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Paul Ronayne

Newbie but Oldie

About Me

Originally a Prog fan with a penchant for the Jazz leaning bands. At the same time discovered Fusion, Miles, Herbie, John Mc, Cobham etc. Later introduced to Mainstream and Trad Jazz by a colleague and never looked back. Today, whilst still a lover of Miles and the Fusion artistes have a thing for Avant Garde, Free, Eclectic and especially Scandi following a trip to Helsinki and Stockholm a few years back.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... Its been my life. I was first exposed to jazz... My uncle had his own Jazz band - I remember him giving us a trumpet solo when visiting. - I must have been 3 or 4. I met [musician name]... The best show I ever attended was... A night in one of the big Helsinki clubs - amazing. The first jazz record I bought was...Bitches Brew. My advice to new listeners... Never stop listening, to every kind of music. Or whatever else you have in mind.

My House Concert Story

I attended my first Jazz gig about 1976 in a small cellar club in Paris. The place was dark, dingy and the walls were sweating with condensation. Everyone was dancing to an amazing fusion band that blasted out pop and jazz standards including Santana’s Black Magic Woman, Davis’s So What (to a distinctly heavy rock rhythm) and others. I danced with the most beautiful girl in the world and drank the best and worst red wine ever. I’ve searched for that club ever since on each trip to the city but can’t find it again. I think it was on the Isle St Michel. It’s probably been concreted up to stop the river flooding in, which occasionally used to happen I was told.