As American as the Fourth of July, Jazz is close to the hearts of many in the Bay Area, and thanks to the number of local venues and festivals that feature the eclectic genre, one never has to go hungry.

Though the coming Independence holiday may not make one think of Afro-Cuban rhythms, gospel, or classical jazz standards, thanks to the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco, it does. The Fillmore Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast and draws over 90,000 people over the Independence Day weekend to Fillmore Street in San Francisco, making it as much a part of the Fourth of July the past twenty-five years as fireworks over Crissy Field. Though the festival began in the mid-80s, the history of jazz in the area dates back to the World War II era when jazz clubs along Fillmore Street played host to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holliday. The festival pays tribute to its roots and history and has become one of the most anticipated festivals in San Francisco each year. We also love this year’s poster art which was created by local favorite Michael Schawb out of San Anselmo.

If the new toll has you hesitant to travel across the bridge, then just head to the Marin County Fair where the famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs twice on the Fourth. For another option for listening to jazz this weekend, and every Friday through August 27, check out Jazz and Blues By The Bay at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito. Also, many restaurants, including the Sand Dollar in Stinson Beach, offer nightly jazz.  

Do you have a favorite spot to listen to jazz in Marin?

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Posted by:  Frank Howard Allen Realtors