I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL THAT I GOT TO SEE THIS ICONIC BAND LIVE IN MY LIFETIME

By Sophie Clark | Muck Rack Portfolio | Press Invite

I knew the show would be good when I showed up 40 minutes early and the main room at Ronnie Scott’s was already so crowded I had to sit behind a view-obstructing column. 

The Headhunters, who were founded in 1973 by Herbie Hancock, could easily become a tribute act of themselves (now without Herbie, they’re still going strong with saxophonist Donald Harrison). They could sell out Ronnie Scotts for a week playing their old hits and drumming up nostalgia, but they don’t do that. 

Instead they strode on the stage with the kind of confidence and comfort you can only have after literal decades in the game, and began to jam. Ronnie Scott’s is such a legendary location, I’ve seen great musicians get intimidated by the stage there, but not The Headhunters. 

I felt like I had accidentally walked in on a living room jam session that just happened to be between some of the best jazz and funk players in the world. If it wasn’t for their hysterical interludes between songs I really would have felt like I was intruding on a private band hang-out.

Other than stage presence, another perk of being a musician and a band for so long is that band members feel more than comfortable giving each other the space and time for some truly epic solos. I could not sense the same ego and neuroses that I sometimes experience with jazz bands, where it is clear that one member plays their solos for too long, or that the other members are getting visibly frustrated. With The Headhunters they’re more than happy to sit back and relax and let their world-class bandmates steer for a bit.  

Donald Harris, of course, taught a million masterclasses on the alto saxophone in just an hour, and Mike Clark, the band’s drummer who has been with the band since its founding, was unbelievable on the drums.

THE HEADHUNTERS PLAYED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TUNES WHICH I COULD TRULY ONLY DESCRIBE AS “MUSIC TO CONCEIVE TO”

Like many jazz fans, I usually find myself taking a bathroom break when I get even a hint that there will be a drum solo, but Mike’s capacity for funk on the drums actually had me riveted. He got me wondering whether they should force ageing politicians to learn the drums, because at 77 years old Mike Clark is still extremely ‘with it’ and one of the very coolest jazz drummers on the scene. 

And Bill Summers, well, he was on another planet entirely. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a glass bottle played as an instrument on the Ronnie Scott’s main stage before, and I don’t know if I ever will again. I loved every second of his percussion performances. 

The band played a number of different tunes, from some jazz classics, to funk jams, to one piano piece — played by the ridiculously smooth Kyle Roussel — which I could truly only describe as “music to conceive to.” I wouldn’t be surprised if the couple sitting in front of me had a baby in the next 9 months and named him Ronnie Scott’s.

My only issue with the show, and this was not The Headhunters’ fault, was that I wish Ronnie Scott’s would make an effort to reach out to more diverse audiences. It is such a legendary venue that I feel like it does not really advertise or branch out of its Soho location since it will always sell tickets to loyal audience members or tourists. 

Because of this, it did feel a bit weird to be watching a funk show, with large parts of the show inspired by African beats and history, in a predominantly white and middle-aged audience. I felt like the show could have been enlivened by an audience that felt more connected to the music, and who felt more comfortable clapping and dancing than the 40-year-old white couples who were sitting ram-rod straight next to the stage. 

Ronnie Scott’s does have the cheaper and more experimental upstairs venue, but I wish they would open an extension venue in East or South London to bring more people into the community of jazz and funk lovers.  

Despite the lack of audience really feeling the music, I still loved the show so much, and am beyond grateful that I got to see this iconic band live in my lifetime. 

WEBSITE