Another great week of live in the Bay Area. Here are some suggestion for this week..

Monday June 25th

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime.. Mike Olmos Presents The Sessions. Mike is a such a great trumpet player. He leads his all star Sessions for a great night of jazz.. N/C

Mr.Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime..Le Hot Jazz.. The spirit of Django is alive and well in San Francisco. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended!! N/C

Amnesia Bar 853 Valencia St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-11:30 PM Showtime. The Earl Brothers are back. The bad boys of bluegrass, are irreverent energetic and a hell of a lot of fun. Highly recommended N/C

Sweetwater Music Hall 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley 8:00 PM Red Baraat is one of the best dance your ass off party bands in the known universe. The Brooklyn ensemble whips up a raucously fun mix of Indian bhangra rhythms, go-go music, jazz, hip-hop and Crescent City brass funk. Highly recommended!!! $25 Cover Charge

Mountain Winery 14831 Pierce Rd Saratoga 7:30 PM Showtime.. The Pretenders one of the seminal bands of the second British Invasion, rising out of London in 1979 featuring one rock and roll’s great voices Chrissie Hynde will be in performance. Opening the night is one the great San Francisco bands Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express. Highly recommended. $122-$245 Cover Charge

Tuesday June 26th

Bar Fluxus 18 Harlan Pl, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:30 AM Showtime.. Vibrason.. I saw this band recently. They are another great band out of the Bay Area. Very reminiscent of some of the Cal Tjader bands. $10 Cover Charge

Bottom Of The Hill 1233 17th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime. Three really good bands tonight. With garage blues duo The Blind Stares headlining.. Boidhi’s Wish whose music is best described as equal parts comedy, hip hop, absurdism and “Twiz” and Cool Pistol String Band whose blend of traditional music, folk, fiddle tunes, blues, jam grass and dead grass is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Highly recommended!!! $10 Cover Charge.

Hemlock Tavern 1131 Polk St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-11:55PM Showtime. Pit Stains describe themselves as a few middle aged mothers baking cookies full of crack rocks whose influences include the Dead Kennedys; Death; Black Sabbath; Van Halen; The Stooges; Pee Wee Herman. I just like what I have heard. Opening the show are San Francisco garage bands Jerry’s Timeshare and Meant To Bend . Should be fun!! $8 Cover Charge

Wednesday June 27th

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes.. Bay City Blues featuring Chris Cain is a weekly showcase of world class Blues music and superb instrumental talent. This event is a celebration of the Blues in all its forms and an adventure into the depth of a national genre. Hosted by the nationally recognized Chris Cain & his All-Star cast of Musicians, every week they invite a new special guest to accompany them on stage and present new, upcoming, & old talent from the blues world! Bay City Blues is our tribute and exploration into the Blues genre, it is a special event in which we all get to help, share, & “Preserve the Blues.” Highly recommended!! $20 Cover Charge

Hotel Utah 500 4th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime. I got very excited to see Luke Winslow-King coming to town. Luke is an incredible slide guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and lyricist. I love that his music is steeped in vintage blues, jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and some cool pre-war American folk thrown in the mix. I highly recommend seeing this guy. I’ll Be there.. $12 Cover Charge.

Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Pl, San Francisco 8:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime.. Cosmo Alleycats is one of my favorite Bay Are jazz ensembles. The Alleycats are so good and so much fun and one of the better jazz bands in the Bay Area. Highly recommended. N/C

Thursday June 28th

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes.. Alvon is one of the most versatile musicians singers and entertainers on the music scene today. Known as the “Ambassador of the Blues”, Alvon travels the world singing and swinging jazz standards and sharing his love and respect for the American art form with enthusiastic audiences all over the world. Highly recommended!!$20 Cover Charge

Hemlock Tavern 1131 Polk St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-11:55PM Showtime.. Peach Kelli Pop is really fun. The Los Angeles band is known for playing Ramones-structured rock songs: Fast tempos, 4/4 drums, layered with loud guitars, and laden with immediate, infectious vocal melodies.. Toner and Moon Daze are the warm up bands. $12 Cover Charge.

Cigar Bar & Grill 850 Montgomery St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. French American Quartet is an ensemble I really like. This group plays a mix of django inspired gypsy jazz along with american standards. I really like their arrangements of Cole Porter standards. N/C

The Red Poppy Art House 2698 Folsom St, San Francisco 7:30 PM-10:00 PM Showtime George Cole & Eurocana fill it to the brim with unforgettable music featuring three-part harmonies delivered by top-tier vocalists and amazing instrumental virtuosity. Influenced by Django Reinhardt, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and French chanson, the group swings with infectious joy, bringing audiences to their feet the old fashioned way. Joining George on guitar and vocals are Kaeli Earle on upright bass and vocals and Madeline Tasquin on vocals, guitar and percussion. Highly recommended!!! $20 Cover Charge.

Friday June 29th

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes.. Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are just a superb internationally recognized swing big band in the authentic style of the 1940’s and 1950’s as the band. Lavay the reigning “Queen Of Classic Jazz & Blues” pays tribute to the swingin’ Kansas City tradition, featuring the music of Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, Joe Williams, Helen Humes, Lester Young, Jay McShann, Walter Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon, Myra Taylor & Big Joe Turner! Highly recommended!! $24 Cover Charge

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.. Banda Sin Nombre is an outstanding five-piece street band performing folk music from around the world. Mixing rich vocal harmonies with acoustic instruments including guitar, fiddle, charango, cajon, and bass, the band’s inspirations range from Peruvian Chicha to Catalan Rumba and Appalachian old time to Cumbia. This is one of the best live performance bands in the Bay Areas!! N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 10:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime.. The MegaFlame Big Band & Cabaret is a six-piece band from San Francisco that deftly re-imagines some of our favorite music from ’20s through the ’00s into our own swinging sound. Drawing on favorites from Billie Holiday to Tom Waits, the Cure to Count Basie, and also it’s own original material, the sextet embodies more than just a retro jukebox, it creates a memorable live show experience. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Hotel Utah 500 4th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow is a really good America rock and roots folk band from around the Boston area. Opening bands include Jimmy Duvet & The Comforters , one of the Bay Area’s premier oldies, rock, and soul cover bands and a great honky-tonk trio from San Francisco Les Challet & The Sunblock Boys. Highly recommended!!! $10 Cover Charge

Mr. Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 9:00 PM-12:30 AM Showtime. Robert Dehlinger & The Alpha Rhythm Kings influences range from vintage lounge music, 1940s R&B, swing, and boogie-woogie. This is a swinging fun band led by Robert’s vocals and superb trumpet playing. Highly recommended!!! N/C

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. The Americana powerhouse vocal trio Red Molly is a favorite of mine. Their gorgeous harmonies, crisp musicianship, infectious songwriting, and warm, engaging stage presence makes this trio a must see. Highly recommended!!! $28 Cover Charge

The Greek Theatre 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley 7:00 PM Showtime.. Primus one of the most influential alternative metal, funk metal and experimental progressive rock bands along with American heavy metal masters Mastodon will rock the Greek tonight. Highly recommended!! $49.50 Cover Charge.

If you live in the North Bay you may want to check out

The Mystic Theatre 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma 8:30 PM Showtime.. Midtown Social is a nine piece tour-de-force of musicians that is redefining California soul by blending soul, funk and rock. This great ensemble never fails to bring a high energy, live music dance party wherever it goes. Highly recommended!! $15 Cover Charge

Saturday June 30th

Hemlock Tavern 1131 Polk St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-11:55PM Showtime Eric McFadden is a virtuoso of the six-string. He has toured the world both as a solo artist, as well as traveling with funk legend George Clinton (Parliament/Funkadelic), and rock legend Eric Burdon (The Animals). McFadden is a member of the new supergroup, T.E.N., alongside Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta) and Norwood Fisher (Fishbone). Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gabby La La opens the show. Highly recommended!!! $12 Cover Charge.

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes.. John Lee Hooker Jr grew up in Detroit, Michigan as the son of one of the greatest blues and legendary music icons in the world, the late and the great John Lee Hooker. The younger Hooker’s musical style is markedly modernized, featuring contemporary arrangements with a funky big horn sound with elements of funky Gospel, with ingredients of a Johnny “Guitar” Watson sound, with a James Brown feel, and some John Lee Hooker Sr. Boogie Beat. Hooker has received multiple awards ranging from The California Music Award for Best Traditional Artist in 2004, The esteemed W.C Handy Award in 2004, and the Bay Area Music Chapter for Come Back Artist of the Year. $30 Cover Charge

Swedish American Hall 1319, 2174 Market St, San Francisco 7:00 PM Showtime.. Steve Poltz, the Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist and founder of the great indie band The Rugburns, will be in performance with the great San Francisco Americana indie band The Sam Chase & The Untraditonal. I am going to try to make this show. Highly recommended!! $25 Cover Charge.

Mr. Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime.. The Element Brass Band is one of the premier Bay Area brass bands and one of the few authentic second line bands on the West Coast! This is a fun raucous fun time. Highly recommended!!! N/C

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Legendary guitarist/vocalist a href=”url”>Guitar Shorty is a giant in the blues world. Credited with influencing both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy, Guitar Shorty has been electrifying audiences for five decades with his supercharged live shows and his incendiary recordings What really sets Shorty apart is his absolutely unpredictable, off-the-wall guitar playing. He reaches for sounds, riffs and licks that other blues players wouldn’t even think of. The Chicago Reader declares, “Guitar Shorty is a battle-scarred hard-ass. He slices off his phrases and notes with homicidal fury. He is among the highest-energy blues entertainers on the scene.” Highly recommended!!! $26 Cover Charge

Mountain Winery ‎ 14831 Pierce Rd, Saratoga 7:30 PM Showtime.. Steve Martin & Martin Short. Need I say more!!!! $69.50-$279.50 Cover Charge.

Rio Theatre 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz.. 8:00 PM Showtime.. For over 20 years Ani DiFranco has been a kick ass American singer, musician, poet, songwriter, and activist. What I love about seeing Ani in concert is the wide range of perspective and musical scope of her concerts. She is a great performer.. Highly recommended!!! 9$42 Cover Charge

Fillmore Jazz Festival Fillmore Street Jackson Street to Eddy 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. The 34th Annual Fillmore Jazz Festival is the largest free Jazz festival on the West Coast, drawing over 100,000 visitors over the Independence Day weekend. The festival blends art and soul in one of the country’s most unique neighborhoods. today’s lineup includes the Broun Fellinis and Kim Nalley .

Burger Boogaloo Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St Oakland 12:00 PM Showtime. This annual music festival put on by Burger Records will have cult actor John Waters hosting the festivities for a fourth year in a row. Today’s lineup includes Mudhoney and Devo. Tickets range from $99-$269.

Sunday July 1st

Symphony & Salsa Spectacular CIA at Copia 500 1st Street, Napa Valley Vintners Theater, Napa,CA 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime. Celebrate Independence Day with a free outdoor concert at CIA at Copia with Symphony Napa Valley and the Latin band,Candela! I heard an interview with Edgardo Cambon of Candela and Michael Guttman the director of the Napa Valley Symphony about the concert and it sounds really cool. Candela is a great Bay Area Salsa Band and Edgardo Cambon, the band’s founder and leader, is a great musician. This should be a great evening of music.

Bird & Beckett 653 Chenery St, San Francisco 4:30 PM-6:30 PM Showtime.. The Patrick Wolff Quartet features Patrick Wolff on sax, Randy Porter on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass and Evan Hughes on drums. This is a great jazz ensemble led by the preeminent tenor player in the Bay Area. Highly recommended!!! $10 Cover Charge

Amnesia Bar 853 Valencia St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-10:30 PM Showtime.. The Hot Baked Goods are a band of young jazz musicians playing hot tunes of the 30’s. Most of the band members started as swing dancers, and became so infatuated with the music that they decided to make some themselves. I saw them at the Amnesia and this band really swings. N/C

The Lucky Horseshoe Bar 453 Cortland Ave, San Francisco 4:00 PM-7:00 PM Showtime.. Bernal Hillbillies .. A great three hours of bluegrass music at a really great venue reminiscent of the jams at the Old Paul Saloon many years ago. N/C

Savanna Jazz Club 1189 Laurel St, San Carlos 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.. The San Francisco Bay Jazz Band is an eighteen-piece big band under the direction of Jeff Sanford, a Bay Area veteran saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist, and band leader, music teacher, collector of music charts and instruments who loves and breaths music. SF Bay JAZZ plays instrumentals and vocals from Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Bill Holman, Cole Porter, Ira and George Gershwin, and many others. N/C

Fillmore Jazz Festival Fillmore Street Jackson Street to Eddy 10:00 AM-6:00 PM Showtime. The 34th Annual Fillmore Jazz Festival is the largest free Jazz festival on the West Coast, drawing over 100,000 visitors over the Independence Day weekend. The festival blends art and soul in one of the country’s most unique neighborhoods. today’s lineup includes Lavay Smith & The Red Hot Skillet Lickers and the Alphabet Soup reunion.

Burger Boogaloo Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St Oakland 12:00 PM Showtime. This annual music festival put on by Burger Records will have cult actor John Waters hosting the festivities for a fourth year in a row. Today’s lineup includes The Damned and Giuda. Tickets range from $99-$269.

Video Pick Of The Week!!

I Call Him Morgan

Kasper Collin’s poignant documentary shines a light on the life of jazz trumpeter, Lee Morgan – who earned his musical stripes from the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey – and was fatally shot by his common-law wife, Helen, inside of a Harlem nightclub in 1972. Bouncing from a timeline that details how Helen helped Morgan pull himself up by his bootstraps, to revealing audio interviews with her after she was incarcerated and then released, the film is somber, impactful and mysterious.