Live Entertainment: jazz nights

"Well, you take some skin," as Bing Crosby so pithily observed to Louis Armstrong in High Society, "and jazz begins."

In fact, there's a bit more to it than that. In this case, you take a pub in Epsom, some local jazz enthusiasts, four New York musicians, and a roomful of customers including at least one jazz virgin - me.

I'll admit it, while I love R&B and will admit to regularly seeing the Blues on the side, proper jazz has always been on my 'to do' list. Owning a Charlie Parker CD and once having seen the Humphrey Lyttleton quintet do a couple of numbers at a benefit gig clearly don't count as going all the way - upstairs inside, at best.

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I booked a table for four at the White Horse in Epsom, Surrey, and persuaded a few mates to join me at the pub's new regular jazz night.

Having met Max Luthert and Duncan Eagles of the Epsom Jazz Club at the pub's re-opening a few week previously, I was interested when they told me Janek Gwizdala would be playing. Not, obviously, that I'd ever heard of Janek, but the boys assured me he was an authentic, well regarded big cheese on the New York jazz scene who they had talked into playing Epsom.

Having learnt over many years not to take everything people tell me in pubs at face value, I subsequently Googled Janek and confirmed that he has, indeed, performed with a great many other people I'd never heard of - but also a few I had.

So, over the White Horse's excellent, locally sourced meals and a couple of bottles of rioja, we allowed bassist Janek and the rest of his New York combo to work their magic. It was a most enjoyable evening, with the musicians suitably hep and the rhythms crazy, but I will make a couple of observations:

Applause - jazz audiences know mystically when to clap, but with one tune apparently segueing seamlessly into the next, our table drew unwanted attention a couple of times by applauding in the wrong place. A TV studio-style 'clap now' illuminated sign would improve the experience for novices.

Extended drum solos - in all other forms of live popular music, these are a signal from the band that's it's OK to nip to the bar. In jazz, this is considered bad form and you are expected to sit and listen.

These quite minor quibbles aside, jazz nights at the White Horse are clearly working for both the pub, which is busy on a traditionally tough trading night, and for the club, which has found a regular home.

"Jazz works very well in a pub," says Duncan. "It tends to come with quite an informal atmosphere - if you want to have a chat you can find a corner and sit and talk with the music in the background, or you can take a seat near the band to listen. And you can refill your glass whenever you need too."

Bands set up in the White Horse's restaurant, which adjoins the bar. This means customers can order a meal while enjoying the music - which clearly works for the pub's profits - or sit in the bar and still watch the band.

"It's hard to find venues willing to put jazz on every week, due to financial risks, but at the White Horse it seems to be working well because of all the factors involved - the food, the atmosphere and the live music."

With Max and Duncan playing live jazz on Sundays, customers attending the Tuesday night sessions are offered a discount on Sunday lunch.

White Horse manager Stuart Down says: "We're really pleased with the response to the jazz sessions, especially since they've only been running a couple of months.

"So far, we've picked up about 10 regulars from the jazz who come in at other times as well, with one group who now come in more or less every night. Now we're thinking of launching a Thursday night jam session where people can just turn up and play."

Top 10 Tips for staging live music

• Consult your customers. It's good if your event attracts new customers - but you want to keep your existing ones too. So ask them what they'd like and consult them on your ideas
• Establish a regular frequency. For live music to work well customers must remember when it's on and come to expect it. Whether it's weekly fortnightly or monthly, make a plan and stick to it
• Book the right act. Avoid first-time performers, get a recommendation or go hear the act yourself. Booking through an agency is more expensive but it gives you an extra assurance of quality
• Theme the event. You can theme around style of music or era, link with themed food or a drinks promotion or do fit the music to a special occasion
• Advertise. Use posters, local listings, local papers, handouts, flyers and the internet - as much as you can afford. Encourage artists to supply their own publicity material
• Make the offer clear. Let people know the style of music and type of performer
• Be aware of volume. Consider noise levels, especially if drums are involved. Nothing deadens noise like people, so aim for a full house!
• Time sets. Acts often play two or three sets so make sure there isn't too much of a lull in the entertainment in-between. Play background music that fits the style of the live performer
• Choose the best position for performers. Bear in mind visibility, sound and safety. Think about power points, fire exits and emergency access.
• Get the appropriate licences. If live music isn't on your operating schedule you'll need a temporary event notice. Contact your local PRS advisor for information on PRS and PPL licences

Source: The Performing Right Society​