On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Joe Stilgoe & The Entertainers’ Welcome To The Club, out July 18, 2025, is a vibrant jazz album celebrating the spirit of jazz clubs, with immersive live shows at Wilton’s Music Hall from June 22-24.
A Love Letter to Jazz Clubs
In a dimly lit, smoky room with a strong drink in hand and smooth-as-silk sounds filling the air, the jazz club remains an unparalleled cultural treasure. Yet, despite jazz’s recent mainstream resurgence, these iconic venues face decline due to arts funding cuts and economic challenges. Enter Joe Stilgoe & The Entertainers, a new jazz supergroup delivering a vibrant love letter to jazz clubs worldwide with their upcoming album, Welcome To The Club, set for release on July 18, 2025, via Westway Records.
Joe Stilgoe & The Entertainers
Led by UK jazz titans—singer-pianist Joe Stilgoe and clarinettist Giacomo Smith—The Entertainers unite members of Kansas Smitty’s House Band, Stilgoe’s own ensemble, and guest vocalists Emma Smith and Pete Horsfall. The project was sparked by the closure of Kansas Smitty’s bar in East London, a word-of-mouth sensation that catapulted its house band to fame. This supergroup channels that loss into a joyful, infectious celebration of jazz club culture, both on record and in live performances.
Welcome To The Club
Welcome To The Club is a concept album that sidesteps pretension, weaving tales of the characters who inhabit these hallowed spaces. Each track introduces a new story, from the performer navigating brash security in “Nobody” (inspired by Stilgoe’s own experience) to the quirky and sultry patrons of “Bootsy” and “The Music That Keeps Me Alive.” Songs like “When I Meet Them” and “Hit The Big Time” delve into the lives of the musicians themselves, capturing the essence of membership, shared passion, and the quirky rules of jazz club life. Written by Stilgoe and Smith, with the latter producing, the album blends humor, tenderness, and exhilaration, honoring the venues where jazz thrives.
Tracklisting
1. Can We Entertain You?
2. Nobody
3. Bootsy
4. When I Meet Them
5. BTS
6. Mr Peanuts
7. The Music That Keeps Me Alive
8. Hit The Big Time
9. The Man In The Moon
10. Lovers
Immersive Live Shows at Wilton’s Music Hall
To bring this world to life, The Entertainers will transform London’s historic Wilton’s Music Hall into the ultimate jazz club for three immersive shows from June 22 to June 24, 2025. These performances promise to transport audiences through jazz styles and the vibrant atmosphere of a bustling club, celebrating its legacy while advocating for its survival.
With Welcome To The Club, Joe Stilgoe & The Entertainers deliver a spirited call to preserve the jazz club tradition—a vital, quixotic space where music and community collide. Mark your calendars for the album release and these unmissable live shows, and step into the greatest jazz club on earth.
Find more from Joe Stilgoe & The Entertainers now:
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
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