Musician buys saxophone that belonged to jazz hero

A JAZZ saxophonist from Henley has bought an instrument which belonged to the founder of a famous jazz club in London who was one of his heroes.

Art Themen, of Wharfe Lane, paid an undisclosed sum for Ronnie Scott’s saxophone as the previous owner wanted the instrument to be well-looked after.

The 82-year-old plays it only on special occasions but these will include a performance in Henley next month.

Scott founded his jazz club in Soho in 1959 and it is still one of the world’s most popular.

After his death in 1996, the saxophone was sold at auction to Roger Baycock, the proprietor of the Allegro music shop in Oxford, who sold it to Art in November.

It is believed the instrument used to belong to Hank Mobley, a black American saxophonist who died in 1986, before Scott owned it.

Art, who has been playing the saxophone since he was 16, first saw the instrument at the shop more than 20 years ago. He said: “Roger Baycock had a display cabinet with Ronnie Scott’s saxophone and Tubby Hayes’s saxophone in it. These two instruments were not for sale and that was the end of that story.

“But on my birthday at the end of November I got a call from a chap with a muffled voice and it was Roger from Allegro.

“I told him I remembered him and the saxophone and he told me he had sold Tubby Hayes’s saxophone to what he thought was a good home.

“But the buyer sold it for a profit so Roger said he wanted Ronnie Scott’s saxophone to go to a good home and he was calling round saxophone players.

“I asked him how many he had called and I was the first one so I said I would have it because Ronnie Scott is one of my heroes.

“I actually played with him once in the Sixties. I hardly spoke to him but he was very much a hero of mine so I simply had to do it.

“Roger said he wasn’t there to make a profit so he sold it to me at the going rate for an instrument of that age.” Art, who lives with his partner Monnik Vleugels, said the saxophone was in perfect condition and he played it for the first time later the same day.

The retired orthopaedic surgeon said: “I had a gig that evening in Birmingham which geographically was quite convenient as the shop in Oxford was on the way.

“Roger showed me the provenance. When Ronnie Scott died it was taken over by Phillips the auctioneers who put it up for sale and Roger bid for it.

“The provenance has links to Hank Mobley, who was one of the greatest saxophone players.

“Towards the end of his life he was in a bad place and came over to England and allegedly gave this saxophone to Ronnie.

“The provenance is that it’s definitely Ronnie Scott’s with a significant link to Hank Mobley, who really lived the jazz life.

“I’ve not lived the jazz life because of my previous job at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading — I had to keep my nose clean.” Art said he had been worried the instrument might have deteriorated while in an illuminated cabinet at the shop but far from it.

“I got it out and it was perfect,” he said. “I felt elated and that’s an understatement.”

The saxophonist will be performing with the saxophone at the Kenton Theatre in New Street on Sunday, March 27 at 3pm.

Meanwhile, the Manchester-born musician has won the jazz lifetime achievement award from the Worshipful Company of
Musicians.

Art said: “It was so unexpected as people who have received this award, including Ronnie Scott, are all established figures.

“I’m essentially a sideman so for a sideman to get this award is really quite uplifting and exemplifies the broad church of the Worshipful Company of Musicians — they don’t just award the centre stage people.”

Art was due to receive his award two weeks ago but had to postpone the presentation due to him
catching covid-19 and having to self-isolate.