Fun is an essential part of jazz. Despite its perception as music for people with snobbish tastes and a deep understanding of notations and chords, the genre was driven by stories of rebels, misfits and party animals. Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Fats Weller are some names that pop into memory. Theirs was music that thrived in cocktail bars and brought people together for conversations, food and drink.

It is this simple joy that the Friday session of The Gin & Jazz Project seeks to evoke at the Smoke House Deli. The session marks the first of several upcoming ventures by the space looking to offer something new and interactive to patrons, says brand head, Mohit Balachandran. “We are a familiar brand, but we were on the lookout for fresher experiences to deliver to our patrons. Naturally, we are planning to do sessions with music and pairing it with food and beverages to make it a fun social experience,” he adds.