If you're trying to recreate a smoky jazz club feel for your concert, the lighting in the room will play an essential part in creating this feel. With respect to jazz lighting, blue and white lighting have been traditionally used to create a darker, more subtle mood. While this may be more appropriate for softer jazz musicians, shifting the colors to deeper reds and pinks may be appropriate if the music is a bit livelier and sexier. In addition to lighting, place a smoke machine on the stage to help decorate the room and further set the mood for the jazz performers.
Properly decorating the stage and backdrop is another key element when creating mood and ambiance for a jazz concert. If you're in a proper venue, the stage will be elevated, making it easier to create separation between the audience and the musicians. If you're planning a concert in an alternative space, you may have to build your own stage or place a divider between the audience and the performers. If the jazz being performed is from the 20s, you can either purchase or create cardboard bandstand backdrops, as well as black cardboard skylines in the style of 1920s films.
Deciding on whether or not to have seating for your concert should be a direct result of the type of jazz being played. If it's lively jazz with a pulse, remove the seats to encourage dancing within the crowd, allowing for a more fun and carefree evening. However, if the music is moodier and best listened to while seated, bring in row or table seating to help create a mood. With smoky tablecloths and old fashioned wood seats, you can recreate an old jazz club, serving dinner and drinks while the audience watches. If the concert is more formal, place the seats in straight rows to give everyone a better view of the performance.
To sustain a mood throughout the entire concert hall, you will have to place decorations around the entire venue. Placing framed pictures on the walls of classic jazz musicians will help create a refined, club-feel to the room. Adding sparkly feather boas or bits of tinsel to the lighting and fixtures in the room will also help set the mood. Other potential physical decorations you could use include jazz-themed center pieces, such as saxophones or trumpets, or old jazz records tacked up to the walls.
In addition, encourage guests to dress up in classic jazz attire for the concert, serving up classic cocktails to help people get in the mood. If you're showcasing swing music, black wingtip shoes, a zoot suit, vests or a single breasted suit with muted colors will work well for a man. For a woman, formal evening attire, such as a knee-length dress with high heels will work. Also, imitating the flappers of the 20s, with a short bob haircut, a sequin headband and short dress will help get everyone in the mood.