Jazz in San Francisco
 

Hi All,

My fiance and I will be in San Francisco for our honeymoon October 2-8. We are jazz lovers and would really like to visit a couple of jazz clubs while we are there. We like small intimate clubs that feature up and coming talent (usually more affordable)but are willing to splurge for a performer we'd love to see. All suggestions are gratefully welcomed.:)

Thanks!

~S

Check out sfgate.com for club listings and any festivals that may be going on at that time. Jazz brunches are especially popular.

Thanks! I'll check it out.

~S

My favorite jazz club in the area is over in Oakland. Yoshi's has a great mix of local talent and touring musician's. It's 15 minutes from the city.

Check sfjazz.org as well. It is the site for the San Francisco Jazz Festival, which runs almost year 'round these days.

-Bill

Thanks Bill. What's the best way for us to get to Yoshi? We'll be staying in Union Square. Can we use public transportation or should we take a taxi? Also, thanks for the info on SF Jazz Festival. I thought they only had two annual events. I'll definitely watch the website now.

~S

S,
I can't help with public transportation, as I drive over from the peninsula. Maybe someone else knows?

-Bill

S,
I would not bother with public trans. to Yoshi's unless you go to an early evening or matinee performance. It would involve BART and a taxi. Maybe take BART over and a cab back to S.F. If you are staying in a downtown hotel, it would be a stiff-ish taxi fare, maybe $35 plus tip and paying the $3 bridge toll for the driver's trip back to S.F. I really, really like Yoshi's. I admire their efforts to book both big names and up and comers. They've also had matinees on Sundays geared towards kids and teenagers - very successful and with some impressive names. There's been news that Yoshi's plans to open a branch on Fillmore Street in San Francisco - I think it's probably a year or two away, though.

If you like blues as well as jazz, I personally like Biscuits and Blues. It's in San Francisco, on Mason Street, right downtown. Talk about rising talent - I saw the (very) young Jackie Greene there about 2 years ago, and it was the epitome of a classy, intimate club experience.

Also check out the Great American Music Hall, on O'Farrell Street. They book rock, blues and jazz of all sorts. Some of their shows are seated and some are not. I saw Eric Johnson in a very small, very lovely all-acoustic show there recently. The Great American is an experience in the building itself. It's very ornate and turn of the century, with big chandeliers hanging.

Check out Jazz at Pearl's on Columbus (in North Beach). It would fit the bill nicely. Also in that area, Enrico's frequently has jazz, but I think it's part of the restaurant/bar scene, and not really a viewing venue.

I'm pretty sure there was also an article in the SF Chronicle last week profiling a local jazz musician and his favorite spots. Try searching for it at sfgate.com

Mel,
That article, I believe, is the one I referenced in a message last week as appearing in the April issue of Sunset Magazine. Unless it ran in two publications... Anyway, it was very informative and had a nice "insider" feel to it.

Thanks Dovima & Mel.

Dovima, I really appreciate the update on getting to Yoshi. I've never been to the area, so I had no concept of the distance between Oakland and San Francisco. I spent 4 years in New York and a lifetime in Toronto, so I'm used to trying the public transit systems in the larger cities I've visited. However, the hike to Yoshi's does sound a bit too much. I did see your other post about the article but had no luck finding it when I searched the web site. If anyone can remember the name of the musician, I am sure I'll be able to track the article down. Finally, thanks to both you and Mel for the additional suggestions. I will look into all of them.

Cheers!

~S