobby Shu
Frank Foster, Sonny Rollins and Woody Shaw
Milt Jackson-MJQ
John and Cleo blew in from Rio
Played the gig, moved on to Chicago
Things got busy, when they had Dizzy
Stan Getz played his “Desifinado”
Ben Webster was great
Charles Mingus arrived quite late
Miles Davis, Joe Pass and Buddy Tate
I don’t really need to state
To them I can relate
Phil Woods, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank and Shelly Manne
Johnny Griffin and …what’s is name
Hank Mobley, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn and Archie Shepp
Clark Terry and John Coltrane
Harry Edison, Neils Orsted Pederson
Maynard Ferguson, Oscar Peterson
Cecil Taylor, now he was a wailer
Played requests for some Russian sailor
It makes you feel good
The way that all music should
So what is the magic this place has
It’s home to the giants of jazz
It’s really got bezaz
The Jones boys Hank, Joe, Max, Philly Joe and Thad
Peter King – the great Tubby Hayes
Stan Tracey, Basie, Herman and Ellington
Monk, before jazz funk was the craze
Roland Hanna played great piano
Thompsons-Barbara, Lucky and Eddie
Evans Bill, Evans Gill
Mother Hubbard’s youngest son, Freddie
And Ronnie’s old jokes
Brought chuckles to all the folks
So whether you like jazz cool or hot
We’re grateful to Ronnie Scott
The guy who gave it all he’d got
TAG It don’t mean a thing
If you ain’t got Pete King (Ronnie’s partner)
65 musicians plus the odd one out
© words & music by Don Read 23385
If you like jazz then head down to Ronnie Scotts
Every night’s a musical treat
All kinds of folks from cockneys to Hottentots
Congregating down in Frith Street
Smart beauticians, politicians
Love the sound that’s so universal
Movie stars, a party from Mars
Sneak in just to catch a rehearsal
Now I’m gonna name
A few of the guys who came
And played their music in Ronnie’s Hall Of Fame
The memories will remain
Life will never be the same
Stan Kenton brought a very large orchestra
“Peanut Vendor” broke up the crowd
They say they heard ‘em down at the Dorchester
I don’t think they were that loud
Jimmy Knepper, Art Pepper
Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis
Francy Boland, three guys from Poland
Claimed they played with Parker in Paris
And Carmen McRae
A very neat Anita O’Day
I could have listened to Ella through ‘til dawn
And Sassy, sweet Sarah Vaughan
Ain’t you glad that jazz was born
Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins and Buddy Rich
Barney Kessell and Bobby Shu
Frank Foster, Sonny Rollins and Woody Shaw
Milt Jackson-MJQ
John and Cleo blew in from Rio
Played the gig, moved on to Chicago
Things got busy, when they had Dizzy
Stan Getz played his “Desifinado”
Ben Webster was great
Charles Mingus arrived quite late
Miles Davis, Joe Pass and Buddy Tate
I don’t really need to state
To them I can relate
Phil Woods, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank and Shelly Manne
Johnny Griffin and …what’s is name
Hank Mobley, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn and Archie Shepp
Clark Terry and John Coltrane
Harry Edison, Neils Orsted Pederson
Maynard Ferguson, Oscar Peterson
Cecil Taylor, now he was a wailer
Played requests for some Russian sailor
It makes you feel good
The way that all music should
So what is the magic this place has
It’s home to the giants of jazz
It’s really got bezaz
The Jones boys Hank, Joe, Max, Philly Joe and Thad
Peter King – the great Tubby Hayes
Stan Tracey, Basie, Herman and Ellington
Monk, before jazz funk was the craze
Roland Hanna played great piano
Thompsons-Barbara, Lucky and Eddie
Evans Bill, Evans Gill
Mother Hubbard’s youngest son, Freddie
And Ronnie’s old jokes
Brought chuckles to all the folks
So whether you like jazz cool or hot
We’re grateful to Ronnie Scott
The guy who gave it all he’d got
TAG It don’t mean a thing
If you ain’t got Pete King (Ronnie’s partner)
65 musicians plus the odd one out
