Sometimes the Ron English Trio, sometimes the Ron English Quartet and sometimes taking on a completely different name (often after whomever secures the gig), the members of retired Miller Canfield paralegal Ron English's ensembles fluctuate depending on who in the Metro Detroit jazz scene is available for a given performance.
"The whole jazz scene is very fluid and it might be characterized as a web of associations or musical families," English, who completed his 13 years at Miller Canfield last month, said of the revolving door of musicians that's common in performance groups like his.
Even though his musical partners change from gig to gig, he's played with so many of the local jazz musicians that "we often will develop a common language," he said, making performances often seem more rehearsed than they really are.
English and his guitar have been a fixture at local establishments like Baker's Keyboard Lounge on Livernois, Grosse Pointe's Di...