What leads visiting world class jazz performers to regularly declare from the stage that Scott's Jazz Club in Ballyhackamore is one of the best jazz venues in the UK and Ireland or as good as any in New York?
Irish jazz greats from across the island such as Hugh Buckley, Paul Dunlea and Linley Hamilton have all performed at the club, along with masters of the art from further afield such as Greg Murphy (NYC), Nick Kerkhoff (Amsterdam), Phil Robson (NYC / London) and Rob Luft (London); the latter of whom described Scott's Jazz Club as "the finest jazz club in the UK outside of Ronnie Scott's”. High praise indeed for a club in East Belfast!
If you were to walk past Ballyhackamore Working Mens Club in East Belfast, you could be forgiven for not realizing just what kind of magic lies on the top floor, patiently waiting to be released. Every Friday night, passers-by will hear strains of Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane, gently inviting them to come inside and discover world-class music by world-class musicians. Those curious enough to brave the stairs will open the doors and find themselves in a world awash with sound, colour and energy. They might be greeted by bass lines thundering through the manic pace of bebop, drums exploring the tonality of fusion or perhaps even the tender contemplation of a piano ballad. It's all there for anyone to find: it just depends on when they arrive.
Started by four friends, Scott's Jazz Club represents the culmination of a vision for a dedicated jazz club in East Belfast. If they were going to start a jazz club it had to be a world class experience, and nothing else would satisfy them. Even the doorman, Colin Harper is an authority on Jazz, having penned the definitive work on jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin and the London jazz scene.
The venture arose out of a desire for Belfast to enjoy a world class jazz club equal to other major European cities
"In any European city, you can find a little basement somewhere with people playing live jazz to a listening audience. It's an incredible way to experience music, discover a city, and we thought it was time that Belfast got its own". That's the reason co-founder Cormac O'Kane gave for the creation of the club, and judging by a packed house every Friday night, it's obvious that the people of Belfast agree.
Scott's Jazz Club has spared no expense in providing visitors with an experience to remember. The club boasts an incredible state of the art lighting system, projection mapped graphics and an audio system that ensures sensational sound no matter where people take a seat. Audio-visual specialists Cormac O'Kane and Richard Brown from Red Box Creative studios spent months designing the feel and look of the concerts to give jazz performers the immersive light and audio experience to accentuate their music.
It also doesn't hurt that the club's namesake Scott Flanigan takes the reins behind the keys each week. Along with having recently obtained a Ph.D. in Jazz Performance, Scott has been at the forefront of Irish Jazz for close to 20 years. His complete mastery of the instrument and jazz contacts book are just two of the reasons why week after week Scott's Jazz Club lays host to a revolving cast of world-class musicians who can sometimes be surprised by just how warm a reception they get from Belfast audiences.
At the heart of it all lies a simple motivation. And it's safe to say that it's not the clanging of cash registers, as tickets cost just £15 and the drinks are some of the cheapest in Belfast.All the marketing has been by word of mouth and social media posts of past events created by Scott and Cormac.
The only reason Scott's Jazz Club works is because music and musicians are the driving force. The club is for a listening audience where the performers can express themselves in whatever way they see fit, striving for those moments where thoughts stop and music takes over. It can be loud or quiet, laid back or intense, but it will be genuine. And Scott's Jazz Club will be there every Friday night at 9pm, waiting for you to come in and find the magic that lies up there on the top floor.
Designed and organised by Cormac O'Kane and Richard Brown
Curated and hosted by Scott Flanigan
Sound, Lights, and Visuals by Redbox Creative