JAZZ VENUES
Where to Find Live Jazz on the Peninsula and Beyond
updated 11/28/11Angelica’s Bistro, 863 Main St., Redwood City, CA 94063. 650/365-3226. Tuesdays: Pro Jazz Jam and Thursdays: Blues jam.
B Street & Vine, 320 South B Street, San Mateo, CA 94401 650/347-VINE www.bstreetandvine.com. Wine café. Live music Wed. through Sun, generally jazz.
Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, 307 Mirada Rd. (PO Box 302), El Granada, CA 94018. 650/726-4143. This coastside gem is one of the best places for jazz anywhere. Sunday afternoons—jazz headliners.BluesJam at Club Fox, Fox Theatre, 2209 Broadway, Redwood City 94063. Blues Jam starting up again November 17 (Wed.). For calendar check the website: www.rwcbluesjam.com.
Cetrella, 845 Main St., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 650/726-4090. Handsome restaurant offers jazz vocalists Friday and Saturday evenings
Community School of Music & Arts at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View, CA 94040. 650/917-6800. Occasional faculty jazz concerts
Grand Dell Saloon, 1040 Dell Ave., Campbell, CA 95008. 408/378-3970. Mostly blues, Thurs./Fri./Sat.
Jazz at Filoli 2010. Great summer series, six Sunday afternoons—June 27 to Sept. 26, featuring the likes of Larry Vuckovich, Jim Cullum, Robin McKelle, Janis Siegel, Nicholas Bearde and Eliane Elias. Concerts are 1:30-4pm on the Filoli Estate, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062. 650/364-8300, x. 508
Los Altos Grill, 233 3rd St., Los Altos 94022. 650/948-3524. Thursday night jazz, 6-9pm.
La Tosca, 777 Laurel, San Carlos, CA 94070 650/592-7749. Italian restaurant. Pianist-songstress Nancy Gilliland on Friday nights.
Lavanda Restaurant & Wine Bar, 185 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 650/321-3514. Sundays—live jazz.
MONTALVO ARTS CENTER. Carriage House Theatre Performing Arts Series. 15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga, CA 94070. Box office 408/961-5858, M-F 10am-4pm. Excellent fall jazz series, Oct. 17 thru Jan. 19, featuring such luminaries as Brubeck Brothers, Joshua Redman, Taylor Eigsti, Hiroshima. Also R&B/Blues series, Oct. 16-March 31.
Murphy’s Law, 135 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. 408/736-3822. Pro Blues Jam, Monday nights.
Neto’s Market & Grill, 1313 Franklin St., Santa Clara, CA 95050. 408/296-0818. Tuesdays: Pro Blues Jam, sometimes Saturdays.
Oak City Bar and Grill, 1029 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025. 650/321-3614. Live music, Wed-Sat, some jazz. 7-10:30pm.
Pasta Moon Ristorante & Bar, 315 Main St., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. 650/726-5125. Great Italian food. Often jazz on Friday and Saturday nights, 7-10.
Ritz Carlton Hotel, One Miramontes Point Rd., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. 650/712-7000. Jazz Thursday evenings. Recently with Sarah Aran, Michael O’Neill. 7-10pm
Sam’s Chowder House, 4210 N. Cabrillo Hwy, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. 650/712-0245. Music, usually Fri., Sat., Sun. eves, sometimes jazz (one recent group plays “bluegrass-bebop”!) Good waterfront dining, and, oh, that clam chowder. For best music listening, get a seat at the bar.
Sanchez Concert Hall, 1220A Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica, CA 94044 650/355-1882. Occasional jazz concerts presented by Pacifica Performances
Stanford Jazz Workshop Events. Campbell Recital Hall and Dinkelspiel Auditorium on campus. The annual Stanford Jazz Festival is a “must” for any jazz fan. Stanford Jazz Workshop, PO Box 20454, Stanford, CA 94309
Studio Pink House, 14577 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA. Concert series—generally Sunday, 4-6pm. Wayne Wallace, Hristo Vitchev, Paul Nagel. $10 donation. Also Sunday jams. Bring your instrument.
The Quarter Note, 1214 Apollo Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94085. 408/732-2110. Isis and Cool Cats Jazz every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, 9-11:30pm.
Viva Restaurant, 15970 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos, CA 95032. 408/356-4902 Jazz on Friday (7-10pm) and Saturday (8:30-10:30pm) nights.7 Mile House, 2800 Bayshore Blvd, Brisbane 94005. 415/467-2343. Al Molina Project, Tuesday nights, 7pm.
Caffe Trieste, 315 S. First St., San Jose. 408/287-0400. Occasional jazz.
Fairmont Hotel Lobby Lounge, 170 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113. Thursdays, 8:30-11:30pm—contemporary or Latin jazz; Friday & Saturdays, 9pm-midnight—Bands playing jazz and pop dance hits.
Hedley Club in Hotel DeAnza, 233 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95113 408/286-1000. Live jazz in this pleasant, comfortable hotel cocktail lounge and wine bar. Thurs., Fri., and Sat. evenings.
J J’s Blues, 3439 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose. 408/243-6441. Live blues entertainment every night.
Loft Bar & Bistro, 90 S. Second St., San Jose, CA 95113. 408/291-0677. Live jazz Thursday nights, 7-10pm.
Poor House Bistro, 91 S. Autumn St., San Jose, CA 95110. 408/292-5837. New Orleans cuisine. Various music styles, incl. jazz and blues, nightly except Mondays.
Ristorante Fratello, 1712 Meridian Ave., San Jose 95125. 408/269-3801. Modesto Briseno jazz ensemble plays every Thursday night, 8-10:30pm. Drop in for a drink or for the luscious Italian food. No cover.
San Jose Jazz Events. San Jose Jazz organizes a fine summer jazz festival downtown San Jose each August. This year’s festival will be August 13-15. This non-profit also puts on an excellent winter jazz series at the Improv Club, 62 2nd St. in San Jose. San Jose Jazz, 145 W. San Carlos, San Jose, CA 95113 . 408/288-7557
Unwined, 6946 Almaden Expwy., San Jose, CA 95120. 408/323-WINE. Jazz on Saturday nights, 7-9:30pm, and some Thursdays.
Vin Santo, 1346 Lincoln Ave, San Jose 95125 (Willow Glen). 408/920-2508. Mike Bastian’s Pentimento Jazz on Thursday nights, 6:30-9:30.
Wine Affairs, 1435 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126. 408/977-0111. Often jazz, Thursday and Saturday evenings.
3 Flames Restaurant, 1547 Meridian Ave., San Jose 95125. 408/269-3133. Tuesday night swing, these days with the Modesto Briseno Septet. Modesto Briseno performs also the first Sunday afternoon of the month. Bar food and beverages.
Biscuits & Blues, 401 Mason St., SF 94102 415/292-2583. Wed.-Sun. Nightly blues.
Blis Bar, 4026 24th St., San Francisco. 415/826-6200. Sunday afternoon jazz series, presented by Larry Vuckovich.
Blush! Wine Bar, 476 Castro St. (at 18th St.), San Francisco 94114. 415/558-0893. Gypsy jazz Thursday nights, with Doug Martin’s Avatar Ensemble, 7:30-10.Bocce Café, 478 Green St., SF 94133. 415/981-2044. Carole Borelli on Friday nites, 7-10pm.
Brickhouse Café & Bar, 426 Brannan St., San Francisco 94107. 415/369-0222. Marlina Teich Duo, Thursday nights 7-10pm.
Café Claude, 7 Claude Lane, SF 94105. 415/392-3505. Jazz every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7:30-10:30pm. Marcus Shelby, Mad and Eddie Duran, et al. Good food, too.
Castagnola’s Restaurant, 286 Jefferson, San Francisco 94133. 415/776-5015. Well-known Fisherman’s Wharf eatery hosts live music in the lounge, Wed.-Sat., from 4 to 7pm. John Clark, with “some of San Francisco’s premier jazz players.”
Chez Spencer, 82 14th St., SF 94103. 415/864-2191. French restaurant and bar. Pianist Alex Kallao on Thursday nights, 6-9:30 p.m.
Dogpatch Saloon, 2496 Third St., San Francisco 94107. 415/643-8592. Altoist Andrew Speight and drummer Vince Lateano, et al. play here almost every (late) Sunday afternoon.
Enrico’s, 504 Broadway, SF 94133. 415/982-6223. Music Mon.-Sat., sometimes jazz.
Great American Music Hall , 859 O’Farrell St., SF 94109. 415/885-0750. Good venue for music, but jazz only very occasionally.
Jack’s Club, 2545 24th St., San Francisco (Portrero Hill). 415/641-5371. Friday night jazz, starting at 7pm.
Jazz ‘Round Shanghai 1930, 133 Steuart St., SF 94105. 415/896-5600. Cosmopolitan restaurant (Asian orientation) Nightly music, except Sunday.
Le Colonial Restaurant, 20 Cosmo Place, SF 94109. 415/931-3600. French-Vietnamese cuisine. Music Mon.-Sat. evenings, plus Sunday brunch.
Les Joulins Jazz Bistro, 44 Ellis St., SF 94102. 415/397-5397. Restaurant, with nightly jazz, swing, blues.
Martuni’s Piano Bar, 4 Valencia St., San Francisco 94103. 415/241-0205. Music nightly: jazz, standards, show tunes. To 2 am. Pianist Dee Spencer appears often (also at Catch, 2362 Market St.—415/431-1744).
Pier 23 Café, 23 Pier Ste. 4 (Embarcadero, San Francisco 94111. 415/362-5125. Seafood restaurant. Music nightly, except Monday. Occasionally jazz.
Rasselas, 1534 Fillmore St., SF 94115. 415/346-8696. Jazz club and restaurant (Ethiopian cuisine). Live music (jazz, blues) 7 nights a week
Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St., SF. 415/647-0242. Jazz on Wed. (8:45-11:30pm) and Sun. (3-6pm).
Velma’s, 2246 Jerrold Ave., SF 94124. 415/824-4606. Mostly blues. Sporadic schedules
Savanna Jazz, 2937 Mission St., SF 94110. 415/285-3369. Nightly music, except Monday & Tuesday.
The Razz Room at the Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St., SF 94012. 415/394-1189. Beautiful night club in the Hotel Nikko. Occasional jazz vocalists like Paula West, Tierney Sutton.
Sheba Piano Lounge, 1419 Fillmore St., San Francisco 94115. 415/440-7414. Live music 7 nights a week. Ethiopian cuisine.
Top of the Mark, Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental Hotel, Number One Nob Hill, SF 94108 877/270-1390. San Francisco landmark. Nighly jazz, Tues-Sat, Sunday brunch. Small cover charge.
Yoshi’s San Francisco, 1330 Fillmore St., SF 94115. 415/655-5600. The Bay Area’s premier jazz club presents many of jazz’s major headliners. Excellent Japanese food. Bring money.
The Jazz School, 2087 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94704. 510/845-5373. Frequent concerts with young jazz musicians, faculty members and others. A Bay Area jazz treasure.
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. 831/427-2227. Another Bay Area treasure, one of the nicest venues for jazz. Monday nights—jazz headliners. Well worth a trip. Other occasional gigs during the week.
Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA 94607 510/238-9200. One of the country’s best jazz clubs (like its San Francisco affiliate), and excellent Japanese food.
