Awesome jazz and live music shows all the time. Good food, great service, and very cool people who run the place.

Kuumbwa Jazz Center is one of the best venues in the Bay Area. World class artists in a homey, intimate, friendly setting. Come casual or dressed to the nines. All ages are welcome and encouraged. One of the best Non Profits you can belong to. Mike Stern, Jeff Lorber, Jimmy Haslip & Dave Weckl blew us away!

This is one of the best music venues in not just Santa Cruz, not just California but in the entire U.S. Major jazz artists play here between gigs in San Francisco or Oakland and Southern California. The acoustics are marvelous, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Fabulous!

If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I would! The talent that walks through that door is mind-blowing! I saw Kandace Springs last night and this woman (and the drummer, Taylor and the bass, Caitlin) are going straight to the top. WOW!!!

Always awesome being in some an intimate venue. Everyone Ive watched perform was wonderful.Shout out to Stanley Clarke! Wow!

Great intimate venue. They are able to get some of the best musicians in the world and you are no more than 20 ft from the stage in any seat. They also serve great food and wine. Its the perfect date spot!

We really enjoyed spending time in Kuumbwa. The venue is perfect for musical performances. A large stage with awesome acoustics in the room it faces. We were here for a fundraising concert for prostate cancer awareness and felt that the venue was perfect for hosting music of all sorts.

Great music venue. No bad seat. Good sound. A fun evening

Amazing treasure that pulls in world class acts in an intimate venue. Also has great food and drink available during the sets. Get there early to get the best seats.

Warm, human music is made here, with wine and food offered by volunteers, totally charming and often frequented by major musicians en route to SF or LA

Great intimate club to see music. Unless you want to be sitting almost on the stage, dont bother paying for Gold Circle seating. Nice bar and tasty goodies. Acoustics are great and you wont suffer ear ring for the next day. It can be tricky to find because the only sign on Cedar (1street west of Pacific) is a smallish marquee. This is one place worth looking for.

Cozy; yes, too cozy! I wont go anymore after assessing it as a firetrap. They cram in too many seating rows and sometimes dont unlock the back door (second exit). The entertainment is great.

Cozy venue. Great sound. Friendly atmosphere. Nice bar selection. Delicious food from their kitchen. Arrive early for open seating (most good seats = reserved for members. Just wish there was a curtain covering the kitchen doorway (bright light, dish noise, & talking)....

The hidden musical gem of Norcal, showcasing everyone from big name jazz acts to local aspirationals for over 30 years. Add the tiny but excellent menu and the well-curated wine and beer lists, and youve got a cant-miss venue.

The Kuumbwa is a small well appointed venue with excellent accustics and a very friendly and helpful staff. The seats are sometimes removed providing dance space and the main area is separate from the refreshments by a short wall. The refreshments are has a desert bar, beer and wine bar and coat check. Its easy to move around and get served. The large stage and small seating area insures everyone gets a good view of the performers. Not much parking near by but very worth the short walk.

Great, small music venue. Sound is good everywhere.

Overall its a nice place. The ginger molasses cake was awesome! The seats were a little too hard to sit on for more than an hour and too close to each other. The restrooms are placed in the wrong place. Every time someone got up to go, you notice it because the hallway to the restrooms is next to/ same side as the stage.

No bad seats here. Chester Thomson Quartet was fire! Wonderful place.

I attend Sin Sisters Burlesque here every month. Very nice facility, theres a beer and wine bar, plus sweets and nachos are available from the kitchen, and an enclosed courtyard outside the main entrance. Seating is individual chairs set side by side, so it can be a little crowded feeling if youre a bigger person (as some of the folks in my group are) towards the middle of a row. Chairs are reasonably comfortable for what they are (two hours is about my limit), and VIP seats have tables in front of them to rest drink, snacks and cellphones on (dont know if this is the standard set up). Place is all on level ground, so handicapped and wheelchair access should be acceptable (isles do get a bit crowded during breaks).

Great jazz center that hosts a wide range of performances. I wish they had some sort of food option for the college student type budget but even their cheapest option was like $6 I think but I’m happy they hosted the UCSC jazz band and more and the venue had a good amount of seating though it is hard to move around

A very intimate, small venue that delivers huge performances. Whether it be local acts or international prodigies, you will be thrilled with the music quality. You can get wine and beer and some food selections, including dessert. Reservations are recommended but dont let not having one deter you from coming to this great music spot.

Great place for Jazz music while having dinner.

Small, quaint and intimate setting. The sound was not over powering or hard to hear. The seating arrangement was spaced comfortably and if you have a dinner show a table seat had plenty of room for your meal. Wine seemed to be the drink of choice with beer and soft drinks available in smaller selections. I would recommend to my family and friends.

An intimate venue for Jazz and other musical performances...I have seen comedy there as well. There are no bad seats in the house and they serve local wines and beers! Love it!

Very good acoustics, not too loud.

Seating at the high top by the bar was very crowded at times but it also made it very enjoyable to see the whole show(being short and all). Overall clean and well set up.

Great venue, always good musicians and the staff is outstanding.

Uniquely Santa Cruz. Classy jazz acts, in an intimate venue.

Billy Holiday Tribute ... Great Show !!

This place is so nice!It was a serendipitous discovery when I went for Charlie Hunters performance.Its now in my watch list for interesting concerts ;)Definitively recommended!

Nice comfy, cozy smallish venue to see great acts.

Venue is great. The sound system here is very good and sound is great. Seating is a little hard as no one can get past when your saeted but that a small price. They have very good music acts here so give it a try especially for jazz.

Fantastic local nonprofit jazz venue. The greats have and do play here. Plus the fantastic Sin Sisters Burlesque every second Saturday.Not a bad seat in the house.

Great music venue, seen lots of shows there. 200 max occupancy

Music and staff get 5 stars. Seating..could be improved if rearranged. Or with roomier walk space by 5 inches. Its hard to get in seats in narrow rows. Comfortable however, too. Understand the situation. Love the venue. Great acts, sound,food etc. Owners and volunteers all great.

Easily the coolest jazz club in the bay area

We have seen many different artists at Kuumbwa and have not been disappointed. It is a cozy venue where the audience can connect with the artists. At times finding parking can be an adventure, but its worth it.

Great space for the Grad Slam.

Best jazz club in the Bay area...comparable to Yoshis.

This place is the perfect size for comedians...very clean and well cared for by all the hard working staff...thanks for a great night

Always a good time at Kumbwa, artists, acoustics, ambience.

Amazing quaint place with great friendly staff.

Nice venue for great music.

Intimate venue for performances. It was a treat to see performance so close to the stage. Food was interesting, and healthy comfort type cuisine. I would like to give a higher rating, but must admit that I had an uncomfortable situation with a staff member which placed an umbra over my visit.

We come here whenever theres Grateful Dead music on the bill. They finally figured out that we need room to dance, and they now remove most of the tables and chairs :). They serve a good chili dinner, veg or meat, with yummy cornbread. Dessert, coffee, wine and beer. The GF chocolate cake is delish! Thank you, Kuumbwa, for a real good time. ;)

Kuumbwa Jazz Center is a topnotch venue ranging from the acoustics, ambiance and the intimacy of a smaller venue. Management is friendly and welcoming. Superb food and wine available makes for a fun evening. Theres a reason theyve been thriving since 1975. Highly recommend it.

Nice place that serves great beans and corn bread.

One of the best venues for live music on the west coast - intimate, great sound quality, engaged audiences, great performers. As you might guess from the name, jazz is a regular on the schedule. But lots of other genres of artists perform here too. If youre looking for a good show in Santa Cruz area, be sure to check who is at kuumbwa. And the quick meals and wine and beer list are great also.

Acoustics good friendly crowd

Small, intimate venue with world-class jazz artists. They typically serve food, beer and wine. Every seat in the house is great, but only the front half has tables, so if you want to eat you should go early and get your seat.

Do you like seeing artists in small, intimate venues? You will LOVE the Kuumbwa.

Perfect intimate venue. Excellent music. Heard an amazing performance one night at the Kuumbwa. Their next stop was the Lincoln Center in NY. So lucky to have this club in our town.

Wonderful intimate venue. Lots of music to choose from...mostly jazz but Ive seen wonderful local bands and out if town Celtic performers here. Great sound. Food, beer and wine available. $$$ based on performer.

Always great music to be enjoyed at Kuumbwa Jazz Center. A marvelous non- profit that gives so much to the community, with amazing shows in an intimate setting, educational programs for youth, and scrumptious food made in house, and a well stocked bar as well. WE KUUMBWA!

Intimate jazz venue. Many seats have small tables so you can get something to eat and/or a drink to enjoy with the performance.

Love the Kuumbwa. Great shows, friendly staff, nice (private) bathrooms, really good selection of snacks, food, and drink to round out your night.

Great acoustics, the music booked there is always good.

This is the Jazz venue for miles around! U have to make sure U attend a live concert at the Kuumbwa! Food and drinks round out great entertainment experiences at the Kuumbwa!

Great performances, and nice place to see them.

Great community resource for outstanding performances and true appreciation for music and artists. Love the educational programs and outreach, too! A gem for our community!

A Santa Cruz treasure. Known worldwide but grown locally! Great music and best of all its run by a group of dedicated staff and volunteers that bring extremely cozy and warm vibes to all that visit this musical oasis.

Great place to listen to live music. The theater is small so everyone gets a great view. Prices are reasonable. Nice variety of jazz and folk musicians; some pretty well known.

Saw Ramblin Jack Elliott live, aside from the doors opening later than expected, the venue was clean, audio good, and all around enjoyable.

Amazing world class concert venue. Every seat in the room is great and the sound is phenomenal. All concerts are seated.

Great music but seats were packed in very close together with barely room to breath. Id like to return when it is not a sold out performance like Lee Rittenour and Dave Grusin!!

Kuumbwa is the best jazz center for miles! Go there to enjoy performances by talented music artists. Have a dinner date in this rare Santa Cruz gem.

Very nice intimate jazz club in Santa Cruz.

The best music

Nice venue, the food is really bland, expensive for what it is and regrettable. I had the unsalted chili, unimpressive corn bread, and lettuce salad.

Iconic venue attracts the best jazz performers (and more) because the audience is always great, the sound is great, and it all runs beautifully. Almost certainly the best place to listen in the San Francisco region.

Intimate venue. A bit crowded when you cram everybody in for a popular show, but probably my favorite spot to see an artist play here in town. Surprisingly good food from the kitchen, if you didnt get to eat before the show.

Great jazz venue. Intimate. Very friendly staff and good food!

This is a great venue for music. Ive seen Barbara Higbee, Makana, Jeff Coffin and several others at the Kuumbwa. The setting is intimate, the sound is great, the server real food cooked on premise. They have a very good and well priced wine list and a decent beer selection. Its my favorite venue for music.

Good dessert menu and fine beers, but the seating was a bit unkind to my upper back pain. By the time the 2 hour show I attended let out, I needed time on a yoga roller to realign.

Great place to listen to music. Small plate dinners prepared and served by a volunteer staff are nearly always good.

Very small intimate venue, seating a couple hundred max. Super friendly staff and audience. Beer and wine, light meals. Most of all, fantastic music.

THIS IS WHERE TO GO FOR JAZZ!!! GOOD FOOD TOO. GO EARLY TO GET IN LINE GOT THE OPEN SEATINGll, BUT THERE ISNT ACTUALLY A BAD SEAT IN THIS FAIRLY SMALL VENUE.

Small but fun venue. We really enjoy the shows here.

Wonderful venue, a treasure of Santa Cruz, musically, educationally, and culturally

Great little jazz club. Michael Brecker called it the Jazz Oasis

Saw knower here. Great environment, great sound. Tons of fun

Best opportunity to hear world class jazz in a small intimate venue almost anywhere

This review is meant for people between the ages of 25 and 35. Those outside of that range please take this opportunity to leave the room. Ill wait.Okay. So listen. You may be the only one in your generation in the room. I know that can be weird, like you went to visit your parents but then they were going to a dinner party and your plans fell through and you didnt feel like cooking so you just went with them for the food.But.The music is great. Just grit your teeth and try not to feel too uncomfortable. You can do it. Youre an adult. Trust me.Oh wait, nobodys even in here.

S small intimate review with great seating and great acoustics. The best part is the quality of the performers. I saw Geoff muldaur and Jim kweskin playing acoustic guitar and banjo plain Classics as well as brand new creations. I didnt stop smiling through the whole evening. A memorable night in a great venue.

Wonderful show at the Kuumbwa!

Great spot, good sound, no bad seats. -1 because the lighting technician left one of the spotlights and the glare in my eyes required me to keep my eyes closed for much of the show..

Wonderful venue! Weve seen many shows here over the years, many excellent musicians.

Intimate jazz club, great sound. Beer and wine, and dinner is usually available with a limited menu.

Great venue, wonderful music! Poor parking options.

Awesomeness

Went in search of live music and found this place offering the Sin Sisters. Fantabulous.... dont miss em.

Amazing ambience and acoustics with high level musicianship constantly rolling through. Tucked away off an alley in downtown makes it a fine location with surprising great access to parking.

Incredible, top-name jazz artists... Great sound... In a space the size of a really big living room. I like seeing jazz up close and personal -- and this is the place for it.In the last twenty years, Ive seen artists like John McLaughlin, Max Roach, Bill Frisell, Carolina Chocolate Drops (not jazz, but a phenomenal show!), the SF Jazz Collective, and many more.Except for a small selection of reserved seats (usually, part of the center section of rows 2&3), all the seating is general admission. So if youre willing to arrive 30-60 mins before showtime, you can choose your spot, then grab some food/beer/wine from the window in back, and wait for the fireworks to begin.Since I usually try to arrive early, its rare that I sit more than ten feet from the performers. More often, I sit _at_ their feet. 8-)

Long line for drinks. Got warm in there by end of show

Had a great tyme watching Stanley Clark

Great venue for music. Some times big names in a small venue . Great time every time.

Great music and great food!

Downbeat magazine rates it one of the 100 best jazz clubs in the world.

Cool venue in a strange location. No parking except on the street. Drinks seemed overpriced but the sound was excellent. Seating was a little cramped and they need a second exit.

Great space for music, food and drinks