Jazz and dance meet intimately. Peter Bacon finds out more:

LondonJazz News: First the jazz, and the band. You’ve played Ronnie’s before as well as Pizza Express, The Spice of Life and had a residency at Poppies in Camden. Tell me a bit about more…

Fliss Gorst and Lauren Bush (Publicity photo)

Fliss Gorst: I am a London-based saxophonist and have run my own band for six years. We perform authentic swing, original compositions and new takes on old classics. I’m lucky enough to fill the band with incredible musicians who are also good friends. We’ll be featuring Dave Boraston on trumpet, Tom Cawley on piano, Dave Ingamells on drums and Rob Paterson on bass. For this special occasion we’ll be joined by Canadian jazz vocalist vocalist Lauren Bush. It’s an absolute delight to be able to be part of such a brilliant ensemble of musicians.

LJN: And what’s so special about this gig?

FG: The atmosphere! Upstairs at Ronnie’s is a fairly intimate space where we can engage with the audience close by. We are teaming up with Grounded Movement, a dance company who specialise in social and street-derived dances but draw on a rich blend of forms including Lindy Hop.

I first met one of the directors, Temujin Gill, at a swing dance class in Greenwich near where I used to live. I figured I should learn how to do the steps to gain a greater understanding of the music/suitable tempo for dancing, etc. What I didn’t expect was to meet such an enthusiastic, positive teacher with the ability to completely lift everyone’s spirits.

Both Grounded directors, Temujin and Sunanda Biswas, will be there leading some moves on the night, encouraging everyone to enjoy themselves on the dance floor. They bring an infectious enthusiasm to the gig which means band and audience cannot fail to have fun. Whether you feel like dancing or not, the good-time vibes are wonderful.

Sunday Live Music Session with The Fliss Gorst Band & Grounded Movement is Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s on Sunday 28 July 2019. Doors 6.30pm, music 8pm.

LINK: More details and booking

Fliss Gorst website