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

Monday November 18th

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

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…

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 6:30 PM-8:30 PM Showtime..
The Handsome Ladies, the best ladies-only bluegrass ensemble, hold an early jam session. If you are a lady, bring your instrument and get involved. Highly recommended!! N/C

Amnesia Bar 853 Valencia St, San Francisco 9:00 PM-11:55 PM Showtime..
Windy Hill, the first ladies of Bay Area bluegrass music, have a return engagement to Amnesia. This should be a good show..N/C

Tuesday November 19th

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

The UC Theatre 2036 University Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. A really amazing show featuring New Orleans-based rapper and ambassador of Bounce music and Queen of Bounce Big Freedia. High energy rock ‘n’ rollers
Low Cut Connie and writer, singer, producer, choreographer, and performance artist Boyfriend open the show. Highly recommended!!!!! $30 Cover Charge..

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.

Wednesday November 20th

Chase Center 500 Terry A Francois Blvd Suite 73, San Francisco.. One of the great and influential garage/rock indie blues bands of the past decade
The Black Keys will be in performance. This is a great performance band.. Highly recommended!!!!!! $59.50 Cover Charge…

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime..
Lulu & The Rent Party is 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 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.

Cafe du Nord 2174 Market St, San Francisco 7:30 PM Showtime..
The 2019 Noise Pop Festival presents The Netherlands indie rocker Pip Blom. Her raw guitar power and catchy melodies has help her receive rave reviews and high acclaim. Highly recommended!!!!!! $14 Cover charge..

The Lucky Horseshoe Bar 453 Cortland Ave, San Francisco 8 PM-Midnight Showtime.. Ed Ivey’s Weekly Blues Jam gets the bar rocking. His weekly jam is really fun. N/C

Local Edition 691 Market St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-11:45 PM Showtime..
Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums is one of the fun bands in the Bay Area performing vintage jazz, pounding boogie woogies, sultry ballads, and funky-swinging New Orleans R&B. Tonight they focus on giving you the beat to move your feet. Highly recommended!! No Cover Charge…

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..

Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music 2367 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley 8:30 Showtime.. For eighteen years The Expendables have been bringing their perspective to the world of reggae rock. Instead of following the traditional cookie-cutter blend of reggae, punk, ska and hip-hop commonly replicated in the genre, The Expendables have perfected their own unique approach of face-melting solos, mind-bending jams and danceable grooves, blurring the lines of where one genre ends and another begins. Highly recommended!!!!!!! $24 Cover Charge.

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

Rio Theatre 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz 7:30 PM Showtime. A Tuba To Cuba with Preservation Hall Jazz Band with the great Cuban singer Yusa along with special guests is an exploration of the Cuba/NOLA history and musical influences of New Orleans music. Highly recommended!!!!! $63-$73 Cover Charge..

Thursday November 21st

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime.
Vocalist Darlene Langston shares her selections from the Great American Songbook, as well as her love of the blues. Ms. Langston is accompanied by the all star Saints & Sinners Jazz Band. Join Darlene Langston for an exciting evening of straight ahead jazz, swinging vocals, and soulful blues.

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime.. Junk Parlor’s influences range from Louis Armstrong, Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt to Fats Domino, Howling Wolf and Elvis. This is one of the best and most creative Bay Area bands. Highly recommended!!!!! N/C.

Bottom Of The Hill 1233 17th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime. Headlining tonight is a really fun post-punk psychedelic surf band from San Francisco
Bellavista. Rounding out the show is Pacifica’s own dark wave indie post punk rockers Fake Your Death and a garage indie rock band from Oakland Coywolf. Should be a good show. Highly recommended!!!!! $10 Cover Charge.

Chase Center 500 Terry A Francois Blvd Suite 73, San Francisco.. “The Goddess of Pop” singer/actress and one of pop/rock’s iconic voices for five decades Cher will be in performance. Highly recommended!!!!!! Tickets range from $70-$2000.

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 Street Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime..
Bruce Cockburn‘s music embraces folk, jazz, rock, and global sounds that reflect his travels as an activist and artist everywhere from Guatemala and Mali, Mozambique and Nepal. He describes his signature guitar style as “a combination of country blues fingerpicking and poorly absorbed jazz training,” and it’s proven to be the perfect accompaniment to his lyrics about joy, pain, fear, faith, and the world around us. He is also a great performer… Highly recommended!!!!!!! $46 Cover Charge..

Friday November 22nd

The Warfield 982 Market St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. One of the great indie rock bands of the past few decades The Manchester Orchestra puts on a great show. Highly recommended!!!!!! $27-$45 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

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 10:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime.. Portland based Tumbledown House, a self described modern speakeasy, saloon jazz, parlor pop and Tom Waits in a cocktail dress ensemble. I really like what I have seen on youtube and look forward to seeing them this evening. Highly recommended!! N/C

Cafe du Nord 2174 Market St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime..
The 2019 Noise Pop Festival presents two beautiful melodic voices Brooklyn based singer/songwriters Tasha & Madison McFerrin. Highly recommended!!!!! $18 Cover Charge…

Bird & Beckett 653 Chenery St, San Francisco 9:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime..
The John Calloway Jazz Quartet led by the renown multi-instrumentalist/composer and arranger is one the Bay Area’s premier latin bands. Special guest is vocalist Angie Doctor. Highly recommended!!! $20 Cover Charge..

The Terrace Room 1800 Madison St, Oakland 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime..
Steve Lucky and the Rumba Bums perform vintage jazz, pounding boogie-woogie rhythms, sultry ballads, and funky-swinging New Orleans R&B. This band simply gives you the beat to move your feet. This will be a fun show. N/C.

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison Street Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime..
Bruce Cockburn‘s music embraces folk, jazz, rock, and global sounds that reflect his travels as an activist and artist everywhere from Guatemala and Mali, Mozambique and Nepal. He describes his signature guitar style as “a combination of country blues fingerpicking and poorly absorbed jazz training,” and it’s proven to be the perfect accompaniment to his lyrics about joy, pain, fear, faith, and the world around us. He is also a great performer… Highly recommended!!!!!!! $46 Cover Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM Showtimes…. The classic group sound of legendary R&B recording artists,
The Spinners has never lost its universal appeal. Throughout the years they have sold millions of records and topped both the Pop and R&B charts with smash hits like “I’ll Be Around” and “Then Came You.” Today, original member Henry Fambrough is joined onstage by lead singer Charlton Washington, high tenor Marvin Taylor, tenor Ronnie Moss, and bass singer Jessie Peck; a soul-infused 5-piece band, led by Keith Ferguson, backs them up. Highly recommended!!!!!! $39-$75 Per Show.

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 Hildagos featuring the great David Hidalgo of Los Lobos performing his sons David Hidalgo Jr. of Social Distortion on drums, & Vincent Hidalgo on bass. Highly recommended!!!!!! $30 Cover Charge..

Saturday November 23rd

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 disappoint.. Highly recommended!!!

Ashkenaz 1317 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley 8:00 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!!!!!!! $15 Cover Charge.

Jupiter 2181 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM-11:00 PM Showtime. Making a rare appearance is Steve Lucky’s Hammond Cheese Combo performing a mix of Jump blues, swing, and rare gems inspired by the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, this Combo isn’t your everyday organ combo sandwich. Some of the specials on our menu include tunes by the unrecognized organ genius Hank Marr knockouts by Brother Jack McDuff, and lots of original pieces by Steve Lucky dripping with special sauce, and some extra cheese numbers sung by the captivating guitarist/vocalist Carmen Getit. Highly recommended!!!!!! No Cover Charge..

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison Street Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime.. Multi-Instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Darrell Scott is a personnel favorite. He is a great engaging performer with a wonderful folksy sense of humor.. Highly recommended!!!!! $34 Cover Charge..

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes…. The classic group sound of legendary R&B recording artists,
The Spinners has never lost its universal appeal. Throughout the years they have sold millions of records and topped both the Pop and R&B charts with smash hits like “I’ll Be Around” and “Then Came You.” Today, original member Henry Fambrough is joined onstage by lead singer Charlton Washington, high tenor Marvin Taylor, tenor Ronnie Moss, and bass singer Jessie Peck; a soul-infused 5-piece band, led by Keith Ferguson, backs them up. Highly recommended!!!!!! $39-$75 Per Show.

Sweetwater Music Hall 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley 8:00 PM Showtime.
The Hildagos featuring the great David Hidalgo of Los Lobos performing his sons David Hidalgo Jr. of Social Distortion on drums, & Vincent Hidalgo on bass. Highly recommended!!!!!! $30 Cover Charge..

Sunday November 24th

SF Jazz Joe Henderson Lab.. 201 Franklin St, San Francisco 6:00 PM & 7:30 PM Showtime..Jazz guitarist and composer Mason Razavi will perform the music of Wes Montgomery‘s iconic 1963 trio album Boss Guitar along with Brian Ho on organ and Jason Lewis on drums. Mason is a great guitarist and this should be a really good show. Highly recommended!!!!!!! $20 Per Show..

Bird & Beckett 653 Chenery St, San Francisco 4:30 PM-6:30 PM 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… Highly recommended!!!!! $20 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 Street Berkeley 7:00 PM Showtime..
Ladies Sing The Blues is an exploration of the women who made up the essence of the blues: Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, the nameless souls from the Middle Passage, the whoops and hollers of the pregnant women birthing in the fields, featuring Denise Perrier, Kim Nalley, Tiffany Austin and pianist arranger Tammy Hall. Highly recommended!!!!!!! $30 Cover Charge.

Yoshis 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland 7:00 PM & 9:00 PM Showtimes…. The classic group sound of legendary R&B recording artists,
The Spinners has never lost its universal appeal. Throughout the years they have sold millions of records and topped both the Pop and R&B charts with smash hits like “I’ll Be Around” and “Then Came You.” Today, original member Henry Fambrough is joined onstage by lead singer Charlton Washington, high tenor Marvin Taylor, tenor Ronnie Moss, and bass singer Jessie Peck; a soul-infused 5-piece band, led by Keith Ferguson, backs them up. Highly recommended!!!!!! $39-$75 Per Show.

Video Pick Of The Week..

In honor of Johnny Mercer‘s 110th birthday on Monday I want to recommend Clint Eastwood’s amazing 2009 documentary Johnny Mercer: The Dream’s On Me celebrating American lyricist Johnny Mercer described as ‘one of our great folk poets’ and ‘the most perfect American lyricist.’ This is a lively look at the man and his art, a testament to the vitality of the material and an appreciation for the creative mind behind it and Mercer’s vast influence, as well as his own accomplished career as a performer. Throughout his extraordinary career, he collaborated with hundreds of composers to write legendary movie songs such as ‘Hooray for Hollywood’, ‘Jeepers Creepers’ ‘Moon River’ and co-founder of Capitol Records in 1942. Highly recommended!!!