Other places may attract bigger names and sound systems, but you won't find a more distinctively Northern California jazz venue than Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. Nestled in semi-modern beach house near Half Moon Bay, the club has been giving top national and local artists a unique place to stretch their wings for nearly 50 years.
Which is not a cheap proposition. Top Bay Area jazzers will do their part to keep the joint jumping another few decades with a fundraiser starting at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Piano superman Larry Vukovich will lead a group that includes vibrant singer Clairdee and sax whirlwind Noel Jewkes. Tickets are $50
Also worth noting on the Bay Area jazz calendar this week:
- The Resonance Jazz Ensemble blends jazz and classical influences on standards and original tunes by bandleader Steve McQuarry, 8 p.m. Tuesday at Yoshi's Oakland. $12
- Fusion guitar hero Dean Brown shreds with his top-notch backing band, 8 p.m. Wednesday at Yoshi's San Francisco. $22
- Powerhouse singer Wesla Whitfield does magic with standards and show tunes, 8 p.m. Wednesday at Yoshi's Oakland. $20
- High-wattage vocalist Roberta Gambarini has her way with the standards, 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday at Yoshi's San Francisco. $18-$25
- Tenor sax wizard Smith Dobson pays tribute to the great Lester Young 9 p.m. Thursday in the last SFJAZZ Hotplate! show at Amnesia. (The series moves to the new SFJAZZ building next month.) $5
- Ace Bay Area drummer Akira Tana and his Secret Agent Men Band have fun with music from classic spy movies, 8 p.m. Thursday at Yoshi's Oakland. $15
- Flautist and longtime David Grisman cohort Matt Eakle blends influences ranging from bop to bluegrass, 8 p.m. Friday at Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland. $15.
- French organ maestro Michel Benebig plays jazz with a big taste of soul, 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Berkeley's Jazzschool. $12-$15
- Singer/pianist Frank Jackson plays around with standards and more at the new Rrazz Room, 8 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. $30
- Quartet Next Level, comprised of some of California's most accomplished singers, practices the fine art of vocalese, 8 p.m. Saturday at Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland. $15
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