Our week at Ronnie Scotts was a fun and important time. I've always felt that while playing concert halls is a most cost-effective way to tour, the true measure of a band is developed in a club setting. After all, the small, intimate club setting (or small, intimate brothel setting!!!) is where jazz developed in the first place. In addition, playing in a club allows us unfettered contact with musicians around the world for an extended period of time. The opportunity to hear us more than once in a week might give them a better sense of what we are trying to do than the one-shot concert.
Having not played clubs in Europe in over 10 years, and on the heels of our new recording, I felt this was the time to go for it. And there was no better place to play for a week than Ronnie Scotts. Ronnie's was the first jazz club I'd ever played in Europe, and is the brainchild of the venerable London saxman Ronnie Scott (now deceased). Hs dream is kept alive by his partner Pete King. Many of the managers (like Monty) have been there for over 20 years and I share fond memories with them. It was great to see the likes of Pete, Monty, Colin and Ken Drew, he of Shakespearean wit.
Being in a livable city like London also gave us the opportunity to take our families along. Nicole, Peyton, Reese and I stayed at the flat of a friend and lived like Londoners for the week. Not only was it great to have the family around in the mornings, it was even better not to have to pay an arm and a leg for bread and tea in your room in the morning.
We also got to go to the Tower of London, the home of William the Conqueror in 1066, and the subsequent home of Kings and Queens of England. It is also the home of many a famous religious and political prisoner, among them Sir Walter Raleigh and the young Plantagent Princes Edward and Richard, who were among those mysteriously killed during the succession of events that allowed Richard III to claim the throne. Their murders were made famous by the historically suspect anti-Richard III propaganda play by Shakespeare.
Here are a few sights (sorry, no smells) of London during the week along with a few shots from Europe. | 
This series of paintings is by Alessandro Curadi. He showed them to me when we played in Milan. I liked it so much, I decided to share it with you guys.
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While we were at Ronnies, Mike was doing a solo concert for the London Jazz Festival. | 
Here are Nicole, Peyton & Reese hanging near Traitor Gate in Tower of London. | 
Two of the mainstays at Ronnies. Monty was there when I first came there in 1980. | 
Me with saxophonist Jean Toussiant and pianist Julian Joseph. | 
The oldest medieval building in the Tower of London. |
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