‘Ronnie’s,’ New Documentary On Iconic London Jazz Club + Its Namesake, Out Today | Shore Fire Media

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11 February, 2022Print

‘Ronnie’s,’ New Documentary On Iconic London Jazz Club + Its Namesake, Out Today

 
"A Hallowed London Jazz Club Comes to Life Onscreen" (NY Times)
 
Read A NY Times Feature Here
 
Film Features Previously Unseen Live Footage Of Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone + Many More
 
“GENTLE AND QUIETLY AUTHORITATIVE…TAKES YOU RIGHT THERE.” 
— THE GUARDIAN
 
“EXEMPLARY…A FILM WORTHY OF ITS SUBJECT.”
— UNCUT
 
"CUTS A WIDE SWATH...REALLY BRINGS RONNIE'S TO LIFE."
— WBGO
 
"BRILLIANTLY MERGES THE STORY OF THE MAN & THE VENUE."
— HOUSTON PRESS
 
Today, Ronnie’s (Greenwich Entertainment), an acclaimed documentary that chronicles the life and times of saxophonist Ronnie Scott and his world-famous London jazz club, opens in select theaters and on-demand. Directed by Oliver Murray, the film “offers a multidimensional view of Scott and the nightclub through the perspective of journalists, friends and musicians who knew him” (NY Times). However the “jewels of the documentary” (Houston Press) are the unseen and unheard performances by some of the most iconic figures in musical history — Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker, Van Morrison, and so many more.
 
Read a new New York Times feature on Ronnie’s that features interviews with director Oliver Murray, longtime club booker Paul Pace, and Sonny Rollins here. 
 
Founded alongside business partner Pete King in 1959, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club quickly became the most famous music venue in all of London on the back of its stellar and adventurous bookings and Ronnie Scott’s warm demeanor and generous spirit. From the great and famous who frequented his club, to the many down-at-heel musicians who turned to him for a break, Ronnie Scott became a vital figure in the global music scene. However, Ronnie was as complex and colourful as the music played on his stage. In private he battled depression and a gambling addiction, and when he died in 1996 at age 69, it left the jazz community bereft of a singular figure.
 
Watch the trailer for Ronnie’s here: https://youtu.be/oe_EPoTzTjY
 
Ronnie Scott
 
About the Director
Oliver Murray is a filmmaker based in London, where he specialises in films and documentaries about the arts. He was raised on a sheep farm in England, studied Fine Art at The Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, and Film & Animation at The Pratt Institute in New York City. He moved to London to become a professional filmmaker in 2009. By combining his passion for film with his love of music Oliver started work as a music video director, creating videos for artists including The Horrors, Noel Gallagher and The Vaccines. He also became a busy commercials director, creating work for brands including Microsoft, Visa, Red Bull and Vice.
 
In 2017 Oliver founded Orofena Films - to date Oliver has written and directed two feature documentaries. His debut THE QUIET ONE, about the life and career of Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, was bought by Sundance Selects and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2019 before enjoying a theatrical release across North America. RONNIES, a look at the legacy of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, is a return to the world of music and his love of working with archive material. The film showcases some of the world’s finest musicians and shines a light on the complex personality of the founder of the club, Ronnie Scott.
 
Oliver is currently developing a slate of documentary and drama projects in the UK and continues to create music videos and commercials.
 
Ella Fitzgerald
 
Buddy Rich
 
Featuring Performances By
OSCAR PETERSON
RONNIE SCOTT
DIZZY GILLESPIE
ROLAND KIRK
SONNY ROLLINS
CLEO LANE & JOHN DANKWORTH
MARY LOU WILLIAMS
BUDDY RICH
SARAH VAUGHAN
MILES DAVIS
JIMI HENDRIX
ELLA FITZGERALD
NINA SIMONE
VAN MORRISON & CHET BAKER 
BEN WEBSTER 
AJAO
 
Featuring New Interviews With
BARBARA JAY
BILL BAKER
BRUCE FLEMING
CATHY RICH
CHRIS KING
CHRIS BLACKWELL
FRANCOISE VANET
GEORGIE FAME
GILES PETERSON
JIM HUNT
JOHN FORDHAM
KYLE EASTWOOD
LENNY BRESLAW
MARY SCOTT
MICHAEL PARKINSON
MICHAEL WATT
PAUL PACE
REBECCA SCOTT
SALLY GREENE
SIMON COOKE
SONNY ROLLINS
STELLA KING
VAL WILMER
WALLY HOUSER
QUINCY JONES
 
Credits
Writer & Director OLIVER MURRAY
Producer KIRSTY BELL
Executive Producer PHIL MCKENZIE
Co Producer OLIVER MURRAY
Producer for Orofena Films MILLY RILEY
Cinematographer BEN THOMAS
Production Designer SARAH KANE
Graphic Design INTRO
Archive Producer JAMES RM HUNT
Editor PAUL TREWARTHA
Music Supervisor GARY WELCH
Composer ALEX HEFFES
Post Production MOLINARE
 
For more information, please contact:
James Rainis | Shore Fire Media | jrainis@shorefire.com
Ailie Orzak |Shore Fire Media | aorzak@shorefire.com