San Francisco sessions
Your jam session info hub
Lucky Horseshoe
When: Jazz Jam 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Wednesdays 8:30pm-12amWhere: Lucky Horseshoe, 453 Cortland Ave 415.282.3456
Host: Dirty Works Jazz Jam hosted by Kyle Finley
Signup required for new players. Name, Song, & Key. All new players and singers must sign up before playing with the band.
Link to host's page here for more info. [Updated by host Mar 2026]
Ocean Ale House
When: 2nd Thursday Blues Session 7-10pm Host: Raag & NortonWhen: Wednesdays Jazz Session 7-10pm Host: Noah Frank
Where: Ocean Ale House , 1314 Ocean Avenue, SF 415-988-7521
Relatively new session in the Ingleside area. Expect a few SFSU students for the jazz sessions. [added Jan 2025 by SJ]
Swig
When: Sunday blues jam 9pm - closeWhere: Swig Bar, 561 Geary Street, SF 415.931.7292
Host: Emma Jean
Long-running session with high quality, but a poor reputation for welcoming newcomers. Only visit if you have no other option and nothing better to do. FB link is light on info. [updated March 2025 by SJ]
Madrone Art Bar
When: Sunday jazz session 9pm-closeWhere: Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero @ Fell 415.241.0202 (info line only)
Host: Mike Olmos, Adam Shulman
Straight-ahead jazz, good players can sit in. Some of the former Club Deluxe scene ended up here.
Still going per venue site calendar. "Swinging soul jazz with a jam session to follow 9pm-Close, No Cover". Send a review and let us know what they're playing these days. [Updated by SJ June 2025]
Persona
When: Monday jazz jam 8pm-1:30amWhere: Persona Social Club, 685 Sutter Street, SF 415.400.4598
Host: Kyle Finley & The Dirty Works Jazz Band
Signup required for new players. Name, Song, & Key. All new players and singers must sign up before playing with the band. Link to host's page here for more info. [updated by host Mar 2026]
Hop Oast
When: occasional 2nd and 4th Friday evening casual acoustic jam 5-7:30pm
Where: Hop Oast, 2887 Bryant St, SF 415-795-1972
Host: Dirty Works Acoustic Jam hosted by Kyle Finley
Signup required for new players. Name, Song, & Key. All new players and singers must sign up before playing with the band. Walk-ins welcome. **contact host to confirm date before attending.** Link to host's page here for more info. [Updated by host Mar 2026]
Woods Lowside
When: Mondays open jazz jam 7-9pm
Where: Woods Beer & Wine Co., 530 Haight Street, SF (415) 548-5734
Host: Lucien Muir
Newer session that started April 2025. Per host IG page backline includes amps and piano/keys, and singers welcome. Recommend call ahead due to the newness. Recent IG video of a session.
Link to host's IG . [Added by DS Oct 2025]
Hayes Valley Art Works
When: Monthly Jazz Jam last Saturday 1-4pmWhere: Hayes Valley Art Works, 295 Oak Street @ Octavia, SF (no phone provided)
Host: Babs
Signups in advance preferred. . Anything goes but Jazz is the focus. Sliding scale donation of $10-20 sliding scale is requested; no one turned away but we need to pay our core musicians. Jammers requested to put in added $5 tip per tune.
Please choose tunes available in iReal. Paper charts discouraged due to outdoor environment (wind). Advanced signups called first, 1 tune, if time permits a 2nd tune. If there is a rain forecast we will update on instagram.
Session link here. . Session FB link . Session IG link . [Added by host Aug 2025]
Hotel Utah
When: Sunday night Pro Blues Jam 6-10pm
Where: The Hotel Utah Saloon, 500 4th St, SF, 415-546-6300
Host: Rotating
Jam appears to have moved to Pier 23 (see below).
Pier 23
When: Sunday afternoon Pro Blues Jam 4-7pm
Where: Pier 23 Cafe & Bar, Pier 23, The Embarcadero, SF, (415) 362-5125
Host: Rotating
Host FB link Session FB link
Current meeting spot for the session previously at Hotel Utah. Rotating hosts including Sean Donoghue, Walter Jebe, Raag & Norton, Pete Madsen and others in SF and Peninsula blues scenes. [added by SJ Mar 2026]
Waystone
When: Monday jazz jam 6-9pm
Where: Waystone Wine Bar, 1609 Powell St., San Francisco (415) 932-6835
Host: Varies
Venue IG link
Weekly jazz jam in a cozy spot. Judging from the photo, some are reading books, some aren't. Some recent Youtube videos of the session are out there. [Added by SJ Aug 2025]
SFJAM at SFJazz
When: Monthly Monday open jazz jam session 7-9pm
Where: SFJazz, 201 Franklin Street • San Francisco 866.920.5299
Host: varies - check schedule
Session web link
Monthly jazz jam with shifting dates - check the Session web link for upcoming dates and Spotify playlist of pre-selected tunes. If you're looking for some place to get your Latin on, take a look.
[From the director] "All backline is provided: piano, guitar amp, bass amp, drum kit and also a Nord keyboard. When we do Latin-themed jams we also provide congas and timbales. With a few exceptions, the repertoire is played in the Real Book keys. On occasion the lead artist may introduce an original tune, and we anticipate that a vocalist may ask to change a given key to suit their range. We provide the playlists to provide jammers with recorded references mainly for inspiration." All sessions are free - players requested to sign up on the specific link for each session.
Some recent Youtube videos of the session available. Contact education director with any questions. [Added by host Sep 2025]
Paris 75
When: Django Tuesday night jazz jam 7-10pm
When: Thursday night weekly open jazz jam 8-11
Where: Paris 75, 515 Broadway, San Francisco, (415) 936-3266
Host: (Tuesday) The North Beach Django - (Thursday) Dirty Works Jazz Band
Venue email: paris75@lppsf.com Venue FB link Venue IG link
Flyers on venue IG for Tuesdays: "acoustic sitter-inners welcome after 1st set. A new international community international jazz series."
This is a fairly new session and calling ahead is strongly recommended. Hosts should be very open to your favorite Francophones - send a review and let us know if they're playing Serge.
Host IG message: "The FREE community jazz night where anything Djangoes ... After the first set by Ned Boynton, Eddie Scher, and Kenan O'Brien, we open the floor to acoustic sitters-inners, vocalists... From Eurotreasure to the American Songbook." Tues Host IG link [Updated by SJ Mar 2026]
Thursday session host note: Keys, Bass, and drums on set. Guitar amp available. The 1st Thursday of the month we have a burlesque dancer that joins us for the 9 o'clock set. Link to host's page here for more info. [Updated by host Mar 2026]
Stookey's Blue Room
When: Wednesdays jazz jam 8-11pm
Where: Stookey's Blue Room, 891 Bush St, San Francisco (415) 387-2441
Host: Rotating
Drop-in jazz jam session, lead by rotating hosts. In addition to a two drink minimum or a $20 spend from each guest and musician, a $5-$10 donation is requested for the House band. [Added by SJ Aug 2025]
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