Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. Grammy Award-winning jazz keyboardist, arranger, and record producer Bob James will be making a rare appearance. Bob founded the band Fourplay and wrote “Angela,” the theme song for the TV show Taxi. He is most famous for standards such as “Nautilus”, “Westchester Lady”, “Heads”, “Night Crawler”, “Touchdown”, “Blue Lick”, “Sign Of the Times”, “Spunky”, “Marco Polo”, “Courtship” and “Just One Thing”. Music from his first seven albums has often been sampled and has contributed to the formation of hip hop. Highly recommended!!!! $34-$65 Cover Charge..

Friday December 7th

The Fillmore 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime… Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul are currently on the road with their Soulfire TeachRock Teacher Appreciation Tour. The landmark live tour will benefit The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s TeachRock program. Established by Dr. Van Zandt (he received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree from Rutgers University), the Foundation creates education materials that use the history of popular music to create engaging, multicultural lesson plans for history, social studies, language arts, music, and science classrooms, all of which are available to educators at NO COST. Otherwise $50-$65 Cover Charge..

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 10:00 PM Showtimes.. Blues Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Blues Music Award winner Joe Louis Walker is a true powerhouse guitar virtuoso, unique singer and prolific songwriter and a a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues. $30 Cover Charge..

Bottom Of The Hill 1233 17th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime.. It’s a night of hip hop & rap featuring rapper/musician from London, Ontario Canada Shad, San Francisco’s battle rapper/musician Frak and alternative hip-hop artist Versoul. Highly recopmmended!!!! $15 Cover Charge..

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime… Mitch Polzak is a master guitarist and he and The Royal Deuces has been one of the premier Rockabilly bands since staring in 1999. I am a huge fan. Highly recommended!! N/C

Feinstein’s at the Nikko 222 Mason Street, San Francisco.. 8:00 PM Showtime..Singer/pianist and music revivalist Michael Feinstein, the ambassador of the Great American Songbook, presents “A Holly Jolly Holiday”. Should be a lot of fun… Highly recommended!!!! $68-$110 Cover Charge..

<a href="https://www.sfjazz.org/&quot;>SF Jazz Joe Henderson Lab 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 7:00 PM & 8:30 PM Showtimes..Jazz Mafia Heaviest Feather is their newest band paying tribute to the classic women of hip-hop, from Lauryn Hill and Missy-Elliot to Lil Kim and Eve, with this evening of high-energy originals and re-imagined cover songs with special guests including the best female MCs in the Bay Area. Highly recommended!!!! $20 Cover Charge..

Tupelo 1337 Grant Ave, San Francisco 9:30 PM-1:30 AM Showtime.. Jinx Jones is one of the great guitar virtuosos of the Bay Area. I love the way he seems to move seamlessly from rockabilly to jazz to twang and back again, sometimes in the same song. Highly recommended.. N/C

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime. HAWKTAIL is a super band of superb acoustic instrumentalists featuring fiddling sensation Brittany Haas, Paul Kowert of the Punch Brothers, Jordan Tice of the David Rawlings Machine and the mandolin wizardry of Dominick Leslie. Dead Horses featuring singer/songwriter Sarah Vos rounds out a great night of music. Highly recommended!!!!! $26 Cover Charge…

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM &10:00 PM Showtime.. Contemporary Jazz Piano Legend, David Benoit along with acclaimed vocalist Sarah Gazarek is paying tribute to this incredible piece of entertainment history, with a “David Benoit Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown”. This inspirational tribute concert features the classic music of Vince Guaraldi along with “Charlie Brown Christmas” originals from David Benoit, who took over the helm as music composer for the new Charlie Brown Christmas TV Specials more than a decade ago, as well as classics from David Benoit’s illustrious career as a MultiGrammy Nominated Solo Artist. The show also features the young voices of a local children’s choir, which serves as a wonderful way of getting the local community involved. The heart-warming show is sure to get the audience in that Christmas Spirit and bring out the ‘kid’ in all of us this holiday season. Highly recommended!!!! $37-$79 Cover Charge..

If you live in and around Santa Cruz you may want to check out

Moes Alley 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz 8:00 PM Showtime.. Band Of Friends presents A Celebration of Rory Gallagher.. Rory Gallagher’s music reached a massive audience from Norway to Spain, from Japan to the USA, covering all parts of the globe and producing some of the greatest rock/blues albums of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Sadly we lost Rory on June 14th 1995. To his devoted fans and followers this was the ultimate tragedy. The Band Of Friends which includes the incomparable Davy Knowles on guitar and vocals, Gerry McAvoy on bass and Ted McKenna on Drums is no tribute band. This isThe Rory Gallagher Band. The Band of Friends is a force to be reckoned with and is available for touring and summer festivals through 2018. Highly recommended!!!! $25 Cover Charge..

Saturday December 8th

Revolution Cafe 3248 22nd St, San Francisco 5:00 PM-8:00 PM Showtime..Westside Jazz Club, lead by the wonderful tenor saxophonist Scott Silverberg, is a collective of innovative jazz musicians performing jazz standards, challenging modern compositions and freshly-updated classics. I have seen this ensemble a number of time and they never dissapoint.. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes.. Blues Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Blues Music Award winner Joe Louis Walker is a true powerhouse guitar virtuoso, unique singer and prolific songwriter and a a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues. $30 Cover Charge..

Feinstein’s at the Nikko 222 Mason Street, San Francisco.. 8:00 PM Showtime..Singer/pianist and music revivalist Michael Feinstein, the ambassador of the Great American Songbook, presents “A Holly Jolly Holiday”. Should be a lot of fun… Highly recommended!!!! $68-$110 Cover Charge..

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime..Barrio Manouche is a great Bay Area ensemble performing a repertoire of original instrumental compositions with a unique sound that it’s difficult to classify but instantly recognizable deeply influenced by a range of musical traditions, from the swing of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet, to the hot jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, the gypsy soul of eastern europe, the flamenco of Paco de Lucía to the avant-garde sounds of Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane… Highly recommended!!!! N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 10:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime.. Howell Devine is my favorite Bay Area blues band. They will have the house rockin at the Deluxe. Highly recommended!!!! N/C

SF Jazz Joe Henderson Lab 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 7:00 PM & 8:30 PM Showtimes.. Inspired by the brass band tradition of New Orleans, Jazz Mafia’s madcap marching ensemble Brass Mafia borrows the instrumental makeup and ebullient spirit of the Crescent City second line while infusing it with a decidedly Nor-Cal vibe, welcoming rappers and vocalists as special guests. Highly recommended!!!! $20 Cover Charge!!

Slims 333 11th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime… A great night of ska and reggae. For more than 27 years, the NYC-based and critically acclaimed The Slackers have been touring the world with their blend of Ska, Reggae, and Soul. The band is deeply rooted within the ska movement, while their self-proclaimed “Jamaican Rock n’ Roll” sound sets them apart from many bands today. The Aggrolites & Viernes 13 round out a great night of reggae, ska and soul. Highly recommended!!!!! $22 Cover Charge..

The Fillmore 1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime… The Allman Family Revival returns for its second year in celebration of Gregg Allman’s birthday with The Devon Allman Project with special guests, Duane Betts, Berry Oakly Jr., Luther & Cody Dickinson, G Love, Samantha Fish, Jimmy Hall, Ally Venable, Alex Orbison and Marcus King. Highly recommended!!!!! $40 Cover Charge..

The SF Masonic 1111 California St, San Francisco 7:30 PM Showtime.. Since their 2007 inception the talented partnership of Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward have released six acclaimed albums as She & Him. A Very She & Him Christmas, the duo’s first collection of holiday music, was released in 2011 and quickly became a staple of the festive season. After two more lauded LPs, they released a second Yuletide collection. Highly recommended!!! $40-$80 Cover Charge..

The Independant 628 Divisadero St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime…. A fun night of music with two great bands. “San Francisco Soul” is the best term to describe Royal Jelly Jive’s unique and intoxicating sound. Led by dynamic front-woman Lauren Bjelde, this sultry sextet rocks into uncharted musical territories with their infectious blend of modern and throwback sensibilities. Armed with retro horns, razor-sharp beats, and groovy songs that are near impossible to resist, RJJ can pair with your fancy cocktail at that smoky jazz club or shake up even the funkiest dance party. Kicking off the night is Sun Hop Fat which mhas been at the forefront of introducing the unique sounds of Ethiopian Jazz to the masses. The music blends the rhythms of traditional American funk and jazz with harmonies and melodies from East Africa. Highly recommended!!!$20 Cover Charge…

7 Mile House 2800 Bayshore Blvd, Brisbane 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime.. The Tribal Blues Band is hosting their annual Hanukkah Party complete with rocking soul renditions of our favorite Hanukkah songs and lots of dreidal spinning. Highly recommended!! $5 Cover Charge..

Oakland Metro Operahouse 522 2nd St, Oakland 8:30 Showtime.. The ground breaking Toronto based punk band Fucked Up is headling a show that includes New York bases punk rockers Narrow Head and Oakland based Nopes.. Highly recommended $20 Cover Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM &10:00 PM Showtime.. Contemporary Jazz Piano Legend, David Benoit along with acclaimed vocalist Sarah Gazarek is paying tribute to this incredible piece of entertainment history, with a “David Benoit Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown”. This inspirational tribute concert features the classic music of Vince Guaraldi along with “Charlie Brown Christmas” originals from David Benoit, who took over the helm as music composer for the new Charlie Brown Christmas TV Specials more than a decade ago, as well as classics from David Benoit’s illustrious career as a MultiGrammy Nominated Solo Artist. The show also features the young voices of a local children’s choir, which serves as a wonderful way of getting the local community involved. The heart-warming show is sure to get the audience in that Christmas Spirit and bring out the ‘kid’ in all of us this holiday season. Highly recommended!!!! $37-$79 Cover Charge..

The New Parish 1743 San Pablo Ave, Oakland 9:00 PM Showtime.. The Killer Queens is the world’s only all-female Queen,tribute band will be performing their Material Girl Madonna tribute. This is one kick ass band and this show will be a lot of fun.. Highly recommended!!!! $15 Cover Charge…

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. The legendary Peter Rowan and his all star band celebrates bluegrass traditions with mix of originals and songs by Carter and Ralph Stanley, A.P. Carter, Lead Belly, Bill Monroe and others. Highly recommended!!!! $30 Cover Charge..

Sunday December 9th

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

Feinstein’s at the Nikko 222 Mason Street, San Francisco.. 5:00 PM Showtime..Singer/pianist and music revivalist Michael Feinstein, the ambassador of the Great American Songbook, presents “A Holly Jolly Holiday”. Should be a lot of fun… Highly recommended!!!! $68-$110 Cover Charge..

Bird & Beckett Books & Records 653 Chenery St, San Francisco 4:30 PM-6:30 PM Showtime.. Buena Vista Jazz Band follows the in the style and instrumentation of guitarist Eddie Condon’s classic bands of the 1950s: Bass, Drums, Piano, Rhythm Guitar, Cornet, Trombone and Clarinet.The selections played by the Buena Vista Jazz Band are the classic songs of the New Orleans jazz age, along with selections from America’s blues and Tin Pan Alley traditions. The Buena Vista Jazz Band features the vocals of Ms. Darlene Langston. Highly recommended!!! $10 Cover Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 7:00 PM & 9:00 PM Showtime.. Three legendary musicians Ronnie Laws, Eloise Laws & Tom Browne perform as The R E T Tour, a one of a kind experience force to be reckoned with. They bring the Jazz, the Soul, the Funk to the party. Highly recommended!!!! $29-$69 Cover Charge..

The UC Theatre 2036 University Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Dead Kennedys 40th Anniversary Tour is in full force. A great complimentary group of opening acts including TSOL, The Dwarves, M.D.C. and the Screaming Bloody Marys.. Highly recommended!!!! $30-$50 Cover Charge…

If you live in and around Santa Cruz you may want to check out

Moes Alley 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz 4:00 PM Showtime.. Elvin Bishop is a legendary blues and rock icon will be performing with his Big Fun Trio. Elvin is so much fun and entertaining. Highly recommended!!!! $40 Cover Charge..

Video Pick of The Week..

It’s Hanukkah and I wanted to recommend this wonderful ducumentary with two great klezmer bands. A Jumpin’ Night In The Garden Of Eden was the first film to document the klezmer revival, tracing the efforts of two founding groups, Kapelye and Boston’s Klezmer Conservatory Band, to recover the lost history of klezmer music. For nearly a millennium, this vigorous and soulful music was part of the celebration of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. In the early decades of this century, the music took root in America. Klezmer musicians learned hundreds of tunes by ear and their ears were open to Gypsy, Ukrainian and Greek melodies of the old world, as well as to the new sounds of American jazz. Music born in Eastern Europe lived on in the imaginations of composers for New York’s Yiddish theater, men whose tunes entered the mainstream through such unlikely adapters as the Andrew Sisters. Eventually Klezmer went underground as its audience assimilated into mainstream American culture. This film shows the musical process, taking klezmer tunes through transcription and rehearsal into performance. Lively, clever, and often humorous, this film contains rare footage of klezmer’s immigrant elder statesmen, now no longer alive – including Dave Tarras, Leon Schwartz, and Ben Gailing. – and their dynamic encounters with the younger musicians who have become Klezmer’s leading luminaries – Henry Sapoznik, Hankus Netsky, Michael Alpert, Judy Bressler, and the jazz musician Don Byron are all here in their early days.