Hope Street Jazz: How Frederiks has become the go-to place for music lovers in Liverpool

Jazz in Liverpool has found a twice-weekly home at Frederiks on Hope Street, showcasing all different styles from nu jazz to New Orleans and some incredible local, national and international artists.

Hope Street Jazz was started by Fred’s weekend resident DJ John Dean about three years ago to support the city’s growing diverse jazz scene.

Since then demand has seen it go to two nights, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and there are plans for bands to record on a Hope Street Jazz Records label this summer.

As jazz in Liverpool has seen a huge renaissance, and a new breed of dancefloor-oriented jazz especially has gained a following, Hope Street Jazz has become a regular go-to.

“When I first started I knew a lot of younger bands who weren’t getting to play in certain places,” says John. “I’ve DJed and played in bands and run events myself for years and I used to watch scenes come and go just because they weren’t supported, so the initial idea was to have somewhere to give the younger acts a chance.

“It’s absolutely taken off, it’s taken on a life of its own and it just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. We’re getting all different ages, primarily it’s 19 to late 20s but then lots over 50s, so it’s a nice mix and it’s a real community now.

People come back every week and it’s become this social gathering place just to hang, to watch the bands and get something to eat and drink.”

Hope Street Jazz has a core of around 15 bands on rotation – including quite a few who actually formed from coming to the events themselves – with additional touring dates from some of the best artists across the country and internationally. 

Each Tuesday and Thursday session has one or two bands doing two 45-minute sets, from 9pm onwards, with John DJing in between.

“After that I’ll either carry on DJing for the rest of the night or we’ll have a jam where musicians can just turn up and jam with the band,” adds John. “They can be some of the most enjoyable times – it’s a bit of a self-organised free-for-all!”

Find out more about Hope Street Jazz on the Frederiks website here.