Jazz pianist Cyril Scutt honoured at care home

And now the 95-year-old will be keenly listening to the sounds of live jazz again thanks to the south Norfolk care home he lives in.

The former jazz pianist is a resident of Brooke House Care Home at Brooke, near Loddon.

Cyril Scutt has a life-long love of jazz Picture: Submitted (Image: Submitted)

Although playing the piano was never more than a serious pastime for the retired council planning officer, he played alongside such jazz greats as Kenny Ball and George Chisholm.

His talent even took him to the stage of London’s Royal Albert Hall and a meeting with the future Queen, Princess Elizabeth, in 1952.

Cyril Scutt meets the future Queen Picture: Submitted (Image: Submitted)

Up until a year ago he still tickled the ivories.

So it came as a special surprise for Mr Scutt that Brooke House hospitality manager Kellie O’Dea booked the Norwich jazz group Blue Sky Music for the home’s Pimm’s Garden Party on Saturday, June 17.

Cyril Scutt performs with a band Picture: Submitted (Image: Submitted)

Mr Scutt, who lives at the Kingsley Healthcare home with his wife Beryl, 92, was born in London but evacuated to Wales during the war.

He recalled that the daughter of the house in which he was living had a GI boyfriend who entertained them by playing boogie woogie on the piano.

“This was a new sound to me and I was hooked. I asked for some lessons and eventually learned the basic boogie rhythms,” he said.

Cyril Scutt was a jazz pianist Picture: Submitted (Image: Submitted)

Returning to London in 1943, he developed a serious interest in jazz, particularly boogie and the blues, and practised by playing his parents’ piano.

Alongside his career as a London County Council planning officer he started making regular appearances on the London jazz circuit.

Cyril Scutt reunited with Kenny Ball at Cromer Pier Picture: Submitted (Image: Submitted)

He then went on to appear at jazz clubs across the South East.

Brooke House’s Pimm’s Garden Party on June 17 is a free event open to the local community and runs from 2pm to 4pm.