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

Monday July 22nd

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime…
The High Tide Trio is a sensational super instrumental band featuring Mitch Polzak on guitar and bass, Hank Maninger on guitar and bass, and Les James on drums. Les will not be playing guitar. Hank and Mitch will switch off on guitar and bass. Mitch and Hank will not be playing the drums. The band plays all sorts of interesting guitar instrumentals, including surf, country, jazz, bluegrass, and movie and TV show themes. Highly recommended!!!! N/C

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.. Highly recommended!!!! 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 9:00 PM-11:55 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

Local Edition 691 Market St, San Francisco 8:00 PM-Midnight Showtime..
The Fil Lorenz Orchestra is a high-voltage, crowd-pleasing big band born of the blues, with a sound defined by a searing, relentless horn section. Saxophonist/arranger Lorenz has assembled a musical cast of the highest standard, bringing some of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most accomplished and adventurous jazz veterans together with some of the fertile San Francisco scene’s most promising up-and-coming players. Highly recommended!!!! No Cover Charge…

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. One of the great Philadelphia based soul groups The Stylisitcs are widely considered one of the best vocal soul groups of the 70’s. The band enjoyed the success of a string of top ten hits, including the songs, “You’re a Big Girl Now”, “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)”, and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. The sound of The Stylistics was just as much reliant of the powerful falsetto of Russell Thompkins, which is instantly recognizable, as the production skill of Bell. Their music has been heavily sampled by the rap generation, including by some of the rap world’s biggest luminaries, such as Jay Z, Madlib and Ghostface Killah. Should be a great show.. Highly recommended!!!!! $43-$89 Cover Charge….

If you live near Santa Cruz check out

Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320 Cedar St # 2, Santa Cruz, CA 7:00 PM Showtime..
Vocalist Kim Nalley has been heralded as “legendary” and a San Francisco institution with an international reputation as one of world’s best jazz and blues vocalists. On this concert date Nalley celebrates Aretha Franklin with Paying Respect to Aretha. She will be joined by Tammy Hall on piano, Michael Zisman on bass, and Kent Bryson on drums. Highly recommended!!!!! $36.75 Cover Charge….

Tuesday July 23rd

Brick & Mortar Music Hall 1710 Mission St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime…
Bon Bon Vivant, a band best described as Felini meets New Orleans, is one the Big Easy’s best swing infused indie soul bands. BBV’s original bawdy gypsy swing, dark ballads and uptempo indie rock/dance music, pays homage to the New Orleans music tradition while infusing an indie/punk edge, attracting both swing dancers and indie-rock concert goers alike. Highly recommended!!!!!! $8 Cover Charge…

Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Pl, 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

Bar Fluxus 18 Harlan Pl, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:30 AM Showtime. Vibrason is another great band out of the Bay Area very reminiscent of some of the Cal Tjader bands. Highly recommended $10 Cover Charge.

Hotel Utah 500 4th St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. One of the premier alternative garage folk bands out of Austin, Texas the Madisons will be in performance. Also preforming on the bill is the rowdy alt country rockers Tennessee Stiffs. Highly recommended!!!! $10 Cover Charge..

Local Edition 691 Market St, San Francisco 8:00 PM-Midnight Showtime..
Manteca Salsa-Jazz Combo features some of the finest Latin Music musicians in San Francisco, several of whom are Grammy-Winners… With passionate vocals, percussion, and horn riffs, they can make the evening a party. Bailar! Highly recommended!!! No Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. One of the great Philadelphia based soul groups The Stylisitcs are widely considered one of the best vocal soul groups of the 70’s. The band enjoyed the success of a string of top ten hits, including the songs, “You’re a Big Girl Now”, “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)”, and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. The sound of The Stylistics was just as much reliant of the powerful falsetto of Russell Thompkins, which is instantly recognizable, as the production skill of Bell. Their music has been heavily sampled by the rap generation, including by some of the rap world’s biggest luminaries, such as Jay Z, Madlib and Ghostface Killah. Should be a great show.. Highly recommended!!!!! $43-$89 Cover Charge…

People in Plazas is free noontime musical concert series in San Francisco public spaces. This is a great summer music series with over 120 free performances at lunchtime in a number of downtown public plazas Monday through Friday in July, August and September. Today’s noontime concert series features Manteca Salsa-Jazz Combo featuring some of the finest Latin Music musicians in San Francisco including several Grammy winners performing at Rincon Center located at 121 Spear Street.

Jupiter 2181 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime.
Clyde The Blynd and His Trio will be performing his original compositions both old and new, plus songs from Don Cherry, Wayne Shorter and Augustus Pablo in this latest version of Clyde’s unique vision. N/C

Wednesday July 24th

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.
The Nick Rossi Trio is lead by one of the Bay Area’s great jazz guitarist. The trio plays standards, swing, and bebop as well as anyone in the Bay Area. Highly recommended!! N/C

The Chapel 777 Valencia St, San Francisco 8:30 PM Showtime..
The Mekons are one of my all time favorite groups, a sonic adventurers, punk rock fundamentalists, exuberant luddites, willing outcasts. The genre-defying Mekons formed in Leeds, England in 1977, born form the emerging British punk scene. They progressed from socialist art students with no musical skills to the prolific, raucous progeny of Hank Williams. This current classic line-up has remained intact since the mid-1980s. Theirs is an improbable history – a surprising and influential embrace of folk and country music; with occasional forays into the art world. Opening the show are Skokie Girls, a Chicago bred duo Ronna and Geri met in the post-punk scene of Chicago where both girls were established local industry fixtures playing the scene. Their Chicago network was expansive, but eventually they found the “boys club” too constricting, so they relocated to California where they solidified their musical sisterhood. Highly recommended!!!!!!!$30 Cover Charge….

Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Pl, San Francisco 8:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime..
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!!!! No Cover Charge..

The 2019 Union Square Live Festival Union Square located at Geary & Powell San Francisco 6:00 PM-8:00 PM Showtime. The Fito Reinoso Cuban Quartet is a San Francisco Bay Area favorite. Reinoso is the only Cuban born sonero in the area performing a variety of styles, from son to timba to rumba and cha-cha-cha. Highly recommended!!!!! No Cover Charge…

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime.
The Patrick Wolff Bebop Quartet is deeply rooted in the bebop tradition established by Bird, Clifford Jordan and Dexter Gordon. Patrick is absolutely my favorite Bay Area tenor player and he leads an outstanding group of musicians..N/C.

Tupelo 1337 Grant Ave, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime.. If you don’t know
Johnny Z and the Camaros you should. They are such a fun rock and roll band. They will have Tupelo rockin’ out. N/C..

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime..
Sweet Honey In The Rock is a performance ensemble rooted in African American history and culture. The ensemble educates, entertains and empowers its audience and community through the dynamic vehicles of a cappella singing and American Sign Language interpretation for the Deaf and hard of hearing. Sweet Honey’s audience and community comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout the United States and around the world, and includes people of all ages, economic/education/social backgrounds, political persuasions, religious affiliations, sexual preferences and differing abilities. Highly recommended!!!!! $49 Cover Charge…

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. One of the great Philadelphia based soul groups The Stylisitcs are widely considered one of the best vocal soul groups of the 70’s. The band enjoyed the success of a string of top ten hits, including the songs, “You’re a Big Girl Now”, “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)”, and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. The sound of The Stylistics was just as much reliant of the powerful falsetto of Russell Thompkins, which is instantly recognizable, as the production skill of Bell. Their music has been heavily sampled by the rap generation, including by some of the rap world’s biggest luminaries, such as Jay Z, Madlib and Ghostface Killah. Should be a great show.. Highly recommended!!!!! $43-$89 Cover Charge…

People in Plazas is free noontime musical concert series in San Francisco public spaces. This is a great summer music series with over 120 free performances at lunchtime in a number of downtown public plazas Monday through Friday in July, August and September. Today’s noontime concert series features LaTiDo is a quartet that specializes in danceable traditional Cuban music styles like “Son,” “Cha-cha-cha,” “Guajira,” “Mambo,” and “Bolero” among others performing at Salesforce Park located at 435 Mission Street; Steven Espaniola is a self taught multi-instrumentalist Hawaiian artist specializing in Ki Ho’alu (Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar), ‘Ukulele, Upright Bass, and Leo Ki’e Ki’e (Traditional Hawaiian falsetto) performs at 505 Howard; Guitarist Matt Baxter music ranges from classic blues, folk and soul, right through to modern rock, pop and indie performs at 525 Market Street; Folk Latin ensemble Sabrosito was formed by Joe and Manuel Constancio, two brothers that share a passion for the guitar.Centered within the traditions of Folk Mexican, Tex-Mex, and other styles of Latin music performing at 555 California Street; Americana indie band Sons Of Happiness performs at 101 California.

Thursday July 25th

Atlas Cafe 3049 20th Street, San Francisco 8:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime..
The Gil Cohen Trio is a really wonderful jazz trio. When I first heard Gil playing he reminded me a lot of Roy Eldridge’s sound. It turns that Roy was one of his major influences. Gil and his trio is definitely worth checking out. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 10:00 PM Showtimes..
Tony Holiday & The Velvetones are among the finest young bands on the blues scene. Tony’s vocals and harp, brings out that old school voice that is sometimes missing from the Blues scene today. It harkens back to when the Blues were just finding their way in the new electric age. In that transition, the sounds that were coming out of the local independent record labels in Memphis and that you might of heard from the King Biscuit Hour in its later years. Highly recommended!!!!! $20 Cover Charge…

Tupelo 1337 Grant Ave, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime.. Somewhere between
Joan Jett and Bonnie Raitt lies GG Amos. This is one badass chick with one badass band. This is one of my very favorite local blues band. Highly recommended!! N/C

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime..
Sweet Honey In The Rock is a performance ensemble rooted in African American history and culture. The ensemble educates, entertains and empowers its audience and community through the dynamic vehicles of a cappella singing and American Sign Language interpretation for the Deaf and hard of hearing. Sweet Honey’s audience and community comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout the United States and around the world, and includes people of all ages, economic/education/social backgrounds, political persuasions, religious affiliations, sexual preferences and differing abilities. Highly recommended!!!!! $49 Cover Charge…

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime.. One of the great Philadelphia based soul groups The Stylisitcs are widely considered one of the best vocal soul groups of the 70’s. The band enjoyed the success of a string of top ten hits, including the songs, “You’re a Big Girl Now”, “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)”, and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. The sound of The Stylistics was just as much reliant of the powerful falsetto of Russell Thompkins, which is instantly recognizable, as the production skill of Bell. Their music has been heavily sampled by the rap generation, including by some of the rap world’s biggest luminaries, such as Jay Z, Madlib and Ghostface Killah. Should be a great show.. Highly recommended!!!!! $43-$89 Cover Charge…

People in Plazas is free noontime musical concert series in San Francisco public spaces. This is a great summer music series with over 120 free performances at lunchtime in a number of downtown public plazas Monday through Friday in July, August and September. Today’s noontime concert series features La Gente is a San Francisco based, international recording group led by singer-songwriter Rafael Bustamante Sarria creating their own unique blend of World Music, cumbia, reggae, salsa & hip-hop performing at 303 2nd Street; The Gold Coast/Brisbane based funk and soul quartet Soul Mechanics performs at 333 Market Street; One of the best Bay Area gypsy swing bands Panique is lead an incredible guitarist Vic Wong performing at 595 Market Street.

Friday July 26th

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 10:00 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..
Nashville Honeymoon is another Bay Area band I really love. Their music is a modern reworking of the classic country sounds of the 50s and 60s. Their songwriting draws on country, rockabilly, and honky-tonk traditions. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Mr.Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 9:00 PM-11:30 PM 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!!! No Cover Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM Showtimes..
The Bar Kays are the legendary American powerhouse soul, R&B, and funk group formed in 1966 as the house band for Stax Records. The group had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including ” Soul Finger”, “Son of Shaft” ” Shake Your Rump to the Funk, “Move Your Boogie Body, “Hit and Run, “Freak Show on the Dance Floor and Holy Ghost to name a few. Highly recommended!!!!!!! $37-$69 Cover Charge….

People in Plazas is free noontime musical concert series in San Francisco public spaces. This is a great summer music series with over 120 free performances at lunchtime in a number of downtown public plazas Monday through Friday in July, August and September. Today’s noontime concert series features dynamic blues harpist Aki Kumar and his band perform at 560 Mission Street; The Pleasure Palace is a wonderful trio where Hammond Organ, Electric Guitar, and Drums make a crazy melange of greasy 70’s soul, sparkling teen beat favorites, once folks enter the palace, they never return the same…The band features the guitar wizardry of Ned Boynton, Lorenzo Farrell on Hammond organ and Rolf Wilkinson on Drums perform at 425 Market Street

Saturday July 27th

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 701 Mission Street San Francisco 1:00 PM-3:00 PM Showtime.. The ukulele is truly the people’s instrument, and SF Uke Jam is the Bay Area’s leading force bringing fans of the diminutive instrument together. Whether you play or just enjoy hearing the ukulele being strummed by trained fingers, come join the SFUJ community for an afternoon uke-apalooza in the summer sun with a program showcasing the region’s foremost ukulele talent, a community strum-and-sing-along (bring your uke!), and special hula performances. Hosted by SF Uke Jam leaders and popular YouTube stars Ukulenny and Cynthia Lin, this ukadacious celebration creates an island of aloha in the bustling city. Kala Brand Music Co. is generously lending 20 ukuleles on a first-come-first-serve basis for a free beginner uke lesson taught by Ukulenny at Noon! Highly recommended..

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

Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Pl, San Francisco 8:00 PM-10:00 PM 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!!! No Cover Charge..

Slims 333 11th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime. Seattle’s king of garage punk
The Murder City Devils are pure rock and roll who like their music are fierce, raw, and powerful, but with a dark that makes them one of the great and most influential bands of their time. Highly recommended!!!!!! $25 Cover Charge..

Hotel Utah 500 4th St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime..A really good show tonight featuring Brooklyn based The Rad Trads who mixes punk rock energy with soul and jazz. I love their horn arrangements. Also on the bill are San Francisco based indie rockers
Nassab and the Sheep and metalhead garage rockers The SoulShake.. Highly recommended!!!!! $12 Cover Charge….

Bird & Beckett 653 Chenery St, San Francisco 7:30 PM-10 :00 PM Showtime.. When Lights are Low presents the Harvey Wainapel Quartet led by one of the best and most versatile reedmen in the Bay Area. After playing with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Billy Hart, and others, it’s little wonder that Wainapel plays like the master he is. Combining influences of American and Brazilian jazz and often switch hitting on different horns, Wainapel consistently defies category and expectation. As a composer and improviser, his melodies are effortlessly fluid and his groove infectious. Joinng Harvey are Adam Shulman on piano, John Shifflett on bass and Jason Lewis on drums. Highly recommended!!!!! $25 Cover Charge…

Revolution Cafe 3248 22nd St, San Francisco 5:00 PM-8:30 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…
Earl Thomas is a sensational blues, jazz, and gospel singer and his live performances have become legendary. I got to see Earl once and his voice literally shook the rafters. Highly recommended!!! $24 Cover Charge..

Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th St, San Francisco 8:30 PM Showtime.. Another night of great music featuring the San Francisco indie pop surf band Talkie.. Opening the show is alternative indie rocker Henry Chadwick. Highly recommended!!!!! $15 Cover Charge..

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

Moes Alley 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz 8:00 PM Showtime..
The Subdudes are one of the great American roots rock groups. This New Orleans legendary group’s music blends folk, swamp pop, New Orleans rhythm and blues, Louisiana blues, country, cajun/zydeco, funk, soul and gospel with harmonic vocals. Highly recommended!!! $50 Cover Charge..

Sunday July 28th

The 82nd Annual Stern Grove Festival The free summer outdoor Sunday music fest continues with The San Francisco Ballet under the leadership of Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, performs a selection of highlights from their current repertory at Stern Grove Festival. Conductor Martin West leads the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra..The performance starts at 2:00 PM and is located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Blvd in San Francisco.

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Showtime..
Lulu & The Rent Party .. One of my favorite bay Area bands. They play an eclectic selection of jazz, latin, and pop tunes. They are really fun. Highly recommended!! N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 2:30 PM-5:30 PM Showtime..
Tin Cup Serenade is one of the Bay Area’s most exceptional old time jazz band deeply rooted in the blues ragtime, New Orleans jazz, western swing with a little mariachi and calypso thrown in. I really love this band. Highly recommended!!

Slims 333 11th St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime. Seattle’s king of garage punk
The Murder City Devils are pure rock and roll who like their music are fierce, raw, and powerful, but with a dark that makes them one of the great and most influential bands of their time. Highly recommended!!!!!! $25 Cover Charge..

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

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 7:00 PM Showtime..
The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The Scene has been instrumental in starting the progressive bluegrass movement as their shows include bluegrass versions of country music, rock, and even pop. What does it take for a bluegrass band to remain popular for more than four decades? For The Seldom Scene, it’s taken not only talented musicians, a signature sound, and a solid repertoire, but also a sheer sense of fun. Current members Include Dudley Connell on guitar, Lou Reid on guitar & mandolin, Rickie Simpkins on banjo & fiddle, Fred Travers on dobro and Ronnie Simpkins on bass. Highly recommended!!!!!! $38 Cover Charge..

Rancho Nicasio 1 Old Rancheria Rd, Nicasio 4:00 PM Showtime…The Subdudes are one of the great American roots rock groups. This New Orleans legendary group’s music blends folk, swamp pop, New Orleans rhythm and blues, Louisiana blues, country, cajun/zydeco, funk, soul and gospel with harmonic vocals. Highly recommended!!! $35/$45 Cover Charge..

Video Pick Of The Week..

The Howlin’ Wolf Story is one of the best blues documentary ever and its a must for any music or rock fan, an invaluable piece of history (just take a look at those shots from Sam Lay’s Camera back in the old glory days of Chicago Blues), any blues fan will love this film, and it is fun enough to watch for any person… too bad that it is not very well known as it deserves (guess that why this film DOES GOT THE BLUES) The life of Chester Burnett (greatest bluesman ever!) is told through the memories of those who ever work with him or share a stage with him (highlights on one of the Chess brothers, Wolf’s daughters, harp player BB Arnold, and off course Mr Hubert Sumlin a real guitar god)we’ll see some footage available before in other places but together for the first time with the above mentioned club footage…Highly recommended!!!!