Yoshi's

Yoshi's is the best jazz and blues club in the Bay Area. There are several other places to see live jazz in the Bay Area at small venues and larger concert halls, but Yoshi's gets the atmosphere, size, and acoustics just right. For years, I thought I didn't like jazz until I watched several parts of Ken Burn's excellent jazz documentary and saw a live jazz show for the first time.

Bit by bit I saw more jazz shows, and when I went to Yoshi's for the first time, I found the most authentic and well-rounded jazz experience. The music sounds great there and the club is small enough that you can see the interaction between musicians and the improvisation that makes jazz so interesting to watch. The club is slightly tiered so that even in the back you can still see the show. It is set up with curved booths and small round tables. Yoshi's is located in Jack London Square, a refurbished part of the Oakland waterfront.

Yoshi's also has a sushi restaurant. I've only eaten there once and it was a while ago so I can't remember how good it was. The upside to eating at the restaurant is that they will reserve good seats for you at the club while you eat. At the concert you can order appetizers, desserts and drinks.

Prices of the shows vary depending on the day and time. It can be an inexpensive experience if you go for a late show early in the week or it can get really expensive if you on the weekend, eat in the restaurant, and order a bunch of cocktails. There are typically two shows a night and more popular artists will usually play on more than one night. They are building another Yoshi's San Francisco which is supposed to open in the fall.