Kuumbwa Jazz Center - Jazz club in Santa Cruz - 320-2 Cedar St, USA

Best intimate music venue with the best acoustics I have experienced. I love coming, for jazz, Celtic music and more.

Every December we went and see Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola perform on this stage 🤩 always super fun!

Chef and kitchen staff are very nice. Everything else, terribly organized, boomer mess. Sells more tickets than there are seats. Bad selection of performers. The kind of stuff only white American boomers would be impressed by. Bad atmosphere. Everybody is racist. While my wife and I were looking for seats some white lady came up to me and said, "There's seats outside" (outside the building). It was a cold November night btw. Not worth $150 per concert just to be crammed in with racist, rude, old people. Unless you enjoy very entitled geriatrics pushing past you saying " I NEED to get through " I NEED to get water" "I NEED this NEED that" , looking at you like you are trash, then I would not recommend this place.

Wonderful experience as always. Been enjoying this club since I was a youngster. The highest quality friendly kind people work and volunteer here. Music is always great. Don't change a thing.

A very neat, tucked away little music venue. I really liked how cozy it felt. They served dinner items and sweets before the show, and had a nice little bar to grab drinks before or during. The skylight provided ambient lighting during the show, which was a nice touch. Very good acoustics. Would definitely go to see a show here again!

Best venue in the Bay Area hands down. I’d rate kuumbwa 6 stars if I could!!!! Thank you for all the amazing shows, keep them coming 👍

There's nowhere quite like the Kuumbwa, and I love it that way. For reference, I am biased: my partner is one of the sound guys, and I joined the team in April 2023 as a volunteer. But holy hell, I have never found such a hidden gem quite like the K. This is the spot for jazz in the greater Monterey Bay, and perhaps even beyond that; Tim Jackson has created a master class of jazz venues, and it shows throughout every aspect of the space. If you're coming for a show, make sure to stop by the bar for reasonably priced beers, wines, and non-alc options. Plus, order the special dinner from the cafe (always delightful and expertly crafted) and DO NOT FORGET, I repeat, DO NOT FORGET to get dessert. My favorites? The tofu chocolate mousse pie and/or the carrot cake — hell, GET BOTH! And then there's the jazz! From legends like Oz Noy to Hiromi to Hermeto Pascoal, it's time to get into this music! There's no time like the present — truly, all of those acts are from just this year!

Great place to have an intimate interaction with the performers. Went to see SonoMusette, songs of Edith Piaf and 20th Century Paris. Wonderfully enchanting and all extremely talented musicians