My favorite summer music series! There's a lot of live music in and around the South Bay in the summer, and this is the one I always make a point to go to. No, jazz is not my favorite music, but the ambiance and atmosphere here is just so fun and relaxing. I love that you can bring your own food and drink and have a picnic with live music in the background. They also have a booth selling wine, and it's usually a local winery pouring. They used to be very strict about not having blankets on the grass, chairs only, but this past summer a lot of people had blankets and they weren't told to fold them up. While it can get crowded, you're usually able to find a spot in the park to set up camp fairly close to the music starting. read more

I think everyone should give Jazz a chance. Start here, at Jazz on the Plazz, as it is free. Pro tip: Get there at 1:30pm to set your own lawn chairs up prior to the show, no one will snag them. Another pro tip: Order from a local restaurant and pick up your dinner before the show. I am vegan and I highly enjoyed the new vegan cheese on the pizza at Pizza my Heart (Miyoko's made it, which is in my opinion the best vegan butter as well, so there is that). Other great options for vegans (and non-vegans) are Andale' and Oren's Hummus. Some local restaurants have specials - Oren's has a Jazz box, there are others so be on the lookout at the restaurants right near the venue. The musicians are fun - some quality talent lines the menu, which gets more star-powered as the weeks go on. Tony Lindsay + the Soul Soldiers are top shelf, that man has a boatload of Grammies. Jazz Mafia is sooo cool and blends it up good with R&B, classic soul, rock, even some punk tossed in, great stuff. OK now you know the music is good, and the food in town is good too. The one not-so-great thing is that this is one big boozy picnic. Imagine a bunch of houses in Los Gatos just emptying into the plaza, oldies with wine in hand, ready to sit and drink wine and talk talk talk. Yeah, that it what you get. You get a load of people just yakking and not even paying attention. People will stand right in front of you as if you are not even there, they don't care if you can see the band. So just be ready for that and meditate before you go and you will survive. Nothing is free. The noise is what you pay. The rest is cake. Enjoy! read more

Well, I haven't returned in years. But so happy that we all did. Very enjoyable, pleasant crowd, plenty of space to stretch out (no blankets on the grass). read more

Went here last night for Chris Cain amazing Blues man. The band was a 10/10. The people on the other hand are not really here for the music. Everyone talks. All during the concert. It's free so what are you gonna do. A beer at this venue is $35. That's because they can't "Legally sell alcohol ". They want you to buy a dinner ticket which is 2 appetizer and 1 alcoholic drink. Ok no biggie bring your own booze or go across the street to Hapas great beer. There are only 2 porta potty for this event located in the post office parking lot. VIP Section takes up all the best views of the stage and was only 1/5 full the entire night. It's pretty much BS because they put all the best reserved seats in the best area and you're screwed on that. The city of Los Gatos runs this hoity toity event. They're idiots who don't really cater to music fans. I don't see them changing anything in the future. This is just info for the folks out there. Yes if there was another good band there I would go. Just laying it out how it actually is FYI. Cheers read more

This is like the super classy version of San Jose's Music in the Park. Instead of homeless people with their brown paper bags, and odd smelling ciggs...Jazz on the Plazz has cougars with enhanced chests drinking their fancy wines. Music + booze + lounging outdoors+ people watching = 5 stars! read more

A big yea for the FREE Jazz on the Plazz in Los Gatos. It's on the plaza next to the Post Office, across from the burger/pizza joints off Main Ave/Santa Cruz Ave.. One day this summer I and my friend were driving over to Los Gatos to walk and get our exercise for the day like usual (on a Wednesday). But for some reason everything was crowded in all of the parking lots, even in hidden, secret ones I will never tell anyone about. And the streets were filled with people walking in one direction towards Main Street. Did they know something we didn't know ? Apparently yes! Finally, we found a spot way over by Double D's (a restaurant I don't like very much by the way) and started to walk all the way down Santa Cruz Ave. As we got closer, we heard music playing. Intrigued by this, we stepped up our pace as the music got louder and louder. Then when we got to the intersection of Santa Cruz and Main, we saw that the park/plaza was filled with people and some band was playing, a man who had played with Count Basie, or so he said. Lots of kids were running around, or eating or just sitting with parents. The sides had people moving all around. It was just like one big party going on. We stopped on one of the sides, listened for awhile to the singer who was very good by the way until our legs got tired. Then we went over to the nearby sandwich shop and got sandwiches to eat, then took them back to the park and ate them while listening some more. All in all, it was a great experience and on Wednesday's I will be looking forward to returning again. But I won't get a good seat because Los Gatos residents come in the morning, put their blankets and chairs down hours in advance to ensure they will have a good spot. Fair? I guess so and what can I do about it anyway? It's their town, they can do what they want. So check the internet to see who is playing. Apparently, this goes on until the end of September so lots of time to play, listen and eat. read more

Jazz on the Plazz is a great way to relax on Wednesday evenings. Bring a blanket or low chairs and kick back on the grass with your friends while you enjoy good tunes. This is a fun event. Bring your own booze or h20 or whatever. Bring your own food or buy take-out from the local establishments. This coming Wed. is Rita Coolidge and there are concerts every week til Sept 20th. It's an annual event and well worth the time. read more

Jazz in beautiful Los Gatos. Heard Mary Wilson as well as other headliners such as Mose Allison Barbara Morrison, Rita Collidge and lots more. Its so much fun having a picnic with some of your close family or friends. You can setup your chairs anytime after 3 PM. Michael Jacobi works hard with Teri Hope and other local dignitaries to bring this fabulous event. There is also Music in the Park on Sundays. Please support this wonderful event. Its free but they gladly accept donations. Thanks for bringing back the memories this evening with Mary Wilson. My Mother and I enjoyed the music and dancing(: read more

Will be a five star again when it is live but...the online tapes are sooo soothing to the soul !

I'm singing at Jazz on the Plazz tomorrow with Matthew Kaminsky come on out it looks like a great spot! there shade spots there's lots of cute little stores around lots of food bring a picnic come join us! read more

Had a memorable evening hearing Ramsey Lewis this week. Nice setting but a big negative are the people that come for the ambiance and not the music. They go on and on with their loud conversations which distract from the great performances. Get there early if you want a shady spot read more

This is one of those things that makes you feel summer is here! I attended this event for the first time this week and can say I will be back. The event doesn't start until 6:30p, but by the time I arrived at 5:15p to get a spot, the only area left was all the way in the back! No worries. There really isn't a bad spot as long as you can hear the musician. Pros: - FREE! - You can bring your own food and wine - Friendly crowd - Great place to get together with a group of friends - Different musician every week Cons: Parking can get a little crazy! read more

My sentiment on this event is pretty much inline with Denis D.'s review. I attended on August 3rd to see Paula West. After missing out on Ms. West for years, I was very excited for the opportunity to see her (for free!!!) at this event. (After all, who want's to trek up to Feinstein's when she's scheduled locally?). A buddy of mine heard about this event somewhere and was struck by how poorly it was advertised (like no address). Apparently he contacted the office and they tried to explain that due to the "nature" of the event, they're not allowed to do certain types of marketing outside the city of Los Gatos. To make a long story short, it just made this a hassle to find accurate details. I had to resort to Facebook to find accurate details on the event. Positives: The Plaza -- Beautiful area and beautiful time for an outdoor event. Perfect weather! I could tell this event is a local favorite. People show up more than an hour early to "stake their claim" with folding chairs. It was nice to grab a bite to eat and see how people had packed a tasty picnic for themselves -- including wine. The Plaza was set up so that there were clear and unobstructed paths to get through the crowd and people were very well behaved in respecting each others' space. Negatives: The People -- Not so much there for the music or artist, but to socialize, eat and drink in the park. Which is fine if the intent is to bring everybody together for a good time. But I found it highly disrespectful that Ms. West was not given the peoples' undivided attention during her set. Hell, the promoters of the event were yakking it up "backstage" during the show. My buddy and I had to pretty much move off the grounds and onto the side walk, stage left, to even hear the woman. Conversations in the audience during the show just never stopped. I pretty much knew from the start of Ms. West's first number that if we didn't make it through the set, we'd be leaving at intermission. That's what we did. And as Denis D. pointed out, there's the "12 minutes of promoting and patting the backs of their sponsors..." In our case it went on for at least 15 minutes non-stop (I was watching my clock. Literally.). I appreciate the need to graciously thank sponsors -- and when most people aren't paying attention, I suppose time isn't really an issue. But as it went on, it just felt like egos were being stroked. I'm just throwing this in to set expectations correctly. Seems like real estate brokers are the big sponsors of this event. As such, we were bothered by the banter going on in their respective booths *during* the concert. I'd like to think that the policy would be for all "business" to shut down during the artist's set. Nope. Overall: I went with the assumption of seeing a concert in a park setting. This is not what Jazz on the Plazz is and I'm embarrassed for the professional acts booked here. As my friend remarked, "This is a kind of gig ya do for the money." It would be more accurate to describe this as a community event with live music. Like being in a nice restaurant with a live pianist/vocalist that nobody's really interested in. Like being at a wedding reception with a live band nobody cares about. People seem to go to socialize, eat, drink and enjoy the outdoors of beautiful Los Gatos in the summer. If you're that person, then this event is for you. If you're going for the music or think this is about the music, you'd best just stay home or go to Feinstein's. read more

Jazz on the Plazz is as much about networking and socializing as it is about music. This is a free, community event. Folks serious about listening to the performers (Diane Shuur is next week's headliner) may want to arrive early to get seating on the Post Office box end of the Plaza. On other sides of the plaza, there's a lot of social conversation - which can get a bit distracting, along with the occasional dog barking and motorcycle/car noise. Bring your own food. Wine consumption is permitted along with your meal with folks bringing folding chairs, picnic lunches, wine/champagne, and folding tables. It can get cool later in the evening (concerts run 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) so you may want to consider brining a sweater or blanket. An option for those not inclined to pack a picnic lunch would be to go to Willow Street across the street or a similar local establishment to get food 'to go'. read more

Jazz on the Plazz is one of the wonderful things that makes Los Gatos such a vibrant community. What's not to enjoy hanging out with friends on a beautiful summer evening sipping wine, listening to jazz... read more

Great crew especially if you forget your wine opener.

Perfect thing to do on Wednesday evenings in tony Los Gatos! Bring a bottle of wine and enjoy world class jazz.

This is one of Los Gatos premier events of the summer. Free quality jazz in the beautiful TOWN plaza, for TEN WEDNESDAY SUMMER EVENINGS AND the Town allows guests to bring and drink your own adult beverages with your picnic food. Easy on the entertainment budget. (No beverages are available for sale at the site.) The challenge is getting a spot in the small plaza for and having to haul in your chairs (yes chairs are required; no blankets allowed because they kill the grass.) The Town will not allow anyone to set up on the plazz before 3 pm but by 3:30 pm the regulars have their picnic spots staked out. A small section up in front of the stage is reserved for serious music lovers but the regulars have that staked out too. A GREAT solution to the challenges of enjoying this spectacular summer event is to support the event by becoming a JAZZ Patron Chair donor. for a $250 tax deductible contribution you get one chair in the Reserved Patron Chair section PLUS entry to the VIP Booth where complimentary wine and food are available for EACH and EVER concert during the 10 week series. That's $25 fore each night. (Entrance to VIP alone is $25). If you work it right a specific seat is reserved for you for the entire evening so you can arrive late, cruise the VIP booth for food & wine and return to your reserved seat with no problem. This is the PERFECT SOLUTION if you do not get off work until after 5:00 pm. Although parking is always a challenge in Los Gatos, there is plenty of parking on the north side of HWY 9. A nice enjoyable stroll window shopping through downtown will get you to the Plazz in 10 minutes or less. And as you have your RESERVED PATRON CHAIR in front of the stage, you do not have to lug around a chair and you do not have to worry about getting there any earlier than when the concert starts @ 6:30 p.m.. Very relaxing and a great way to enjoy DATE NIGHT! As you can bring your own food and beverage (and have access to VIP Booth) you get great seats for high quality entertainment at bargain price. Donate for 2 chairs so you can bring along your date or a friend. Plus you get sincere thanks for financially supporting the event. The event is supported solely by sponsors and donations. No subsidies from the Town. Go to http://jazzontheplazz.com/, hit "DONATE NOW" and select 00004 Jazz Patron Chair option. Best kept secret. read more

If you're a jazz lover, this is definitely not the place to be. The park is lovely and the sound/acoustics were good. The performer - Stacey Kent - was sensational, but I felt so sorry for her. This is an event where locals come to eat, drink wine and talk to each other...kind of like a corporate cocktail party in the park with kids. They come very early, set up their chairs and tables and leave, only to come back a half hour before show time to socialize. Many had no idea who Stacey Kent was and could have cared less. Many groups of friends and family spent zero time even listening to Stacey...they were too busy talking to their circle of friends or wandering around giving air kisses to everyone. If you're a jazz lover, stick to the jazz festivals...this is not one of them. read more

Just attended a fabulous concert by Ramsey Lewis, the featured artist this summer. Probably the best concert we have ever attended at Jazz on the Plaz. Do have some frustrations I would like to voice. 1. Following the seating rules, we arrived by 12:30 pm to set up our chairs. We had a friend stay until 3:00 to watch over them (they were several rows behind her row). When we arrived last night, our chairs had been removed and were leaning against the retaining wall in the back. Needless to say, someone else had taken our spot. We were told that one of the "authorities" had removed them under the assumption that no one was guarding them. Is there a rule we are unaware of that states you have to actually sit in the chairs until 3:00 pm? Our friend was probably watching about 8 chairs but insisted she never heard anyone ask who the chairs belonged to. Somehow, the whole process seems unfair and, in spite of our efforts we had to scramble to find a spot for our chairs. 2. In the section adjacent to the regular seats where food and wine is offerred, people were very loud and quite rude when they were asked to be quiet when Ramsey was playing. This is disrespectful to the artist and made it very difficult to hear some of his quieter pieces. Is it possible to shut down the section during the concert time and just reopen it for intermission and after the show is over? The food and wine encourage conversation which is great except during the times when we are trying to listen to the artists. Finally, on a positive note, thanks to Jazz on the Plazz for bringing such fabulous musicians to our area and providing free concerts in a lovely setting in Los Gatos! read more