In a last-minute reprieve, the Sausalito City Council and City Manager Chris Zapata have funded a shortened Sausalito Jazz and Blues by the Bay season for 2021, returning after last year’s pandemic hiatus. Here are the key facts:
When: Every Friday night from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, starting July 2 (a one-time no-frills opening show with no reserved tables) through August 27 (with all other shows after July 2 following the usual table reservation system and rules.)
Update: The July 2 event will feature seminal Sausalito musician Joe Tate and the Blue Monday Band. They have played the No Name Bar and Sausalito Cruising Club for many years. 50 years ago Joe was a leader of The Redlegs, a local band that played gigs at The Ark and other local venues alongside the leading bands of the psychedelic San Francisco rock scene.
2021 Schedule
The full schedule for 2021 includes Eugene Huggins, the traditional closing night performer each year:
July 2: Blue Monday Band (kick-off concert with no tables or food/drink for sale)
July 9: West Coast Cool
July 16: Andre Thierry
July 23: JeConte and the Salty Dogs
July 30: Dirty Cello (And the cello is played, not a prop!)
August 6: Big Harp George (Hint: It’s George’s attitude that’s big, not the harp!)
August 13: Daniel Castro
August 20: Pamela Rose (another traditional Jazz and Blues favorite, she has also performed at SFJazz)
August 27: Eugene Huggins (Our traditional closing night performance; some folks in town will recognize the song in the video below, recorded at a past Jazz & Blue by the Bay closing night…)
Free Lawn Area Seating: If you plan to watch for free from the lawn, only blankets and low-back beach chairs are allowed so that everyone can see.
Where: Gabrielson Park, adjacent to the ferry landing area.
Cost: Free if you just stand and listen or (if you come early) find space to sit on the grass! Tables may also be reserved for a fee. Click here for the city’s detailed page on costs for single and full-season tables and how to sign up online. There will be fewer tables this year to allow for social distancing.
Who: Performers for 2021 have not yet been announced. We expect to learn more shortly and will update this page. Sausalito Jazz and Blues by the Bay has featured multiple musical stars over the years.
Food and Drink: This year Sausalito Jazz and Blues by the Bay is a bring-your-own event and there will be no vendors. This also applies to the blankets, sweatshirts etc. that would be sold in a normal year.
What to Wear: Dress in layers. On some Friday afternoons the breeze off the Bay is cold and you’ll want to bundle up. Other times it’ll be hot and sunny. (I know, I know… this is the 247th time I’ve added “Dress in layers” to a post or article on OurSausalito.com.)
Replays: Sausalito Jazz and Blues by the Bay concerts are recorded and rebroadcast each week on Radio Sausalito on AM1610, which can also be accessed online and via podcast.
Questions about this year’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay: Julie Meyers, Sausalito Recreation Supervisor, 415-289-4198.
To get a feel for the event, please scroll down for the 2019 schedule and performer videos
Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2019 Schedule
May 31, 2019 – Maria Muldaur & her Red Hot Bluesiana Band (blues)
Sponsors: Cronkite Development, Inc.
June 7, 2019 – Dennis Johnson & the Mississippi Ramblers (blues)
Sponsors: Southern Marin Firefighters Assn.
Terraplane Blues from Dennis Johnson on Vimeo.
June 14, 2019 – Ralph Woodson Blues Band (blues)
Sponsors: Sausalito Sister Cities
June 21, 2019 – The Black Market Trust (jazz)
Sponsors: Volunteers In Public Safety
June 28, 2019 – Ron Thompson & his Resistors
Sponsors: Friends of Sausalito Dog Park
July 5, 2019 – The Hot Baked Goods (jazz/swing)
Sponsors: Sausalito Chamber of Commerce
July 12, 2019 – Blues Defenders (blues)
Sponsors: Sausalito On the Waterfront
July 19, 2019 – Tin Cup Serenade (jazz)
Sponsors: Star of the Sea Church
July 26, 2019 – The Dylan Black Project (blues)
Sponsors: Bay Cities Refuse
August 2, 2019 – Johnny Rawls (blues)
Sponsors: Sausalito Youth Sailing Foundation
August 9, 2019 – Gator Nation (zydeco)
Sponsors: Sausalito Lions Club
August 16, 2019 – Lost Dog Found (jazz/blues)
Sponsors: Sausalito Rotary Club
August 23, 2019 – Eugene Huggins and Friends (blues), the traditional closing act for every season of Jazz and Blues by the Bay
Sponsors: Call of the Sea
