It’s an unpredictable summer, folks. Some find escape in music festivals or hands-on diversions, while I’ve always gotten lost in jazz — especially live jazz, and its beautiful reshaping of the world and one’s self in it.
Here are 10 excellent jazz shows in the Bay Area this summer.
Last year, Oakland tenor saxophonist and SFJAZZ resident artistic director Howard Wiley brought a sold-out crowd to its feet in a concert celebrating the music of the Golden State. (A medley of “Hotel California” and “California Love”? Check.) This year he brings that beat back with its sequel, subtitled “Love, Kale, Pride and Revolution,” with a group including organist Lionel “LJ” Holoman and trombonist Robin Eubanks, plus a handful of Bay Area all-stars. If you’ve been meaning to introduce a date to the thrill and energy of live jazz, you can’t go wrong here.
If you’re feeling adventurous with $15 in your pocket, here’s your opportunity for radical exploration. The LMNts Trio evokes the form-fluid free jazz of labels like ESP-Disk with Scott R. Looney on prepared piano and electronics, Lisa Mezzacapa on bass and Kjell Nordeson on percussion. Add into the mix saxophonist Aaron Bennett, steeped in jazz standards and Thelonious Monk, and there’s no telling what could happen. That’s the fun of it, isn’t it?
Born in Kobe and now living in Brooklyn, Takuya Koroda is Japan’s answer to Roy Hargrove: a little bit of fusion, a little bit of post-bop, a little bit of hip-hop and a lot of invention. Having made a name for himself backing vocalist José James, Koroda has since recorded albums for Blue Note, Concord and Universal; his newest, Everyday, is alive in all the right ways.
The Charles Lloyd Sky Quartet, with Eric Harland, Larry Grenadier and Jason Moran. (D. Darr)
June 13–15, 2025 SFJAZZ Center and surrounding streets, San Francisco
Charles Lloyd alone makes this first-year festival at SFJAZZ worth attending, but the rest of this completely bananas lineup is so exciting, it had no choice but to spill out onto the streets for a three-day block party — complete with food trucks, local DJs and wine and beer. With bona fide jazz legends (Patrice Rushen, Stanley Clarke, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dave Holland), hot, new up-and-comers (Lakecia Benjamin, Kassa Overall) and local stars (Ambrose Akinmusire, Salami Rose Joe Louis, Idris Ackamoor), it’s the must-see jazz event of the summer in San Francisco.
The best of the Bay Area’s small-town jazz festivals hosts big names in intimate environs. This year it’s vocalist Diane Reeves, pianist Kenny Barron, drummer Terri Lynne Carrington, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and more. Under the direction of Marcus Shelby, regional artists get plenty of time in the wine country sunshine as well. Pro tip: The free Juneteenth concert in the town plaza couldn’t embody the festival spirit more, and Jason Moran’s tribute to Ellington — with Shelby and his orchestra — is essential.
Now 70 years old, Jovino Santos Neto is playing as well as ever, and the basement confines of San Francisco’s classic, straight-out-of-the-movies jazz club should caress something special out of the Brazilian musician for this four-night residency. The multi-instrumentalist began performing at age 16 before a long run with Hermeto Pascal’s band; his talent and experience both emanate from his rarified music.
Hailing from Ghana, Gyedu-Bley Ambolly has released nearly 30 albums — but none so revered as his 1975 debut Simigiwa. Mixing West African highlife with James Brown, Ambolley offered a Fela Kuti-esque vision of the world and, in the process, inadvertently created a roadmap for hip-hop. For its 50th anniversary, Ambolley plays the album in its entirety in Berkeley with an eight-piece band.
Between his own music, his time in the groups Santana and Azteca, and his running of the 1990s jazz club Mr. E’s, there’s no underestimating the contributions of Pete Escovedo to Latin jazz. There’s also no underestimating the stature of the percussionist’s family, either, who’ll be on hand to give their patriarch a much-deserved musical celebration in their hometown. Though no lineup for the six-show residency has been formally announced, daughter Sheila E. and sons Juan and Peter III would be natural special guests for this family affair.
(L–R) Richie Rich and Mac Mall. (Jason Hayes (J.Castae / Artist photo)
Among the more welcome developments in jazz clubs is the gradual migration of jazz’s natural lineage onto the stage: rap artists, performing with a live band. Yoshi’s in Oakland has been at the forefront of this trend, hosting thrilling shows with national artists like Scarface, Rakim and DJ Quik. This summer, local rap icons Richie Rich and Mac Mall both hit the club with a live band for a week of shows to remind you just how skilled and charismatic these two Bay legends are.
It’s not summer in San Jose without this fantastic weekend festival, an annual tradition which takes over downtown San Jose and its scenic César Chávez Plaza. With headliners Mavis Staples, Common, Femi Kuti, Butcher Brown and Bilal — and over 100 artists total — the festival sprawls across nine stages to fill the downtown air with top-notch music and vibes that, sare we say, are immaculate.
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