Check out our reviews!

“Without doubt , a fantastic experience all round. The music and atmosphere is intoxicating. Sit back and relax, you will leave a better person for the evenings are nothing short of enjoyable and pure escapism.”

— Michael Kelly (Google Maps)

“1st visit last night...what an incredible musical experience..Scott's keyboard skills were simply magical & the rest of those guys..wow!! We were in the presence of true greatness in each & every one. Thanks to you all for bringing such outstanding talent to our door! What a gem of a find. Just superb in every way.”

— Sharon Ritchie (Google Maps)

Coming from the North myself l think now of the wonderful opportunities and collective efforts made by the present team in Scott's club as an historical landmark in Jazz music making in Belfast. May they continue their excellent work in celebrating not only the best of Irish Jazz but also of international jazz as well.

— Tommy Halferty (Facebook)

An amazing jazz bar (the real thing) there's nothing like this in Belfast, I went twice and both times the music was great, proper jazz, the sound was excellent and a very nice setting and atmosphere. Staff members are super nice.

— Victoria Fawcett (Google Maps)

Jazzed-up Belfast working men’s club strikes chord with tourists

Friday nights at venue in Ballyhackamore huge draw for visitors to city and music fans

Jessica Rice

Belfast Telegraph October 04 2022

From a humble pandemic project to being labelled one of the must-visit music venues in the UK and Ireland, Scott’s Jazz Club in east Belfast has surprised everyone — even its owners.

Ballyhackamore Working Men’s Club has been transformed into a popular attraction by friends Cormac O’Kane, Scott Flanigan and Richard Brown.

Cormac said he was inspired by his travels.

“Anywhere I went in Europe I could find a jazz club, and there was always local jazz musicians playing and I thought I can do that in Belfast,” he explained.

He decided to act amid the pandemic.

“I wasn’t working, so I just thought: go for it,” he said.

Together with Scott, a well-known pianist in the scene, Cormac approached the local, underused working men’s club and asked if they could use the venue on Fridays for jazz performances.

The pair didn’t have high expectations for the first night.

“We thought it would just be 15 of my friends and 15 of Scott’s friends,” Cormac added.

However, it was well received by the community, and as the weeks went on the club grew in popularity.

Cormac explained: “Initially we used half of the venue.

“Now we have people coming from across Europe, we regularly have people driving from Dublin.”

He puts the success down to three things: the skills of audio-visual specialist Richard, who “creates a state-of-the-art multimedia theatre”; the high standard of musicianship — “that is one thing we don’t compromise on, all the musicians must be world-class”, and the pure passion of those involved.

“No one ever retired from opening a jazz club — everything we make just gets ploughed back into the club,” he said.

It has hosted high-profile performers, including award-winning London guitarist Rob Luft, who described the venue as “the finest jazz club in the UK outside of Ronnie Scott’s”.

High praise indeed, as the club was partially named after the famous Soho spot, as well as co-founder Mr Flanigan.

The audio-visuals pay a key role in the night’s entertainment

Cormac said: “We aim to be like Ronnie Scott’s, that’s the pool we want to swim in.

“Scott was initially reluctant over the name, he’s a humble guy.

“But we wanted to show everyone: this is Scott Flanigan standard.”

Scott performs regularly across Europe and travels throughout Ireland teaching jazz.

“He brings all these musicians back with him to perform on Friday,” Cormac added.

“In Belfast we celebrate Van Morrison, such an iconic jazz musician.

“Why shouldn’t we have a jazz club?

“You can go all over Europe and walk into a jazz club with over 100 people in it.

“Belfast should have something like that to offer tourists.”

In fact, the Arts Council-backed venture is proving a magnet for foreign visitors, with half of the audiences sometimes made up of tourists.

It’s something Cormac is very proud of.

“We are fortunate enough to have a hell of a lot of jazz musicians in Ireland to show off,” he said.

Scott’s Jazz Club is on every Friday at 9pm.

East Belfast jazz club taking music world by storm

Scott’s Jazz Club in east Belfast has quickly become an institution with music lovers and musicians. We find out about the venue

By Helen McGurk

NEWSLETTER 11th Aug 2022

It might be the attentive audiences, the amazing sound and innovative light show or the charisma of its host and lead performer Scott Flanigan, himself a uniquely gifted pianist.

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.

“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.