THE MIKE COLE STORY #4

RONNIE’S

In 1977 he joined the Ronnie Scott quintet and became the house bass player at the world-famous club. This lasted until 1992. It is no secret that Ron ‘liked a drink’. But, because he was such a brilliant player, Scott had tolerated Ron’s alcoholism which made him unreliable and prone to erratic behaviour.

Eventually he gave Ron an ultimatum. He would have to ‘dry-out or quit the band. Ron registered with an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Ireland. I am not sure whether Ron had to bear the cost of this, or whether the band contributed or whether it was NHS funded. Then, as now, it was not cheap.

When new residents arrive at reception they are asked “Have you got anything on you ?” Ron gave the standard answer “No”. In fact he had half a bottle of brandy in his suitcase. Ron stayed for several weeks and had to accept the clinic’s regime and discipline. He told me that when he eventually left, the first thing he did was to find the nearest pub !

Anyway, during some fifteen years Ron played with all the great musicians (when they didn’t bring their own rhythm section) that visited the club. I remember one (a bit corny) anecdote he related to me. One evening he was playing with pianist Cedar Walton. In between numbers the audience would naturally take the opportunity to talk amongst themselves, so there was a bit of background noise. Cedar informed Ron that the next number was to be Airegin. To which Ron replied “No thanks, I’ve got a beer.”

One time Ron was at home in bed (with a girl-friend) when the phone rang. He answered. It was Stan Getz: “Can you get me a rhythm section for a Scandinavian tour ?” Stan was offering minimal, almost insulting, money. Ron asked for a lot more and, after some haggling, got it.

The rhythm section comprised Ron, Mick Pyne and Spike Wells. I still have a CD, copied from Ron’s, of some of the playing, recorded by Spike Wells on his portable CD player. The recording quality is poor but at least the music is preserved to some extent.

TWO PIANO PLAYERS

Ron told me of his contrasting experiences with two visiting American pianists.

He was booked to play with Oscar Peterson and a drummer at one of the very posh hotels in London. The audience was formally attired. He told me that Oscar (bear in mind that this is Ron’s version of events) did not tell him what tunes they were about to play; he just counted off and stormed into each number. According to Ron he showed no consideration whatsoever and generally gave him a hard time.

The other occasion resulted from an afternoon phone call from Tony Oxley. He asked Ron if he was working that night and did he want a gig at the club ? Ron replied that he was free and asked who it was with. “Bill Evans” was the reply. Ron’s words were “Pull the other one.” But it was no joke. Apparently Stan Getz was booked at Ronnie’s for the next week but had telephoned that he would be a day late. The Bill Evans trio had played the previous week at the club but Bill, for whatever reason, had remained in London. He was asked to fill in.

Eddie Gomez and Marty Morrell had returned to the USA, so he needed a bassist and a drummer. Anyway, Bill asked Ron and Tony what tunes they would like to play. They were familiar most of all with the tunes on Bill’s early recordings with Scott LaFaro and with Chuck Israels. So accordingly Bill compiled a playing list, including the keys for each number.

They had a most enjoyable evening. After the final session Bill thanked them and complimented them on their playing, saying that he hadn’t played those numbers for years and what a pleasure it was to play them again.

PHIL WOODS, CHARLIE WATTS

In the early 1980s Ron played with Phil Woods and stayed with him, Chan Parker and Baird (Charlie Parker’s son) and Kim (Chan’s daughter) in their Paris house. He told me that apparently Baird disliked Phil (he probably resented him for ‘stealing’ his mum) and they would have frequent arguments. At one time, with Phil in the hall and Baird on the staircase, they were screaming at each other. Ron told me that, at times, it was quite a tense atmosphere.

In 1985-86 Ron participated in The Charlie Watts Big Band. This band was subsidised by the Rolling Stones drummer who loved jazz and was indeed an old friend of bassist Dave Green. This band had three drummers – Bill Eyden, John Stevens and Charlie.

Standing at the bar at Ronnie Scott’s listening to the band was Milt Jackson, who famously remarked “It could do with another drummer.” It also had two bassists – Ron and Dave Green. Anyway, after one gig or rehearsal Charlie and another Stone (it may have been Keith Richards) invited Ron to their penthouse suite in a Park Lane hotel. As they entered the vestibule Ron noticed a bowl of white powder on the table. “Help yourself.”

AFTERMATH

A good few years later, as a member of a local rhythm section I played a few times with trumpeter Dick Pearce. After one such time I was chatting with him at the bar and mentioned that I had had bass lessons from Ron.

Dick told me about the time when Ronnie Scott had arranged a gig for the quintet in Lerwick (capital of the Shetland Isles). While they were playing, local ladies would walk past the bandstand and speak to Ron, “ How are you dear ? How’s your mother ?” I’m not sure to what extent they appreciated modern jazz but they were certainly proud of Ron as one of their own.

For many years before I met Ron he had hardly ventured outside his flat. He had done so only once when a friend had driven him by car to the Bulls Head in Barnes. He would have meals-on-wheels, a home help three times a week and shopping delivered from the supermarket.

During the time I knew Ron, I took him out (I think) three times – to benefit gigs in Aldgate and the 100 Club in Oxford Street and to Ronnie Scott’s to hear Dick Pierce’s band; and once we walked (painfully slowly) round the corner to an Indian restaurant. Ron was very frail physically and if he had ventured into the street would have been a prime target for muggers.

After six or seven months of study with Ron things had run their course. But we remained friends. For a year or so thereafter I would visit him, usually on Sunday, about once a month.

About that time Dick Pierce organised a benefit gig for Ron at the Bulls Head, Barnes. Many of the leading jazz names were there to play but Ron himself was too unwell to attend. I stayed for two or three hours and on the way home I phoned Ron and popped in to see him. He had become ever weaker to the extent that he even found friendly company burdensome.

Accordingly, I eventually ceased going to Sinclair Gardens but we would have long conversations by telephone. Sometimes Ron would phone me several times a week. But after a while even these calls became less frequent. Eventually my only communication with Ron was the very occasional telephone call plus I would send him a card at Christmas.

Ron was a very keen photographer. He took many films and photos of his fellow musicians. He told me that had filmed, amongst other things, the Ronnie Scott band on tour, particularly in Australia.

Ron played in various bands on the BBC Jazz Club broadcast on Sunday evenings. He would always ask the engineer for a tape of the proceedings. I trust that all these photos, films and recordings are safely archived and hope that they will be issued someday.

For all his health problems, Ron was never bitter. He would tell me “I’ve had a great career.”

Bless you Ron.

GRANNY LEES ALL-STARS

This band included Michael Meadowcroft (at that time MP for Leeds North-West), his son Andrew, Archie Kirkwood MP (now Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope) and the late Chris Serle (of Esther Rantzen fame). It was a Dixieland/Swing band and had the traditional line-up of clarinet, trumpet and vocals, trombone, piano, banjo, bass and drums.

The Origins of the Band:The band got its name from Grandma Lee’s, a café located across the road from the Palace of Westminster (Big Ben) in London. The café had a piano on the first floor. Following requests from the politicians, the owner allowed us to perform there regularly. The pay was modest (often this consisted of a free meal) but it was good fun. On one occasion Ken Clarke MP was in the audience enthusiastically tapping his feet (he was wearing brown suede shoes).

We acted as the de facto house band, drawing in many foreign tourists who were entirely unaware that some of the musicians they were listening to were actual Members of Parliament. The group occasionally played at Liberal conferences and other events during the 1980s.

Michael relates: “For a long time after that to keep going it was a question of sitting in, or depping with whatever bands I could find in London and Leeds, until in the 1980s the Liberator satirical revue began its performances at the annual Liberal Party Assembly.

They needed a band to play before the performance started and also in the interval. Later on the band accompanied some of the numbers and the whole evening became much more integrated.

This was the beginning of the Liberal Party’s Granny Lee All Stars – a name I have often regretted and which came about simply because at the time, across the road from Big Ben, was Grandma Lee’s café, on the first floor of which was – fatally – a piano.

The owner readily acceded to a request from us to perform there regularly and we in effect became the house band. Many foreign tourists enjoyed the sessions there wholly unaware that the band was made up of MPs and sundry other assorted Liberals and fellow travellers.

The gimmick of a politicians’ band was quite intriguing, and probably covered up its shortcomings. It also led to it being booked for a number of PR promotions and charity occasions, gigs at Kettner’s restaurant in Soho, including occasional, and short, radio and TV appearances. Memorably it played at the wedding of Peter Kellner and Cathy Ashton in St James’ Church, Piccadilly.”

For several years we played annually at the National Liberal club in Whitehall Place. Inevitably the personnel was somewhat variable. Michael Meadowcroft played clarinet and soprano sax. The other core members were Andrew Meadowcroft (trumpet/vocals), Tom Rippeth, Edwin Baker or Simon Merritt (trombone), Martin Litton or Rob Gregg (piano), David Snashall (banjo), Michael Cole (bass) and Chris Serle or Denis Smith (drums).

Another parliamentary colleague, Archy Kirkwood played guitar in the band in the early days. Occasional deps were pianist Pat Hawes and drummer Les Cirkel. Michael Meadowcroft was the MP for Leeds West. When he eventually lost the seat the London gigs mostly ceased.

Michael Meadowcroft (now sadly recently deceased) described the recording process as follows: “Thanks to the efforts of the late and much-lamented Chris Winchilsea, and the generosity of Trevor Horn and Jill Sinclair in offering us their ZTT studios, the Granny Lee band recorded an album in 1985.

After a full day in the recording studio, a weary band went on to play a somewhat anachronistic gig at Stringfellows club the same evening. The record failed to reach the top 20 – or even the bottom 20 – and copies are still available from me – now on CD! Rather embarrassingly, for a time I was often greeted at Liberal dinners at which I was the booked speaker by the said record playing in the background.”

Andrew had the idea of recording a reunion CD as a tribute to his father on the occasion of his 80th birthday. On 2 March 2022,  Denis Smith and I drove up to Leeds to record on the following day. The studio was located in the village of Kippax, just east of Leeds.

Past and present members of the band were assembled there. The weather was very cold and inside the studio itself it was freezing. For whatever reason, the heating was not turned on. Some of us played in overcoats and hat; we would have worn gloves if that was possible ! Anyway, the session produced quite good results.

NOWADAYS

I will always have respect and affection for Ray. A pity we did not make more music together. Maybe we will.

I’m still quite busy in music. In addition to my regular piano trio I play in a couple of rehearsal bands. While Michael Meadowcroft was alive I used to do occasional gigs with my old friends in Granny Lee’s Allstars and with other old colleagues. I also teach jazz  harmony (sometimes by email) and act as mentor to several musicians.

I have compiled a course titled ’The Mechanics of Jazz Harmony’. I don’t do many gigs these days but frequently have various musicians to my home to play where I have a nice baby-grand piano. During Covid it was not possible to get together with other guys, so I practiced piano and bass and improved more than I have ever done in my entire life !