San Jose Jazz

🎷 Ever get pulled in by the music on a show like Hacks or Netflix's Insiders? Then you've already heard Alicia Camiña, even though you might not know her name.

Friday, October 23, the saxophonist steps out from behind the screen and onto the SJZ Break Room stage. ✨ Her sound is built on the flamenco phrasing of her Andalusian roots, woven through jazz harmony and a modern producer's ear. 💃

🎟️ Come discover your next favorite artist at the Break Room! sanjosejazz.org/tickets.

Watch our 2026 Summer Jazz Camp recap! 🎥👇

🎷 Two weeks. 100+ young musicians. One serious jazz education.

Camp took over Santa Clara High School June 15–26, with middle and high schoolers digging into improvisation, big band, combos and a brand-new vocal track, led by Camp Director Oscar Pangilinan and special guest Gretchen Parlato. 🎶

The magic of Camp. ✨ Hear it for yourself. 👇

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3FFB9bc8TU

San Jose ranked 29th out of 34 North American cities for downtown vibrancy. But rankings only tell you where you are, not where you could go.

In a piece that originally appeared in the Silicon Valley Business Journal, San Jose Jazz Executive Director Brendan Rawson argues the fix isn't incremental policy tweaks. It's a bold investment in the place where San Jose began: the historic central Plaza and former Circle of Palms.

San José's 250th anniversary in 2027 is the occasion. A grand public plaza worthy of its history as the birthplace of the California Dream.

Improving downtown San Jose vibrancy and Plaza park can be accomplished together Recently, Gensler Research Institute released a study ranking San Jose 29th out of 34 North American cities assessed on downtown vibrancy. Just behind Pittsburgh, tied with Indianapolis, and a smidge above Baltimore.

Remember the spectacular, monumental alebrijes we brought to San Jose for Summer Fest 2025? ✨ Now you can make your own!

hosts a FREE 4-part workshop series where you'll explore the history, culture and magic of alebrijes, then sculpt and paint your very own.

The best part? Your alebrije becomes part of the actual set for Teatro Visión's Día de los Mu***os production, Alebrijes by Georgina Escobar. Your art, on stage this October. 🎭

Reserve your spot: teatrovision.org/alebrijes_workshop

Day one brought the energy from the very first note, and we're still riding the high. Swipe through a few favorites from Friday, with a full gallery coming soon as we look back on the whole weekend.

From the iconic Patti LaBelle and the Afro-Cuban All Stars to the "exuberant spectacle" of Trombone Shorty's closing performance, Yoshi Kato gives a rundown on Summer Fest 2026. Read about the virtuosity and the vibe of a memorable Fest on the DownBeat website.

San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest Offers a Wide Palette of Music It was a momentous weekend for San Jose Jazz, the 40-year-old presenting and educational non-profit, and its annual Summer Fest. With headliners such as Trombone Shorty, Cory Wong and Patti LaBelle as well as notable sets by…