Band Members

Pronto band members are a group of top London jazz musicians from the UK, Italy, Argentina, and beyond.

The original band members were Airlie Scott on vocals, with Paul Eldridge on piano, Terry Davis on Double Bass, Gabriel Scott on trumpet, Francesco Corallini on drums, but we play regularly with a number of top musicians (depending on availability) including Joe Bickerstaff, Geoff Castle and Roger Lewin on piano, Mao Yamada, and Eleazar Ruiz Spreafico on Double Bass, David Ahmed on guitar, Katy Jungmann on sax /clarinet / accordion, Caroline Scott and Sophie Alloway on drums.

Airlie Scott – Vocalist & Band Leader

Airlie is an experienced soulful jazz singer and the band leader for her band Pronto Jazz .  She  has studied jazz with Judy Niemack (Berlin), Jay Clayton (NY), Anita Wardell, and Guillermo Rozenthuler (UK). She works with the Mardi Gras Jazz Band, and the Andrew Brewis Trio as well as regularly with her own band Pronto Jazz. Venues have included the Bull’s Head Jazz Club, Barnes, Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec, Pizza on the Park, Kew Gardens, Imperial War Museum, Riverfront Jazz Festival, the Candlelight Club, numerous hotels, restaurants, pubs and many more. She is an actress and singer whose credits have included West End, Regional, Touring, Fringe and Broadway productions. Airlie played Doris Day in the hit show “Wonderful Day” a musical cabaret celebrating her life and music and touring to theatres up and down the country. She has recently returned from a contract as a featured Actor for RCCL in “Hairspray” the Musical on board Symphony of the Seas. 

Paul Eldridge – Pianist

Paul Eldridge trained at the Guildhall School Of Music and has been working extensively on the London Jazz circuit with a wide variety of singers and bands including Suggs(Madness), Hamish Stewart (Average White Band) and Geno Washington. He has appeared at the Jazz Café, the 100 Club and Ronnie Scott’s and performs regularly with top swing band Blue Harlem at festivals in the UK and Europe. He is also a talented songwriter having recently released his debut CD “Looking out Backwards” an album of twelve songs that cover issues of love, loss, hope and censorship against a backdrop of sumptuous harmonies and wistful melodies. Check out www.pauleldridgemusic.com

 

Antonio Marzinotto – Guitarist

Antonio is a highly experienced guitarist who has gigged all round Italy and in the UK. He was a member of the quartet “Loudjazz” and recorded the project “Quadra Quartet” with his own group in Italy with U.T. Ghandi (drums), Giovanni Maier (doublebass) and Enrico Sartori ( Clarinet and Sax). He has played with a lot of famous jazz musicians including Marc Abrams (Chet Baker), U.T. Gandhi, Giovanni Majer , Gianni Cazzola (Charlie Mariano, Lee Konitz), Riccardo Fioravanti (Massimo Urbani), Marco Ricci (John Stowell). Antonio has participated in many jazz festivals in Italy including the Ostiano Jazz Festival with P. Mappa (drums), Bruno Marini (Hammond), Venice Jazz Festival “S.Marco Jazz”, the Winter Jazz Festival in Como Jazz Club with U.T Gandhi (drums), N. Catacchio and the Jazz festival in Cremona with F.Lanzo (drum) N. Catacchio (doublebass) . He participated at the London Guitar Festival in 2006. He has been active in London since 2004, and has been playing with musicians like Davide Mantovani, Enzo Zirilli, Roberto Manzin and many others.

Terry Davis- Bass Blayer

Terry studied jazz bass under Dave Holland (Miles Davis), and has since worked with many notable jazz musicians including Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Slim Gaillard (Charlie Parker),Al Grey and Buddy Tate (Count Basie Orchestra), and Martin Drew (Oscar Peterson Trio ). Terry has also worked with many rock and pop artistes, and has recorded with Rod Stewart, and toured with Eric Clapton ( support band.)

Terry has performed many times for Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace, and has worked at many other venues including Althorp ( Princess Diana’s family home), Ronnie Scott’s, The Dorchester, Claridges, and even the Albert Hall! Here is what some people have said about Terry’s playing ( and singing! ) Lionel Richie: ” You’re doing a really great job!! ” Johnny Depp: ” That’s cool, man!! ” Melvyn Bragg: ” I must thank you for your lovely music!!” Prince Philip: ” That was absolutely splendid music!!

Francesco Corallini- drums & percussion

Francesco began studying music in 1991 in Rome Italy and lately graduated with  a Jazz Masters degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) His interest in jazz and blues was sparked off in New Orleans and New York (1992-94) where he played in street bands and had his first lessons with drummer Brian Blade. Francesco moved to London in the summer 1996 and has since been on the scene working both as freelancer session drummer and as co-leader with various Brazilian-Jazz bands. Francesco’s ability and versatility while in America, Italy and London has put him in constant demand within many styles. He has played with: Alex Wilson, Dennis Rollins, Nicky Illes ,Gilad Atzmon, John Taylor, Jean Toussaint ,Renato D’Aiello, Phil Lee, John Critchinson ,Julian Siegel, Nigel Price, Mark bassey and many others.

“I have seen Francesco play many times and he has always impressed me with his creative and energetic drumming. He is a charismatic front man and I believe his talent for communicating with audiences is unsurpassed in London “. (J. Philips. –Oriole/Jazz Umbrella)

Maurizio Minardi- accordian/ soprano sax/ piano

Maurizio is our guest band member. He is a highly accomplished pianist, accordionist, saxophonist, composer and arranger. Before moving to the UK, he had a very successful career in Italy, including composing and arranging for the pop electronic group  “Oz” and the jazz-tango group “Quartetto Magritte” as well as for various Italian singers.  In London he has performed with musicians such as Carmen Souza, Antonio Forcione, Dott Reed, Rachel Bennet, Brandon Allen, Quentin Collins, Rick James, Alan Short, Roberto Manzin, Enzo Zirilli, Ike Leo, Miles Danson, Johnny Gee, Hugh Burn, Cosimo Keita,  Roy Pfeffer, Bruno D’ambra, Francesco Locastro, Paolo Losi,  Ben Hazleton,  Nick Pini, Dado Pasqualini , Fulvio Sigurta’etc. Venues include Pizza Express jazz club, Royal Albert hall Ignite Festival, Apollo Hammersmith, Bloomsbury Theatre, Oliver’s jazz club, Jazz Posk café’, The Vortex, Ritzy upstairs, Ray’s jazz, Half Moon, Camden Crawl, Charlie Wright, Troy bar, Round Midnight café’,  Bar music hall, Effra tavern, Archduke jazz bar,  Pangea Project, Dog Star.

Gabriel Scott- trumpet, tenor horn

Gabriel has studied with such luminaries as Guy Barker, Henry Lowther and Vaughan Roberts. He grew up listening to Dizzy Gillespie and playing in the school band before going on to study music at University in Bath. He has recently been playing cabaret and gypsy music with The Spanner Jazz Punks and has also jazz with his own quartet and big bands local to London. He can be found regularly down at The Effra Tavern in Brixton playing with the house band and has also written music for various film and television projects,  some of which contain his distinctive trumpet sound.