I won't pretend to be an audiophile, but I've been to a lot of theaters, and even *I* can tell that the sound here is absolutely freaking amazing. I've been here three times now, and every seat is great. It feels intimate, personal, friendly. The lighting is also really nice. A real San Francisco treasure. Take BART or Uber it. read more

Highlights - I have to preface this by saying that I didn't come here for an actual full on concert, more like a huge meeting and mini performance. - It's a very nice venue. Everything is modern, new, and the auditorium is a bit smaller than I imagined, but just enough to allow it to feel intimate and not too crowded. Sound is great! - The layout and spread of the seats make all of them great seats in the house. Seats have cup holders = plus! - Before our event, we had beverages served by the staff and on tables there was a spread with packages of cookies, chips, and cheddar crackers. Everything was orderly and nicely spaced out. Check out the awesome view of the building across with cool jazz photos when you walk up the stairs to your right. Improvements - None that I can think of, except depending on who sits next to you it can get a little tight and close. Tip - You can get here via public transportation like Muni which drops you off about a block or so away. Or even Bart which drops you off a bit further. I can't wait to go back to try their restaurant! read more

FINALLY...i go to a Jazz performance!! Location is awesome, a wine selection a huge plus and the musicians that walk onto those stages are just phenomenal. Its a great experience and something any San Franciscan should do...great for dates too ;). TIckets are not too bad, obviously matters per performer but we paid $30 and got decent seats (upper level area) center and couldn't complain. I think what I love most is that the shows are very intimate, you are up and close with the performer and can really connect with their performance. Loved it...check out their website for upcoming shows. Yeezus....go check it out. read more

Excellent venue. It's intimate and the acoustics are great. Parking is tough though.

Great venue! I went here for Karsh Kale indian classical jazz show and really liked the show and the venue. I got assigned some pretty awkward seats at first (right behind stage on top of the artists LOL) but found a different seat after intermission. The hall itself is pretty small, especially compared to SF symphony and other halls in SF. But the seating is pretty good. I'd say you can get good acoustics almost anywhere in the hall. The outside area is also pretty nice. It is a tad bit inconvenient to down downstairs for refreshments, etc but the extra space is worth it. Lighting on the outside is also interesting, so remember to take a selfie after you're done with the show! read more

Good view of the performers anywhere you sit. Clean and great acoustics. Great customer service. The ushers were great in showing you your seat. There were festive balloons in the lobby. We were allowed to dance also during the new year's day concert of Maceo! Sold! This is 5 star treatment of customers!!! Very festive. Street parking were ample. Nice location Thank you! Great and trendy on-site restaurant, South. read more

I've attended about 20 shows here, and overall it is a good place to catch a show but it is way too formal. I wish they had more shows with Dance Floor tickets. I also wish Yoshi's SF hadn't closed down because it was a more fun venue to hear jazz, but I realize that it was difficult to sustain two jazz venues in town. That being said, I do find myself coming back every other month because SFJAZZ does attract world class performers. As other reviewers have noted, drinks are pricey as heck. But there are plentiful restaurants and bars in the area to grab a drink and bite before a show. It is BART accessible but I've decided after taking BART a handful of times that I'm done with the stinky walk over to SFJAZZ unless I'm desperate. Ticket prices are higher than at Yoshi's Oakland, but I've decided you get what you pay for. SFJAZZ shows are consistently around 2 hours, whereas at Yoshi's it is more commonly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Also, SFJAZZ is a new venue, whereas Yoshi's is well worn and in need of a remodel. I can imagine that the loans to build SFJAZZ require higher ticket prices. read more

Good music, but expensive, high service fees, surprisingly only-adequate sound management, and remarkably badly designed seats (see below). This is for the primary venue; the GA Lab venue has significantly better sound for some reason. The last row of seats (highest balcony) seems to be made deliberately uncomfortable. They are stools, and so high that: My center of mass was higher than the guard rail. My feet could barely touch the footrest built into the balcony (I have a 32" inseam). There was a good 2-3 feet of space above the heads of the next row of people; the seats could have easily been lowered to a sane height without coming close to risking having anyone's view blocked. read more

I've been meaning to check out the new center since it opened. I went to see the Afro-Cuban all stars and I was not disappointed. I expected the place to be a bit bigger, but the setting was so much more fun and intimate at the same time. Everyone was totally engaged and in sync with the music dancing the night away. Felt like I was transported straight to the Caribbean! For me, the only thing missing was mojito. I would agree that ticket prices are also pretty reasonable. It's a great place to enjoy an excellent night of jazz. Simply awesome! read more

Boyfriend and I came here last night for the Lavay Smith/Quinn Deveaux concert. We called day of, and they said it was sold out (even though it didn't say that online). We decided to go anyway, just in case there were last-minute seats. We arrived 90 minutes before curtain when the box office opened. First off, for such a beautiful new venue, they may have the lousiest box office I've ever seen. They run off what look to be 3 hand-me-down cheap laptops. We asked the man at the counter if there were any tickets, and he said, "No, sold out", so we asked if there was a wait list or any chance some tickets may open up and he said, "Nope". It was somewhat blunt, especially considering they were definitely NOT busy at the moment. But as we turned away, he said, "Well, let me check" and sure enough, there were still 2 tickets available. We promptly bought them (well, sort of slowly...again with the ancient box office set up, they can't scan a card so they have to slowly input the info by hand). The seats were perfect - first row of the balcony, which meant we were on rotating stools at a small bar. Perfect, since we bought beers at the bar beforehand. The price was right; for under $30 each, we had a beer and a great show. The venue is gorgeous, every seat looks like a good seat, and the sound is amazing. Moral of the story: if you really want to see something, never trust the first person who tells you it is sold out at this box office. If they could just work out some of the kinks with the box office, I'm sure it will be perfect. read more

$40 for only an hour-long concert. Not worth it at all. I haven't been this disappointed since my ex-girlfriend. Beautiful venue though. Snarky Puppy was awesome here, which was $15 for 1.5 hours. read more

Love seeing Chris Botti in a small and personal setting. Interestingly different with this crew of performers. The Bass player had his full with Flamenco Sketches, he's great, and Caroline always brings grace to the stage with pure tone. Love love love the new drummer. Thanks Chris for bringing this remarkable stage of musicianship under one roof. read more

SFJAZZ - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This organization needs more praise for the culture they bring to SF through jazz, blues, awesome vocalists & world music too. Staff is so helpful, prices are reasonable for amazing shows and overall, an absolute asset to this city. Good job to the numerous volunteers and staff at SFJazz that make it happen. Kudos to you. read more

Came here Feb. 2 to watch the very last late show of Dave Chappelle at 10:30pm. Luckily found parking on the street a block away which wasn't bad. I recommend street parking so you don't have to pay hella $$$ for parking garages or shit. Lol. Got here around 10pm and I guess the show before had just finished, therefore there were a lot of people hanging around outside. My boyfriend and I were planning on grabbing drinks at the bar inside beforehand, but it was immensely crowded!! So we walked around the corner to a bar less crowded before the show. Walked back to the center around 10:25pm and people were getting seated. We sat in the TF area which was upstairs and saw that they had a bar as well....with a long line! We wanted to get drinks but the show was about to start so we just went straight to our seats. The ushers were really nice and led us to our seats. I love the way the Miner Theater is set up because literally every seat is a great seat. 10:35pm and Dave comes out with a live band! The sound system of this place is amazing. So clear and legit. I love how this theater is supposed to also be so lax that they encourage audience members to get up and dance. I noticed that every time someone brought out their phone, one of the ushers immediately went straight to them to tell them to put it away. What a bummer! But I understand how disrupting it can be. Anyways, I luckily was able to record a snippet of the performance without being caught by the ushers! Lol. The show was amazing and Dave brought up Goapele and Talib Kweli as well as others for special guests! I definitely can't want to come back for other performances. Come back to the Bay Dave! read more

Went to the Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck, and Edgar Meyer concert on 3/9. The Good: The music was absolutely world class (no surprise there) and the acoustics were fantastic. Even though we were probably the furthest people away from the stage (more on that below), we had a great view of the performers that you'd probably pay top dollar for at another venue. There were also plenty of ushers who were very helpful (including one who let my group move down to closer seats when a few people inexplicably left with a few songs to go). The Bad: We sat in the B row of the Left Balcony (aka, the cheap seats). Essentially, if you were sitting down in any of the seats in our row, at least half of the stage was obstructed by the row in front (Left Balcony A). The only way we could see all 3 performers was by standing up and leaning over the railing the entire show. The venue, while very nice, just gives off the feeling that they tried to fit a music venue into a space that was just not big enough for one. So buyers of cheap seats, especially in Left Balcony B, B-ware, and prepare to stand. read more

Fantastic local organization that consistently brings great talent to the area. Some great locations like Davies, Florence Gould and Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz - but don't go to the "accoustically perfect" Grace Cathedral, nothing sounds good in an echo chamber. A few years ago Ornette Colemen blew my mind. read more

SF Jazz Festival is one of the Bay Area's treasures. But don't let the word 'jazz' in the title fool you, this festival brings the best of rhythmic music from around the world into one brilliant series of programs. I, for one, am ecstatic about the 'Blues meets Africa' program that will play for one night only on October 23. This exceptional gathering of stellar musicians - Taj Mahal, Foday Musa Suso, and Vieux Farka Touré will satisfy even the most discriminating music lover. If that doesn't work for you, then there is guaranteed to be something on the bill that will provide a memorable evening of entertainment. SF Jazz is great for dates, accessible for families, and a terrific night out alone, if that suits you. Prices are reasonable and the venues are lovely. We are fortunate to have so many entertainment options in this city, and SF Jazz Festival is a key part of what makes the Bay Area a world-class town. read more

I don't know how they went so quickly from being a summer jazz concert series to having the best jazz concert hall in the United States, but this place rocks...um, swings? The concert hall itself is fantastic. It's a slightly flattened cube inside, which means that even the nearly-worst seats in the house are very close in with a good view of the stage, just an overhead view. The different levels of the seats and the modern design inside make for a very pleasing concert. The place sounds fantastic too, plus they broadcast a fairly listenable version of what's going inside the concert hall throughout all the lobbies in case you want to take a break and stop by one of the bars. It's interesting how having such an attractive building can make for a better musical experience. You just feel happy, and organized, and clean, and modern to be there, and I think the staff and volunteers and musicians feel that too. It's a respectful place. And then having a real restaurant and bar inside, not just a food concession, is nice. But the icing on the cake is their performance line-up, and world famous jazz artists in residence. They have enough going on that they can afford to take chances and have unique events that you might not find if you were only doing one jazz program a week. read more

Alan Toussaint. Need more? Best sound in the city. More still? Great drinks, snacks and folks. If you haven't been, go as soon as possible. read more

SFJAZZ - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Not good for piano recital. Bad acoustics. No Steinway. I guess this place is designed for Jazz music. The acoustics is just not suitable for classical music, especially instrument recitals such as piano recital. The corrugated walls do not produce desired resonance. I attended a piano recital of Stephen Hough. Initially I was troubled with the sound of piano though I sat in the front section (row B). Then I realized he was playing on a Yamaha, probably tuned for Jazz accompaniment. The solo sound is just awful, muffled, one-dimensional, colorless, even when played by a fine classical pianist like Stephen Hough. read more

Chris Botti on 12/20/16- Couldn't have asked for a better venue! SF Jazz Center is a must go to! read more

SFJAZZ - Chris Botti 1/20/16 - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent venue! Intimate, every seat is great. I saw Mariza here twice and each time it was great!

This is about the RESTAURANT - South at SF Jazz. Excellent meal. Blackened fish plate that was a hearty amount sitting in an incredibly refreshing mix of sauces topped w/ sprigs of endive for $19. I was surprised. I also got a side salad that had thinly sliced vegetables in a light dressing, and a dish of 3 of some of the BEST deviled eggs I've had in my life. A simple freshly squeezed lemonade was the perfect compliment to the dishes and I decided to top it all off w/ a slice of lemon meringue pie that came with droplets of raspberry sauce, skinny candied ginger sections and a browned whipped cream. It all came to $41.00 and I left a $10 tip. The music that night - not as good as the meal. That's when walked out & decided to risk eating on site, and it was so damn good I will now go there just to eat if I feel like it and not worry if the entertainment is to my liking! read more

http://www.sfjazz.org/concerts/2007/summer/schedule.asp August 2007 from 6pm-7:30pm, Thursday FREE music on Union Square Stage. Sept. 2007 from noon - 1:30pm, Wednesdays.FREE music Levi's Plaza ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Joshua Redman affiliation gets 5 stars, minus one star for their voluminous JUNK MAILINGS one a week!!!!! They have my email and the paper mail is just TOOOOOOO much. They are not sponsoring something every week (More like few weeks in Oct-Nov, few weeks in April-May) and the amount of promotional material and adding me to the list when I specifically said DO NOT DONOT add me to their CAPITALISTIC over commercialized crapopaperinglist. 4 stars for adding more WORLD MUSICIANS this year than ever: Maria Montes 4 stars, Mongolian throat singer 4 stars...amazing world musicians. WARNING: Volunteering might work except they again are sooo CORPORATE it gets to be like WORK, not pleasant.. read more

LOVE the hotplate series at Amnesia! They always put on the best events - classy and unique organization - SO proud to be a member! read more

I came to see Concha Buika and it is the NUMBER ONE intimate venue that provides spectacular seats! We sat on the third row and saw one of the best performance's I've ever seen! This review isn't about one of my favorite artists but it is about Sf Jazz, PLEASE GO HERE! MY EXPERIENCE - We parked at the parking garage on 330 Grove St between Franklin St and Gough St. It took like 45 minutes to deal with traffic and finally being blessed with being only two blocks away from the venue. Once we arrived, our tickets were at the check-in counter, and the customer service was perfect. When walking into the center, we were only to be greeted with beautiful lights and an atmosphere in which I gripped my wife's hand in approval. As soon as the artist came out to grace us with her presence, I could even see the twinkling in her eyes. The feeling was mutual. When the performance began, the sound quality ecstatically wrapped my ear drums and I closed my eyes and took in one of the greatest experiences ever. ---------------------- I don't get why some people aren't giving it a 5/5 if they claim to love music so much. If you love music so much, then you will immerse yourself with the artist and love WHEREVER they are playing. (I'm done ranting on people that aren't passionate about jazz and I guess expect their only other music venues to be at Yoshi's, a small overcrowded pub, or a basement.) The shocking part is that this is actually a 5 star gorgeous venue that is glorious to the point of providing delicious food and drinks! If you want to look at the restaurant's Yelp reviews go search "South at SFJazz". It's good! read more

Wow. This is a relatively new facility that is modern and spectacular. The venue is really intimate, however if you sit to the very stage right or left---your view of the stage can sometimes be obstructed by the speakers/microphones. Also nice that they have enough stalls in the bathroom to accommodate the capacity. Note, there is the main theater section and a smaller one in front. read more

I've seen hypnotic brass ensemble and terrace Martin here. Two different areas; one way close down on the side of the stage and the other way up in the corner where I could barely see the entire stage. But the way I feel about live music and concerts is how I feel abut a baseball game; when you're in, it doesn't matter where you sit. you can hear everything! This venue is pretty cool. The restaurant is nice... and as expected, drinks are pricey. read more

Giving SFJazz Center 5 stars even though I got there after last night's performance started and there were no more seats available. Why? First: a great concept, expertly executed. SFJAZZ is an educational site by day, an inviting, intimate spot to enjoy top-flight jazz at night. I've been to San Francisco a couple times for business the last 4 months. I wanted to see some live music last time I was there, but being from out of state didn't know where to go. By my good fortune, I saw an article about SFJAZZ just a couple weeks ago. The place is brand new and just exquisite. read more

SFJAZZ - SFJazz Center entrance - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amjad Ali Khan & Sons tonight played the wonderful SF Jazz Center. You must go to the new center, the series is one of the best, every week there are Jazz stars to listen to. read more

WOW. I've been there once- an AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!! We went to see/listen to Rene Marie. My fiance and I were amazed and mesmerized how beautiful she was singing. Plus the place has such a welcoming, cozy, and friendly environment that left us with positive energy afterwards. They bring great artists to San Francisco. I am glad that we have SF Jazz now. Enough Said - just go an experience on your own. Looking forward to come again. read more

What a great venue - small and intimate. Easy parking in the area too and on the weekends it's not too expensive ($8 all day Sunday). read more

SFJAZZ - Awesomeness!! - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great venue in excellent location !Wonderful staff and beautiful , intimate design for Jazz. Love the design of the building , has a nice flow to accommodate patrons and the smaller , glass enclosed hall for smaller venues makes you feel like you are in Europe- very modern and beautiful design! A gem for the city! read more

I saw Snarky Puppy at SFJAZZ and it was nothing less than phenomenal. The venue is setup to where every seat has a great view and an exceptional listening experience. Acoustics were amazing. Staff was also very friendly. read more

SFJAZZ - Snarky Puppy - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went to our first Jazz Center Concert last night - Lavay Smith!! Great music - wonderful venue - acousitcs are first rate - there isn't a bad seat in the place! We had a great time and hope to have many more evenings there!! One thing tho - I agree about the seating - I didn't find the seats that uncomfortable but the cup holders are ridiculous!! They are set back on the arm at elbow level - not only can you not reach your own drink easily - try an cross body under arm twist and don't spill contortion - the holders are too small for the cups they serve the drinks in so they sit on top of the holder not in the holder. Anyone could knock that drink over in a heart beat!! What are they thinking???? I would be really surprised if there haven't been some nasty drink spills in that place!! Either replace those seats or don't allow drinks in the concert hall!! Just go for the music - do your drinking elsewhere! read more

Unfortunately we went to see what I expected to be a great concert with Diana Reeves but the seating was so uncomfortable that the evening turned out to be more of a chore than a pleasant evening. I had purchased what was a "balcony" seat, which to me means the rows not in the main floor section. What it really means is a top row sitting on high swivel, narrow chairs which we so uncomfortable that I could not sit for more than five minutes without trying to reposition myself. I watched my fellow sufferers constantly shuffling in their seats, standing up to relieve the pain from the backs and limbs and taking short breaks outside. There is nothing on the website that explains that the balcony seats are two rows far above the theatre with unusual seating. When I called the box office to explain, there was no accommodation except to say that I could have asked to be reseated. I found that highly unlikely because the show was sold out. This certainly puts a bad taste in my mouth and makes me fairly sure I will never attend another concert. Mari E. read more

Just love it!!! Fantastic, intimate, very cool venue for music. Have seen a few shows thus far, super relaxed vibe...I found the seats comfortable and the staff very friendly. Looking forward to checking out more shows! read more

How we adore SFJazz. We are members and frequent about 1-3 times a month. We have seen amazing performances here by our favorites including Eric Harland, Zakir Hussain, Charles Lloyd, Lionel Loueke. The sound and ambience are second to none. This is hands-down our favorite venue. Every seat in the house is great! We are so impressed by the ability of the architects, designers, staff and performers to make every show feel so intimate. This venue is modern and clean with fantastic sounds and perspective from every seat. The performance programming is always top-notch and the performances have all been inspiring, mind-blowing and playful. We love the spirit of SFJazz and all involved. Gorgeous venue. Amazing programming. read more

Saw Robert Glasper here again, second year in a row. The venue is amazing you can see perfectly in any seat. Parking is a little troublesome I recommend getting there a little early to find a spot. The sf Jazz is an awesome place. read more

Too sterile for a jazz club - not intimate enough. Expensive seats. Music quality was meh. Seating people throughout the performance was very distracting. "Undercover" series is not well designed. Miles Davis without trumpet?!?!? Lame. read more