JAZZ fans in Worcester are being called on to back live bands in the city or run the risk of losing them altogether.

Worcester Jazz Club has been suffering from falling numbers since it moved to a new venue at Barbourne Ex-Servicemen’s Club in the Moors late last year.

Organiser Pat Holly said the figures had dwindled to below 30 and she could not carry on unless more people supported the gigs.

She said: “I want to keep up the standard of bands that I put on and to do that, I need the money. “It’s a difficult situation. If I put on bands that are not so good but cheaper, the audiences will still stop coming because the standard has dropped. “I don’t do this to make any money, I do it because I want to put on live jazz, but I can’t afford to underwrite it myself.”

Pat started the club after moving from Birmingham and hearing live jazz at the Crown and Anchor near her home in Hylton Road, Worcester. She fell in love with it and started putting on bands two years ago at the Worcester Rowing Club before switching to the Moors last December.

She said: “We opened with more than 70 people, which is fine, but then it dropped away and it has been downhill ever since. We have some people who will always come because they want to see live jazz but we need some new people through the door.

“It’s a problem everywhere. We could do with young people but the average age of the jazz fan is getting older.”

Pat said she thought the night of the week could be proving a problem and has been able to switch from Thursday to Friday starting in August with saxophone player Zoltan Sagi.

She has bands booked until December and said she would then have to reconsider if the situation didn’t improve.

She said: “The venue has just been refurbished and we have some great acts booked.

“We just need people to support it and we will be able to carry on.”

The next concert is tonight, when vocalist Maggie Reeday will be singing hits from the American Songbook backed by a trio. Later in the year, it’s Alan Barnes, then a Benny Goodman night followed by a Sticky Wicket Christmas Special.

More information at worcesterjazz.org.uk