Merseyside Jazz Scene - Challenges and Solutions
Members of the Merseyside jazz community came together for a Jazz North Forum to discuss the challenges facing their local scene and explore potential solutions.
The Merseyside Meet Up took place on Friday 21 February 2025 at Hope University during the Liverpool International Jazz Festival. 19 members of the Merseyside jazz community came together to discuss the challenges facing their local scene and explore potential solutions. The Meet Up started with a welcome from the Jazz North team and participants were given the opportunity to introduce themselves. The group then split into 3 smaller discussion groups to explore questions posed by the Jazz North team. After a networking break, Jonathan Butters from Parr Jazz delivered a rousing Call To Action (CTA) for delegates to apply to be part of Mutant Jazz’s inclusive and representative steering group. The Meet Up ended with a whole group reflection led by Steve Mead and an overview of Jazz North’s online resources and opportunities for artists, educators and promoters.
Summary:
This post summarises feedback from Jazz North’s Merseyside Meet Up - an open forum for jazz stakeholders from the Liverpool and Birkenhead areas. The forum focused on the challenges facing the jazz scene in the region and potential solutions. The key challenges identified revolve around financial constraints, lack of audience awareness and engagement, practical limitations (parking, transport), and a shortage of dedicated venues. Proposed solutions emphasize collaboration, improved communication/listings, financial innovation, and lobbying for greater support from the council and organizations like the Music Venues Trust (MVT).
Key Challenges:
The feedback highlights a multifaceted set of issues impacting the Merseyside jazz scene:
Financial Constraints: A consistent theme is the lack of financial investment and low earning potential for musicians.
"Stagnant band fees."
"Poor pay for jazz / original music."
"Hard to sustain jazz work without financial support."
"Too many free gigs! (makes promoting paid events much harder)"
The lack of touring bands playing Liverpool gigs due to the risk of low ticket sales.
Challenges faced by the Merseyside jazz community
Audience Awareness and Engagement: There's a perceived lack of understanding and interest in jazz, combined with a fragmented scene and poor communication.
"Fragmented scene - no listings - audiences unaware."
"Liverpool is promoted as a music city but is it? Where are the future audiences? Lack of awareness outside of the region."
"People have a tendency to follow their mates rather than having more widespread interest."
"People don’t really understand where tap dance sits - part of jazz music but bad representation!"
Practical Restrictions (Parking, Transport): Logistical issues hinder both performers and audience members.
"Council traffic and parking strategy not venue / band friendly."
"Parking (new scheme to charge until 11pm)"
"Lack of public transport at night."
Venues and Spaces: A critical shortage of suitable and dedicated venues was highlighted, especially the lack of jazz clubs.
"No jazz clubs."
"Lack of venues in general."
"Lack of dedicated jazz venues."
"Dedicated venues not student accommodation!!!!"
"Aggressive property development closing down venues."
Additional Challenges:
Gentrification: "Gentrification."
Oversaturation / Dilution of the Jazz Scene: "Oversaturation / dilution of the “jazz” scene. Why does it have to be jazz? Why can’t it be jazz? What effect does it have on audiences to use the word jazz?"
Musician's Rights: "Severe lack of musicians rights as workers and staff."
Competition from the focus on the Beatles: "Beatles - fair division of funding."
Late night noise complaints and proximity of jazz venues to residential areas.
Proposed Solutions:
The participants offered a range of solutions focusing on improving communication, financial viability, venue access, and advocacy:
Improved Communication and Listings: "Need to find ways to develop a music based data base / music hub so that people can be reliably informed - Bido Lito. What’s on guides are vital. User input. Need someone dedicated to doing this."
"Connect jazz venues - create audience database - opt in to join."
"Uncover Liverpool - new listings site."
"Database - What’s On? Developing audiences."
Financial Innovation and Support: Exploring alternative funding models and mechanisms to improve artist compensation.
"Pay as you go entrance to contribute to artists - recommended price to set the bar like galleries / venues."
"‘Pay what you can’ at venues (rather than free gigs)."
"Empower artists to make their careers viable."
"Venues covering the added cost of parking / travel."
Venue Development and Access: "Jazz club - venue with piano?"
"Pop up events - collaborations - Granby market in Toxteth."
"Artist led venues! Consort with MVT (Music Venues Trust)."
"MVT - space(s) dedicated to jazz. Artist lead venues?"
"Empty heritage buildings that could be used for gigs."
Advocacy and Lobbying: Engaging with the council and other organizations to secure support.
"Campaign - get some press behind the parking / restrictions. Jazz fm, Music Venues Trust, Rough Trade."
"Council needs to get its finger out!!!"
"Lobbying councils - investment from council - make lobbying group."
"Group to represent us e.g. look at Bluecoat space."
Linking LFC / EFC with MVT, Oye, BBC Merseyside, Jazz fm, Katumba Empire, “larger” / more established venues.
Conclusion:
The Merseyside jazz scene faces significant challenges, primarily related to financial viability, audience engagement, venue access, and logistical hurdles. However, the feedback reveals a proactive desire to address these issues through collaborative efforts, improved communication, innovative financial models, and strategic advocacy. The success of these efforts will likely depend on the active participation of artists, venue owners, local government, and organizations like the Music Venues Trust.