San Jose Jazz Bands

Thanks in advance for reading this article. I appreciate your interest and hope you get a few good ideas. I'd love to hear what you liked. Please write me a little COMMENT below. Start a conversation. Tell me what you think, and I'll reply. Promise.
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San Jose Jazz Bands are tasty morsels in the musical smorgasbord you’ll find in Silicon Valley.  We live in a very culturally diverse area, packed with musical entertainment to please every taste.

I recently wrote a quick survey of the history of San Francisco jazz bands.  Less is known about the early history of jazz bands in San Jose,  At least, according to information available on the internet.  When jazz burst upon the scene in the 1920s (”The Jazz Age”) it quickly became the nation’s popular music.

I imagine people in the San Jose area enjoyed jazz bands playing all over town.  Just like in cities across the country, jazz bands probably provided excitement and entertainment, especially in hotels, restaurants, saloons (speakeasies until 1933), and private parties.

Old timers in San Jose still remember hearing big bands in the 1930s at the De Anza and Sainte Claire hotels.  A generation later people enjoyed hearing local jazz musicians in places like the Kerosene Club and the Hawaiian Gardens (later called the Italian Gardens).

Until recently, a number of nightclubs, including Lou’s Village and The Garden City, featured name entertainment, including touring jazz musicians.

Where can you find a jazz band playing nearby these days?  Many San Jose bulletin boards and online review services list public appearances, and the San Jose jazz society produces an outstanding annual festival and many educational programs throughout the year. Check their calendar.

A typical San Jose jazz band, the Magnolia Jazz Band, entertains primarily at private events these days, but over the years we’ve held many long-standing public engagements throughout the South Bay.  Sorry to say, some of these establishments are no longer in business, but it’s not our fault!

• Carl’s Place (Milpitas)
• The Iron Works (Palo Alto)
• The Onion Barn (Mountain View)
• L’Ommies (Palo Alto)
• St James Hotel (San Mateo)
• Bourbon Street (Mountain View)
• Lord John’s Inn (Santa Clara)
• The Laundry Works (San Jose)
• Louisiana Territory (Mountain View)
• Brandon’s (Milpitas)
• The Embassy Suites (Milpitas)
• Gervais (Saratoga)

Speaking of history, this is the earliest photo of the band, at a Cupertino picnic in 1975.  I’m in the lower right.  Can’t read my mind through all that hair, but I’m probably enjoying one of my first glimmerings of making a living as a musician.  Times change, and we’ve come a long way since then, but Gary Milliken (second row, second from the left) and I still work together.

Bottom Line: Jazz is alive and well in Silicon Valley.  Choose your favorite style, check the online schedules, and catch a live performance of one of dozens of San Jose jazz bands.

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Meanwhile, the Magnolia Jazz Band entertains at weddings and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are ever nearby, you’ll love catching us in action, seeing and hearing us create a great mood.

How can I help you? Call 408-245-9120 or use [email protected]. Planning a celebration? Ask about our availability.

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