Live Jazz Venues By State Aa-Cz
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Venues in California, Colorado, and Connecticut
If I missed any venues in your city that present post bop and progressive (not Quiet Storm) jazz several nights a week, and have an operating website, please contact me at editor@jazzbonotes.com and fill me in.
California (Bel Air, Berkeley, Culver City, Fullerton, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Oakland, Santa Cruz, San Diego, San Francisco, Sherman Oaks, Sierra Madre, and Van Nuys)
Bel Air
Vibrato Bar & Grill
2930 Beverly Glen Circle - Tel: 310-474-9400 (see map)
Vibrato’s state-of-the-art sound design (with full 5.1 digital recording capabilities) provides the ideal environment and acoustics for appreciating the world-class players who perform at the venue. Artists who have graced the stage at Vibrato (including Billy Childs, Chuck Mangione, Makoto Ozone, Steve Tyrell and Toot Thielemans) sing its praises as well.
Berkeley
Anna’s Jazz Island
2120 Allston Way - Tel: 510-845-5515 (see map)
Intimate club (seating just under 100) in downtown Berkeley in a sophisticated yet comfortable Caribbean-themed setting, complete with huge palm trees. Features local musicians and great acoustics with live music every night. Full bar, Italian food. All ages, all shows.
Jupiter
2181 Shattuck Avenue - Tel: 510-THE-TAPS (see map)
Popular beerhouse serving locally handcrafted beers & ales and wood-fired pizzas. Jupiter is not only the East Bay’s alternative jazz venue, but is also known for its heated outdoor beer garden and outdoor summertime music schedule.
The Jazzschool
2087 Addison, between Shattuck and Milvia - Tel: 510-845-5373 (see map)
Intimate performance space presenting a mixture of local and national acts; also includes a cafe if you want to have a bite before the show or sip a latte while you listen to the music. For a more thorough review of the venue, click here.
Culver City
The Jazz Bakery
3233 Helms Ave - Tel: 310-271-9039 (see map)
Originally conceived and founded eleven years ago by Ruth Price as a showcase for local talent, the venue’s reputation has grown to an international stature in the world of jazz through Price’s uncompromising artistic vision: bringing the finest in world-class “A” list jazz into a space to perform where the contract between jazz musician and audience is focused and unspoiled. During the gig, there are no servers plunking down drinks in front of you, there is neither food in the theater nor distractions from the bustling of a club, and every seat is an excellent seat: this is really, truly and purely about the music.
Fullerton
Steamers Cafe
138 West Commonwealth Avenue - Tel: 714-871-8800 (see map)
Located in Fullerton California, just down the street from Disneyland and Knots Berry Farm, is Steamers Cafe, a “true” jazz club Open late every night, live top-name straight-ahead jazz 7 nights a week, featuring national and local acts such as Ernie Watts, Kurt Elling, Herb Geller Poncho Sanchez, Charles McPherson, Pete Christlieb and Tom Ranier.
Hollywood
Catalina Jazz Club
6725 Sunset Boulevard - Tel: 323-466-2210 (see map)
Our main priority is to please our diverse clientele by bringing the best jazz talent to Hollywood and continue to do so far for many years to come” says club owner Catalina Popescu. This supper club, with its Old World charm provides a warm and inviting environment for its guest, while enjoying a superb meal and great live jazz.
Los Angeles
The Baked Potato
3787 Cahuenga Boulevard West - Tel: 818-980-1615 (see map)
All type of good jazz music, but mostly fusion. Live music & dinner. Full Bar. Open: 7pm Daily. Show time 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
Oakland
Yoshi’s at Jack London Square
510 Embarcadero West - Tel: 510-238-9200 (see map)
Yoshi’s has hosted legendary jazz greats such as Betty Carter, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Harry Connick Jr. and Oscar Peterson among hundreds of others. Also has a restaurant which serves modern Japanese cuisine.
Santa Cruz
Kuumbwa Jazz Center
320-2 Cedar Street - Tel: 831-427-2227 (see map)
A totally rockin’ non-profit venue. To give you some idea, in one month, they presented concerts by McCoy Tyner, Chris Potter Underground, John Scofield & The Piety Band, and the Joshua Redman Trio. I live in San Francisco and I’m jealous.
San Diego
Anthology
1337 India Street - Tel: 619-595-0300 (see map)
This intimate, 300 seat, multi-level venue boasts state-of-the-art acoustics, sound system and swank coastal modern interiors. Opening in June 2007, Anthology has built a stellar reputation among artists and has hosted jazz icons from the legendary Ramsey Lewis and Ahmad Jamal to Arturo Sandoval, Larry Coryell, and Chick Corea. The cuisine is a New American menu from celebrity chef Bradley Ogden.
Dizzy’s
344 Seventh Avenue - Tel: 858-270-7467 (see map)
Dizzy’s is unique: a simple space dedicated to providing the ultimate presentation of live performance in an intimate, casual setting - where both the performers and the audience are treated with respect.
San Francisco
Cafe Claude
7 Claude Lane - Tel: 415-392-3505 (see map)
Claude has provided an intimate venue for local jazz musicians during the past twelve years. Many of these musical performers have become familiar names in the Bay Area jazz scene.
Yoshi’s San Francisco
1330 Fillmore at Eddy - Tel: 415-655-5600 (see map)
Yoshi’s San Francisco is a 28,000 square-foot, two-story, state-of-the-art venue and will feature the best of local, national and international jazz artists with seating for 417 in the jazz club and nearly 371 in the restaurant and lounge. In the past, such luminaries as Roy Haynes, Gary Burton, Kenny Garrett, and Nicholas Payton have played this room. For a more thorough review of this venue, click here.
Seal Beach
Spaghettini Italian Grill and Jazz Club
3005 Old Ranch Parkway - Tel: 562-596-2199 (see map)
Alright, I admit that if you take a look at their calendar, you’ll see a lot of smooth jazz, but occasionally they book the real thing. They also have Italian food.
Sherman Oaks
Spazio
14755 Ventura Boulevard - Tel: 818-728-8400 (see map)
Spazio presents high quality live jazz six nights a week. Spazio’s state-of-the-art sound system, beautiful stage lighting and perfectly tuned piano make it a good place to see jazz.
Sierra Madre
Cafe 322
322 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard - Tel: 626-836-5414 (see map)
Cafe 322 presents live jazz several nights a week.
Van Nuys
Charlie O’s Bar & Grill
13725 Victory Boulevard - Tel: 818-994-3058 (see map)
Charlie O’s is an intimate jazz club and restaurant, presenting live jazz performances seven nights a week from 8 PM to Midnight since August 17, 2000. Charlie O’s was voted by Downbeat as one of 100 best jazz clubs in the world three years in a row.
Colorado
Denver
Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge
930 Lincoln Street - Tel: 303-839-5100 (see map)
Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge is consistently getting the highest marks from local and national media as one of the top Jazz Clubs in the world! Downbeat Magazine considers it “One of the World’s 100 Great Jazz Clubs.”
Connecticut
New Haven
Firehouse 12
45 Crown Street - Tel: 203-785-0468 (see map)
Okay, they only have jazz once a week, on Fridays, but it’s the real deal. Guys like Frank Kimbrough, Peter Brotzmann, and Ben Allison show up regularly. All performances happen in an acoustically balanced, soundproofed space with installed sound reinforcement and stage lighting systems. The space seats 75 audience members. The build-out of this space creates a perfect venue for music that benefits from close listening.