Dragon Review: 125 Years of Jazz Piano – G Live

Published on: 13 Oct, 2026
Updated on: 13 Oct, 2026

The James Pearson Trio at G Live. Ben Darnton

By Ben Darnton

The James Pearson trio, house band at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, highly acclaimed for their poise, balance, and swing, took the audience at G Live through 125 years of jazz piano history on Monday evening (October 12).

From the early days of Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton to the modern virtuosity of Chick Coria, via Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Fats Waller, the trio played all styles of jazz impeccably.

Hosting, James Pearson demonstrated the different styles of jazz piano perfectly, often with humorous anecdotes about the musicians lives and habits.

The trio played several numbers by Dave Brubeck and Oscar Peterson but my
favourite moments were the stories of Bill Evans’ stint at Ronnie Scott’s in 1965 and the trios version of Straight No Chaser by Thelonious Monk.

Pearson’s talent is not limited to jazz. He  is equally at home as a concert pianist and has played concertos with the Philharmonia and the BBC Concert Orchestra among many others.

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