Jazz ensembles are a great choice of entertainment for events of any size. They range from traditional to modern in music genre and have been a source of entertainment at both corporate and social events for decades. Innovative Entertainment offers a diverse range of jazz ensembles perfectly tailored to suit whatever your entertainment needs may be. But before you jump into a quick decision on selecting a band, below are a few things to keep in mind.
What Type of Jazz Do You Prefer or Need?
Jazz is a pretty broad genre, encompassing everything from swing to jukebox. It’s good to have an idea of exactly what type of music you will be expecting from your jazz band as there is a wide range to choose from. These are just a few types of ensembles:
- Swing Bands
- Dixieland/Ragtime Bands
- Standards Bands
- Jukebox/Post-modern Bands
- Cool or Fusion Jazz Band
- Latin Jazz Band
Price
There are many factors that go into pricing an ensemble to play for your event. From travel costs to length of performance to the size of the ensemble, pricing is best addressed on a request by request basic. Depending on your budget, you may be looking for a smaller or larger, higher-end band. Whatever your selection, a broad price range for booking an ensemble is $500-$7000+.
Dress
Jazz bands tend to dress according to the type of music they play. This means the theme and mood of your event will affect what type of music and dress code you select to book. Be sure to ask questions about attire when booking your ensemble. Typically a band will have a couple of options to choose from, and often times they’re open to customizing a look if needed for your event (with additional costs, of course).
Background or Headliner?
Jazz bands are able to either take the background seat to the evening’s festivities or play a more upfront, headlining role. Would you prefer your band to blend into the action or be the focus of the show? Background (or ambiance) performances are great for professional and corporate events where guests are expected to continue conversing throughout the show. Headlining shows are designed to open a program or to get everyone up on the dance floor.
Size, Space and Equipment
Jazz bands range in size from 3-20 (combination of singers and musicians). The size of the band will affect both price and how big of a stage area in your venue that you will need. You can safely expect bigger bands to always take up more space – while background playing trios are more compact and require less space for performance setup. Bands can better estimate their space requirements when they know the amount of equipment they require. Some bands will be able to use the PA system and musical instruments at your venue of choice, while others will need to bring their own.
If you’re sold on booking a jazz band for your next event, consider working with Innovative Entertainment to select the perfect match for your event theme and goals. Here’s a sampling of a few of the diverse range of jazz bands that we offer. Have questions or want more band ideas, contact us today!
