The Second World War saw the advent of what Stebbins calls Stage Bars, a significant event in the jazz community.

A stage bar or theatre lounge is an establishment which serves liquor and features some sort of entertainment from and elevated stage or stand rather than from the floor.  Usually there is no public dancing in these places, although some stage bars have entertainment for a certain length of time (‘the show’) followed by a period when the band plays for dancing.  The audience may be entertained by a strip act, comedy act, musical performance or a combination of these.  Jazz musicians are generally hired to play the music for the strip shows.  Their music usually a raucous form of jazz.

The real importance of the introduction of the stage into bars lies in their potential as a place where a form of concert can be presented.  To be sure, the presence of liquor creates a situation which is less than perfect from the standpoint of presenting a serious performance, but the musicians probably gain more attention than if they were playing for dancing.  This innovation has benefited modern jazz musicians.  Their experimentation with meter and tempo has led them out of the dance field to some extent.

One reason for this development was a stiff excise tax on clubs where dancing was allowed.