Ronnie Ross

[tooter]

Because some albums have been cut from the discography on the grounds that they are probably not jazz and also because at least one new cover picture is on the way I hope, the looking for list has now reduced to a mere thirty one. See below for up-to-date list.

So on your travels, please do keep an eye open for any hint of pictures relating to the above. Still making slow but encouraging progress.

Edited March 26, 2005 by tooter

[tooter]

Yet another cover picture from eBay, so now only thirty to find.

Edited April 12, 2005 by tooter

[sidewinder]

Here's the cover for the 'Russo In London' LP recorded for Lansdowne, Tooter.

By the way, there's a rumour that Spotlite may be re-issuing the Kinsey 'Thames Suite' on CD in the forthcoming future (just a rumour, I'm afraid).

Edited April 1, 2005 by sidewinder

[tooter]

Here's the cover for the 'Russo In London' LP recorded for Lansdowne, Tooter.

By the way, there's a rumour that Spotlite may be re-issuing the Kinsey 'Thames Suite' on CD in the forthcoming future (just a rumour, I'm afraid).

Well done, sidewinder! Thanks a lot. The number I'm still looking for is coming steadily down. List in previous post amended.

Hadn't heard about [Thames Suite] reissue - interesting.

[tooter]

The Ronnie Ross Jazz Discography (here) now sports sixteen samples of Ronnie's playing that can be heard by clicking on the links. Unfortunately they are quite brief as even those few have filled up all avaialble space on the site but I hope they will give an impression of the standard of play that he achieved to those who may not have heard him before.

Thanks to Couw for a great deal of both practical and theoretical help with this project.

[sidewinder]

A possible scoop, Tooter. Just found this one - an album of Beatles covers by Ross-LeSage with Ike Isaacs. Apparently from 1971 on WRC. Not sure if it's listed in your discography.

[tooter]

Not a scoop, I'm afraid, Sidewinder. That is one I know all about, having wasted good money buying a copy only to dump it soon afterwards. There is not an iota of jazz in the whole thing, despite the personnel. It was a severe disappointment to me and, although I did have it in the Ronnie Ross Jazz Discography as it features in Lord as well, I promptly deleted it. But thanks for the thought.

Ronnie did a lot of session work and there must be numerous recordings with him in the line-up which were not jazz of any kind. I have been wondering about the Chris Smith "String of Pearls" entry but have not been able to get any idea of what kind of music it is.

[couw]

maybe it's a good idea to have a list of these "non-jazz" albums on the site as well?

[tooter]

maybe it's a good idea to have a list of these "non-jazz" albums on the site as well?

There is a list on our site "Albums that RR appears on (not as a leader)" that was gleaned from somewhere a long time ago but it is a mixture of jazz and other stuff and far from complete. The discography was only ever meant to include his jazz output insofar as I could judge it but a list of the other album titles sounds like a good idea and wouldn't take up too much of our now limited space. I hope to find the energy to make a start soon

[tooter]

A modest start has been made on the list of non-jazz albums, link now situated at the bottom of the Jazz Discography intro page.

Another development regarding the unknown guitarist on the 1988 Cannonball Club, Birmingham session. David O'Rourke's name came up as a possibility but as a result of a site found by Walsp I wrote to him and he has confirmed that it was not he. However, I thought his replies were worth putting onto the site anyway. www.ronnieross.com. He did play with Ronnie Ross and even recorded but unfortunately the results were never issued. Tantalisingly, he says he might still have the tapes but has no idea where they are.

For anyone is interested in finding out more about David, you might like to visit his site.

[tooter]

New Picture! Indeed, I have obtained the album - see cover below. Still on the lookout for twenty seven (twenty six now - edit - see below) other cover pictures though. Here is the up-to-date list.

(List updated and moved to later post - April 29 2005)

Edited April 29, 2005 by tooter

[tooter]

I had a [Thames Suite] picture but it wasn't too good so it was in the list of those still sought. However, today one came up on eBay so with Couw's help there is now a new version in the Ronnie Ross Jazz Discography at our site.

The trouble is the glare. I have deleted the item from the list of those I'm still looking for but I wonder if there is anyone who has the expertise and the necessary software to eliminate the glare. I would welcome any help with this if you can give it a try. Picture below t oshow the problem but I can send a larger one to any volunteers - please post here, or PM or email me.

Thanks a lot.

[tooter]

Magnificent new picture as below - one we already had but an imperfect version. Thanks to Couw for his vigilance in finding this one.

I have also now added the Bob Wilber "Royal Ellington Concert" to the Ronnie Ross Jazz Discography together with three cover pictures (video). Thanks to Tony Sellars (jazz saxophone player from Dundee, Scotland) for drawing my attention to this item. Tony tells me that he spoke to Ronnie a few times on the telephone not long before Ronnie's death and that he knew Jimmy Deuchar well.

[sidewinder]

Here's the John Cameron, Tooter.

signed

Sherlock.... B-)

[tooter]

Sidewinder Excellent right half but any chance of the rest of it? The dancing girl should be complete - here is our poor quality but complete (?) version.

[tooter]

and here is the better but incomplete version that's on the site.

[tooter]

Sidewinder - at last I got a message from eBay which has the partial cover picture of [Cover Lover]. We might be able to splice it with the other part but as we only have part of that other part and the procedure is likely to show the join, probably not worth it. I will see how the auction goes. Thanks again for your help.

[tooter]

Oh, no! Just looked. Thirty quid - not likely!!!

[sidewinder]

Don't know what happened with my cut-and-paste tooter but looks like you sorted it out.

I wonder what the music is like on this one? If its just jazzed up lite-classics with Ronnie accompanying then not worth the punt I guess. If its half-way up to the standards of the follow-up album 'Off Centre' then it definitely would be.

Maybe we should all pool resources and buy it? B-)

Edited April 26, 2005 by sidewinder

[tooter]

I take it [Off Centre] was piano only? Got this off the web:-

Moving on to your career as a jazz pianist, you only recorded one album that highlighted your skills in this area - the 'Off Centre' album for the Deram label in 1969. Why didn't you record any more albums like this, and would you have liked to?

J.C: I would've liked to. I think events probably took over. I did an album called 'Cover Lover' way back in 1965 for EMI which was a kind of jazz piano album, but I was singing and the material on it was quite satirical. There was a number on it called 'Blue Monk, for which I also wrote the lyrics, and it was actually officially sanctioned by Thelonius Monk.

In view of JC's later stuff, I doubt whether [Cover Lover] would be MCOT - he says "kind of jazz piano". It would be nice to know just how much of a look in Ronnie got but at that starting price it's too much of a gamble I think. Good thought about pooling resources but would be a bit complicated. Something will turn up!

[sidewinder]

tooter - 'Off Centre' is a quartet album with Harold McNair. Its a fine session - I have the Deram vinyl. Soon to be reissued on CD on Dutton Vocalion (see separate thread on British Jazz).

[tooter]

Another picture has become available courtesy of eBay, although we already had an image of another issue (albeit a rather hazy one). This one is clearer and is of the EP.

The long awaited [Playtime] picture is on the way too, also from eBay. I will delete that one from the list of those still sought and will post here when we have the version to go on the site. Number going down steadily.

[tooter]

Up to date list of pictures we are still looking for is now:-

(moved to later post - May 14)

Edited May 14, 2005 by tooter

[baryshnikov]

Tooter, i can copy my cd copy of Cleopatras Needle as i have sold all three copies i had, as they go for £150 plus here in uk. A Friend of mine was Ronnies secretary for years, but she is losing her marbles alas, My cd is a bootleg so quality is not brilliant, but the music is, let me know and i will post it free to you , paul

[tooter]

Tooter, i can copy my cd copy of Cleopatras Needle as i have sold all three copies i had, as they go for £150 plus here in uk. A Friend of mine was Ronnies secretary for years, but she is losing her marbles alas, My cd is a bootleg so quality is not brilliant, but the music is, let me know and i will post it free to you , paul

Paul: That's kind of you but we're OK for [Cleopatra's Needle] thanks. I made a reasonable quality copy from digital satellite broadcasts a while back and since then also got a copy made directly from the LP by a friend. Got picture of the cover too which is good.

Pity about your friend - perhaps she could have given us some good stories about Ronnie.

Thanks for the interest - let me know if you run into any more interesting info about Ronnie - particularly my list of cover pictures still sought just above