Yoshi's began in 1973 as a small, North Berkeley sushi bar owned by a trio of struggling students with plenty of dreams. Its founder and namesake, Yoshie Akiba, orphaned during World War II, came to the U.S. to study fine arts, dance and dance therapy. She opened Yoshi's Japanese Restaurant with her two best friends Kaz Kajimura, a journalist and carpenter, and Hiroyuki Hori, a painter and Japanese cook. The original North-Berkeley, 25-seat restaurant quickly became successful and by 1977 the three partners moved to a larger space on Claremont Avenue in Oakland and began introducing live music in their restaurant. Over the next 20 years, Yoshi's built itself into one of the world's most respected jazz venues and won a reputation as the Bay Area's premier location for people who were looking for great food and the best jazz. Yoshi's has hosted legendary jazz greats such as Betty Carter, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Harry Connick Jr. and Oscar Peterson among hundreds of others.
Whats happening this Week at Yoshi's Oakland?
Yoshi's Oakland
510 Embarcadero West
Oakland, California 94607
Tuesday, January 6
8pm $16 & 10pm $10
TIMES 4
Wednesday, January 7
8pm $12
PELLEJO SECO
Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9
8pm $20 & 10pm $20
AIRTO MOREIRA & EYEDENTITY and special guests!
Airto Moreira - drums, percussion and vocals
Diana Moreira Booker - vocals and percussion
Krishna Booker - percussion and special vocals effects
Gary Brown - bass and vocals
Grecco Buratto - guitar and vocals
Kit Walker - keyboards
Saturday and Sunday, January 10 and 11
Sat 8pm $22 & 10pm $22
Sun 2pm (Kids Matinee) $5 (ages 15 and under), Adults (with children) $18, Adults $20
Sun 7pm $20
Kenny GARRETT
Monday, January 12
8pm $10 (one show)
JESSE SCHEININ QUARTET
Yoshi's Oakland at Jack London Square
In 1997, Yoshi's was invited by the Port of Oakland to relocate to Jack London Square as part of a plan to revitalize the area. Together with Morimoto Architects, Yoshi's built an award-winning 330-seat jazz club with a state-of-the-art sound system and design. Occupying 17,000 square feet in the heart of Jack London Square, the club is in it's tenth year in that location which has become one of the East Bay's greatest destinations. The restaurant and lounge have a combined capacity of 220. In 1998 Peter Williams was hired as the club's artistic director. Under his leadership, the club has continued to present the finest in jazz music, as well as world music, blues, neo-soul, latin jazz and afro-cuban music. In fall of 2006, Kajimura decided that it was time to elevate the menu to the quality of the jazz by recruiting Executive Chef Shotaro 'Sho' Kamio, one of the Bay Area's top chefs to make the change. Chef Kamio (formerly of Ozumo) brought a whole new generation of modern Japanese cuisine to Yoshi's, which instantly put it on the map as a destination to dine in addition to the best place to hear great live music.
This Week at Yoshi's San Francisco
Yoshi's San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street (at Eddy)
San Francisco, California 94115
Wednesday, January 7
8pm $20 & 10pm $20
GARAJ MAHAL
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 8, 9 and 10
Thurs 8pm $32 & 10pm $32
Fri-Sat 8pm $35 & 10pm $35
Tony Award Winner
Betty Buckley with KENNY WERNER
Sunday, January 11
7pm $18
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
Monday, January 12
8pm $16
CHUCHITO VALDES TRIO
From the front row to the back, there is not a bad seat in the 320 capacity jazz club of Yoshi's. Adorned with a top-of-the-line, custom designed Meyer sound system, a 1998 Steinway 9' Concert D grand piano, state-of-the-art lighting, an unparalleled breadth and quality of programming, and the calming effect of the elegant Japanese design with its simple curves and soft tones, Yoshi's is an extremely inviting atmosphere for all ages, all the time, in a smoke-free environment.
Family Fun: Yoshi's is all ages for all shows, all the time!
All will-call tickets are at the Yoshi's box office. If you get here before the doors open, pick up your tickets from the box office prior to jumping in line. If you get here after the doors open, simply pick up your tickets from the box office and go directly into the jazz house. If you are having dinner and attending a 10:00pm show, pick up your tickets from the box office before sitting down for dinner. When you sit down, show your 10:00pm show tickets to your server and they will reserve seats for you in the jazz house. As a dinner patron, there is no rush to finish your meal because your seats are already reserved. Before the show starts, go into the club, tell the door staff your last name and they will show you to your seats.
Dress Code: Yoshi's does not have a specific dress code. Most patrons usually wear casual attire.
Club Dining: There is a club menu which features sushi, salads, appetizers and dessert, in addition to a full cocktail menu. There is a one-drink minimum in the jazz club.
