We caught up with the Godfather of British Jazz – Stan Tracey, jut hours before his performance at the Rose Theatre in Kingston for the 2011 London Jazz Festival.

Tracey is a true powerhouse of the British Jazz scene, best known for his time as the house pianist for the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, where he performed alongside the likes of Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster, Roland Kirk, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard and Stan Getz, to name but a few. After his stint at Ronnie’s, Tracey found success leading his own groups, with his 1965 album “Under Milk Wood” becoming one of the most critically acclaimed Jazz recordings ever made in the UK.

We spoke to Stan Tracey about his past and the influences that made him into the musician he is today, while touching on the infamous Stan Getz feud, his favourite collaborators, his plans for the future, and his latest album, ‘A Child’s Christmas‘.

Watch our interview with Stan Tracey below: