How to hire a live jazz band

Never hired a live jazz band before? … we can guide you.

For most of our clients, hiring a jazz band is a new experience. We can guide you through the process so you know what to expect at every step along the way.

  1. Firstly, find a band you think will complement your day – perhaps you have a themed wedding. Pop over to our jazz styles page to see which bands fit with which eras. Or maybe you just want a timeless classic jazz band to lend that air of sophistication to your event.
  2. Secondly, your budget and the size of the space will dictate the size of the band you can hire. Rockin’ in Rhythm in its full glory is an eight-piece swing band. Not too many people have the budget or the space to accommodate such a beast. If you like their style, however, the size of the band can always be adjusted to suit your requirements, give us a call to discuss the options.
  3. When you’ve settled on a band and we’ve hammered out the specifics of location, duration and cost, we’ll send you a contract to sign. The band will sign it too, so everyone’s protected.
  4. Once everybody has signed the contract, you’ll pay the booking fee and everything will be set up. The booking fee will be included in the overall quote, so it won’t come as an unpleasant surprise after we’ve agreed everything else.
  5. Between this step and the band arriving for your event, feel free to get in touch anytime, because all plans are subject to change – as we know from our decades in the biz!
  6. On the day it would be advisable to nominate somebody to liaise with the band, show them where to set up, answer their questions and pay them. In the case of weddings, the best man would be a likely contender. This leaves you free of admin on the day, so you can whizz round like a social butterfly.
  7. Onto the thorny issue of payment – your outstanding balance will be the total quote minus the booking fee. Ideally it’d be good to pay on the night, and before the band has packed up to leave. Perhaps during a break, or when the band arrives. This will usually change from job to job. The musicians will be hoping to avoid hanging around after the gig, so payment before they’ve finished will be appreciated. In some cases people prefer to pay by bank transfer. If that’s the case we can arrange it, and usually ask to be paid within 7 days.
  8. Corporate payment can be different, as the accounts department will need to approve all payments. In this case we usually ask to be paid within 28 days of the date on the invoice.
  9. Hopefully this de-mystifies the process somewhat?… but if you have any queries, feel free to drop us a line anytime. We want everybody to be as comfortable as possible throughout.

Thanks for perusing The Jazz Agency site!

Feel free to get in touch if you need any more information.