Cedar Walton Quartet

Support by Georgia Mancio Quintet
Pianist Cedar Walton’s professional career stretches back over fifty years, and his playing goes back further to his home in Dallas. One of the most respected players around today, he can count among his various collaborators and musical partners figures including Art Blakey (in one of the greatest line-ups of the drummer’s Jazz Messengers group, featuring Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller and Freddie Hubbard), Lou Donaldson, Duke Ellington, Kenny Dornham, Abbey Lincoln and John Coltrane – Walton was the original pianist on the sax giant’s seminal album Giant Steps, playing on Naima, Like Sunny and the title track, but the takes were only released in 1976 after the jazz community had come to know Tommy Flanagan’s cuts, recorded six weeks after Walton’s. Still writing, recording and touring in his seventies, Walton’s playing may have mellowed somewhat from the driving hard-bop of days past but his technique, imaginative soloing and elegant phrasing still shine through. His Quartet at Ronnie Scott’s is completed by Javon Jackson on tenor, David Williams on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums.
Much loved British/Italian singer Georgia Mancio will make her Ronnie’s debut - expect a fine mix of standards and Latin tunes. The band will feature the incredible flute playing of Gareth Lockrane.