The 1950s and 1960s were the heydays for jazz in San Francisco. Here are three nightclubs that played an important part in bringing jazz to the City By The Bay.
Jazz Workshop
473 Broadway Street
Peaked in the 1960s.
Notable Performers:
- Miles Davis
- Cannonball Adderley
- Gerry Mulligan
- Stan Getz
- Horace Silver
- John Coltrane,
- Dizzy Gillespie
Notable Recordings:
- Cannonball Adderley Jazz Workshop Revisited (1962)
- Thelonious Monk Live at the Jazz Workshop (1964)
- Charles Mingus Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop (1964)
- Jack McDuff Brother Jack at the Jazz Workshop Live! (1964)
- Ahmad Jamal Naked City Theme (1964)
- Max Roach Speak Brother Speak (1963)
- Cannonball Adderley Cannonball Adderley In San Francisco (1959)
The Blackhawk
Corner of Turk Street and Hyde Street
Open from 1949 to 1963.
Notable Performers:
- Miles Davis
- Cal Tjader
- Thelonious Monk
- Shelly Manne
- Mongo Santamaría.
- Dave Brubeck Quartet
- John Coltrane
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Chet Baker
- Vince Guaraldi
- Stan Getz,
- Mary Stallings
- Johnny Mathis
- Art Blakey
- Shorty Rogers
- Art Pepper
- Art Farmer
- Gerry Mulligan
- Horace Parlan
- Russ Freeman
- Art Tatum
Notable Recordings:
- Miles Davis In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete (1961)
- Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk Quartet Plus Two at the Blackhawk (1960)
- Shelly Manne At the Black Hawk 1, 2, 3, 4 (1959)
- Cal Tjader Jazz at the Blackhawk (1957)
- Dave Brubeck Jazz At The Blackhawk (1956)
Basin Street West
401 Broadway
Open from 1964 to 1973 (transitioned to rock in the late 60s).
Notable Performers:
- Duke Ellington
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Eddie Cano
- Hampton Hawes
© 2019 David Biagini, all rights reserved.
