“Ruby Sings” at Ronnie Scott’s, 26th May 2009

It was a nice night for walking through SOHO but as I was a bit behind in time, I had to run and miss the leisurely stroll and get to Ronnie Scott’s, London’s famous jazz club, for an event called “Ruby Sings”. I finally found my way and headed upstairs (the club’s main area is on ground level where the big acts perform)…

By the time I reached, a performer singer/guitarist named Jasper was just finishing one song and then sang his last, an acoustic indie-styled ballad, accompanied by a lone keyboardist. He sounded good but he must have started off strong considering the crowd reaction when he left; earlier, I had missed R&B singer, Grace Obika, whom I had seen at Jazz Cafe and who is very talented! It was an intimate, lowly lit, standing room only setting with a couple of reserved tables close to the ‘stage’. Interestingly, my friend, Amaka, was sitting at one of them and she let me have the seat beside her as it belonged to the next vocalist who my friend, a vey good vocalist herself, would be backing. I sat and enjoyed 20 minutes of some of the best folksy/soul music I’ve ever heard via Kate Westall–I would have bought her album if she was selling that night!

The event ended with the headliner who was, interestingly, named Ruby, and like the event name…well…she sang. I would have preferred she opened rather than closed the night, as she was okay. It was one of those things were the best came on first, to be honest, but her band was cool. The last Tuesday of the each month, beginning at 7pm, I will definitely make time for this event, and for a fiver, why not??

–Ahmed Sirour