kuumbwa jazz center

This place has been here for years and I am constantly reminded how great a place it is every time I go there. Not a bad seat in the house and a nice sound system as well. They servedrinks and some food. We went to dinner at one of the local spots before the show. Very casual atmosphere.

You can tell how cool this place is by looking at the other reviews. One more perspective I guess.Was lucky enough to see Jeff Coffin here w/ Felix Pastorius on bass. You like jazz?? you like actually seeing the people play, you like it when you know the guy behind you is not talking about his day at work? Then come here and get here now.Kuumbwa has been around for about 40 years now. They do a lot of work w/ the community in keeping the art of music alive. They have local talent as well as bring in many well known people. Holds about 200 people in chairs (a few tables), layout is good also - so not a bad seat in the house (also room for wheelchairs). You can tell the musicians really like the atmosphere as well. At our concert they were relaxed, laughing, playing their hearts out and laterl hung out and talked w/ the guests, signed autographs, sold cd's etc.They serve wine, beer and also have food for sale (we did not eat here). All in all a very relaxing, enjoyable evening.It is downtown so their is street parking as well as some parking lots around - seemed like there was plenty of places to go to. We ended up staying in a place so we could just walk to the venue. You just gotta go here for the music - you will walk away with a smile and a song in your head.

A gem worth seeking out for visitors to Santa Cruz who want to hear quality music. I don't have much to add to the other reviews, just wanted to include a more recent entry. The vibe is great and musicians seem to love performing here. Occasionally they will use a larger facility for shows that are likely to attract bigger crowds - the Rio Theater or even the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.Sign up to receive their calendar. www.kuumbwajazz.org.

A lovely venue - wide variety of musical experiences offered - they go out of their way to make sure they have jazz as well as other styles of music in a comfortable and serene setting. NO WAY to get a bad seat - excellent layout. Tasty food helps too - sitting down, being comfortable, relaxing, nice dinner - what more could you ask? SO NICE to have a "civilized" atmosphere to hear music in a clean place with concern for the patrons' happiness and well being. Hard to park in this downtown area, but it can be done! Leave enough time to go around a ~few~ times! Worth every minute to enjoy the ambiance and music - oftentimes more than one show is booked for popular artists to ensure everyone gets in! You WILL enjoy yourself here, and return !

As members, my husband and I adore escaping to the Kuumbwa on Monday nights for the best jazz in the Bay Area. We have had the privilege of being part of the audience here for 21 years. Get the always freshly made and delicious vegetarian chili with salad, cornbread, and chips. A deal at $10. Add a glass of local Santa Cruz Mountains wine or a pint of local brew, and you are in Heaven by the sea. The Kuumbwa Jazz Club has been in operation in Santa Cruz for 37 years, but feels like a well-kept secret and still going strong. It's a real treasure. Not one bad seat in the house, and the music is always world class.

Kuumbwa has been THE place for jazz in Santa Cruz for at least three decades. It's structured as a cooperative, and concerts are typically scheduled 2-3 nights a week. Traveling musicians with national reputations are often booked for the night before, or the night after, a booking in a San Francisco Bay Area venue, most often on Mondays and Thursdays. Less known musicians perform at other times, sometimes presented by the Kuumbwa cooperative, sometimes by others who rent the venue for the evening. Like most major jazz clubs, Kuumbwa is a concert venue, where people come to LISTEN to the music. Conversation is welcome before and between sets, but rude and unwelcome during the performances. If you want to have a couple of beers and hang out with friends, please find another place to do it. The pleasant performance space has a thrust stage big enough for about eight pieces, with seating surrounding it on three sides. Sight lines are good, the sound mix varies from very good when it's not overly amplified, to barely tolerable when it is, and seems to depend on who's working that night. The piano is pretty decent. Seating is reasonably comfortable. For most Kuumbwa-produced concerts, food from a limited, but quite satisfying menu is prepared and served by volunteers. I like the chili with meat, served with salad, cornbread, and taco chips; my wife likes the veggie version. There's always a nightly special, usually with salad and veggies. There's also a bar serving a quite decent selection of beers and wines. Many regular patrons line up a few minutes before the doors open at 6 pm to claim un-reserved seating, then head for kitchen and bar, and are finished with dinner by the time the first set begins at 7 pm. Tickets for the most popular musical groups are sold separately for sets at 7 pm or 9 pm. When the second set is not sold out, patrons from the first set are invited to stay, but with those holding tickets for the second set given seating preference. Parking is generally pretty easy, either on the street or in nearby city-run lots. You don't have to feed meters on the street after 8 pm, while those on lots may go later.

Wonderful venue with top name jazz. Great food, beverages and gift shop too.

Comfortable, intimate jazz venue that features top quality talent. I first attended a concert there in the late 1970s and for some reason didn't return until 2003, but have returned several times since. Mose Allison twice, Brian Auger and Joey DeFrancesco plus a couple others. Dinner, drinks & snacks are available. Haven't personally partaken of the food, but it appears to be appetizing & quite a few patrons have ordered it at the shows I've attended