Jazz and San Francisco should be synonymous.
But the city was without a top-flight jazz club for nearly 20 years. That was until last November, when Kaz Kajimura and developer Michael Johnson opened a new Yoshi's club and restaurant at 1330 Fillmore St. on the ground floor of the also-new Fillmore Heritage Center. The developers of the 13- story mixed-use center hope to kindle a resurgence in the once bustling Western Addition area of the city.
Kajimura is one of the founders of Yoshi's in Oakland, which began as a sushi bar on Claremont Avenue. The club outgrew its location there, moving to Jack London Square, where it became an institution internationally famed as an artist-approved and audience-friendly jazz venue.
The new San Francisco building, designed by Morimoto, Matano and Kang Architects, has a performance venue of 417 seats, 317 on the ground level and 100 more on a mezzanine. The room is elegant and inviting, without a bad seat to be found. The sound quality is pristine, with recent performers such as clarinetist Don Byron and singer Holly Cole proclaiming their love for the room.
But the city was without a top-flight jazz club for nearly 20 years. That was until last November, when Kaz Kajimura and developer Michael Johnson opened a new Yoshi's club and restaurant at 1330 Fillmore St. on the ground floor of the also-new Fillmore Heritage Center. The developers of the 13- story mixed-use center hope to kindle a resurgence in the once bustling Western Addition area of the city.
Kajimura is one of the founders of Yoshi's in Oakland, which began as a sushi bar on Claremont Avenue. The club outgrew its location there, moving to Jack London Square, where it became an institution internationally famed as an artist-approved and audience-friendly jazz venue.
The new San Francisco building, designed by Morimoto, Matano and Kang Architects, has a performance venue of 417 seats, 317 on the ground level and 100 more on a mezzanine. The room is elegant and inviting, without a bad seat to be found. The sound quality is pristine, with recent performers such as clarinetist Don Byron and singer Holly Cole proclaiming their love for the room.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
