As the sixth largest performing arts organization in the San Francisco Bay Area, SFJAZZ
is committed to presenting performances that inspire music lovers. All SFJAZZ programs reflect
a spirit of artistic exploration, embracing the full breadth of jazz and its related musics;
emphasize thematic programming, with tributes to jazz masters and celebrations of particular
musical instruments, trends or styles; and strive to instill enthusiasm for jazz among wider
audiences.
SFJAZZ artistic programs are:
San Francisco Jazz Festival
Hailed by The London Observer as "the best jazz festival in the world,"
the San Francisco Jazz Festival is a two-week celebration of today's best
music. Every fall the Festival presents a phenomenal array of jazz concerts, from the classic
to the avant-garde, gathering the legends of today and the rising stars of tomorrow in premier
venues throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Originally a small-scale event known mostly in the local community, the Festival has risen
to national and international prominence featuring dozens of events, including commissions
of new works by some of the most creative contemporary artists, unique "Jazz on Film"
presentations, family matinee concerts, dance performances, and photography exhibits.
SFJAZZ Spring Season
The primary embodiment of SFJAZZ's expansion as a year-round presenter is the SFJAZZ
Spring Season, a series of themed weekends featuring high-profile jazz concerts,
films, and educational events under the artistic direction of young saxophone superstar
Joshua Redman.
The SFJAZZ Spring Season debuted in 2000 and was an instant critical and commercial success.
Featuring five weekends of events, each showcasing a multi-generational approach to particular
musical instruments and styles, it was "something New Yorkers could get jealous about,"
The New York Times wrote.
SFJAZZ Summerfest
SFJAZZ Summerfest is the organization's annual series of free outdoor concerts,
featuring over 30 events from June through October in parks and commercial centers throughout
the Bay Area. Locations include Transamerica Redwood Park, Stanford Shopping Center, Embarcadero
Center, and Levi's Park Plaza. SFJAZZ Free Outdoors showcases local musicians in noon-time
or late afternoon concerts all free and open to the public, displaying a wide array of styles,
from straight-ahead jazz, to Latin rhythms, swing, blues, and vocals.
SFJAZZ Special Events
In addition to its regular programming, SFJAZZ presents special events throughout the year,
featuring world-renowned performers and one-of-a-kind projects. SFJAZZ Special Events have
included sold-out performances by Cuban music icons and Buena Vista Social Club veterans
Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales, and Omara Portuondo; saxophone legend Sonny Rollins; and
Wynton Marsalis' jazz oratorio "Blood on the Fields."
