Emily Day is an accomplished vocalist and arranger who draws her inspiration from her love of the American Songbook and her engagement in the tapestry that is jazz today. With one foot in the past and one ear to the future, “Emily Day is a classic for a modern age”, says the Seven Days Burlington Independent Newspaper. Currently based in San Francisco, she was raised in Chicago and Vermont then trained in New York and Europe. Emily has given performances across the United States and has been a featured performer in the United Kingdom. Although mostly known as a jazz vocalist, her experience performing in a variety of musical styles has diversified her portfolio and added depth to her sound.

​Emily has been performing jazz since the age of 16, and quickly became immersed in its sounds and culture. Her featured performances with big bands throughout her youth awarded her Outstanding Soloist with a Big Band at the North American Music Festival in Toronto, and Outstanding Solo Vocalist and Outstanding Soloist at the UNH Clark Terry Jazz Festival. Emily studied at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York where she befriended and performed with many of the young artists who are shaping jazz today.

After graduating from the New School, Emily was appointed as part-time faculty at the University of Vermont and Johnson State College where she had the privilege of teaching jazz voice and directing the Vocal Jazz Ensembles. During this time she also gained experience performing and recording various styles of popular music such as folk, pop, and soul, collaborating with several regional artists. Her interests in this field led her across the atlantic to study at the Institute for Popular Music at the University of Liverpool. Her research at the University explored the nostalgic function of the voice in popular music and she was awarded an MA in Popular Music Studies in 2010.

In 2012 Emily recorded Where or When, her debut album of original arrangements of standards at the Lane Gibson studios in Charlotte, VT. Emily leads The Emily Day Quartet, performs with and manages the Cosmo Alleycats, teaches applied voice at the Community Music Center of San Francisco, and runs her own private vocal studio in Berkeley, CA. 

New Orleans-based vocalist, bandleader, and arranger Anna Laura Quinn is known for her particular blend of contemporary jazz, reworked gems from the American Songbook, French and Brazilian music, and more, all delivered with style, sensitivity, emotional power, and a joie de vivre that recalls the charm and mystique of a bygone era.

A 2021 graduate of the Jazz Studies masters program at the University of New Orleans, Anna currently performs leads projects under her own name, also appearing as the duo Quinn & Barrett with her longtime guitar player, Ed Barrett; and with the Unmentionables, a band she founded in 2020 that plays what she likes to call "New Orleans Getdown Music." She can be found performing all around New Orleans – from such venerable jazz venues as Snug Harbor, Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar and the New Orleans Jazz Museum, to some of the city's most well loved barrooms like Saturn Bar, Vaughan's, and BJ's Lounge. 

In 2022, Anna released her first full length album Open the Door.  The record features nine of her own arrangements, which Jazz Times critic Andrew Gilbert praises for "artfully thread[ing] the jazz needle” and “establishing her own winsome identity as a savvy vocalist and arranger with an appealing sound, unfailing taste, and expansive palette of influences."  

​Anna is propelled by her unwavering dedication to music, visual art, and collaboration, and is constantly seeking out experiences that will open the door for personal growth, self-understanding, and a deepening  sense of  community.  Whether singing Duke Ellington, Joni Mitchell, or Dr. John, she brings a playful spirit to her craft as a vocalist,  leaning  into improvisation and delivering lyrics and melodies with sincerity, humor, and imagination.  Anna hopes that her music may convey a spectrum of emotions and above all a heartfelt expression of her joy.

Monthly jazz jam session led by multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson and his quartet. Every first Tuesday 8-11pm at Specs! All musicians welcome, bring your instruments!

Read more about Smith Dobson’s deep roots in the Bay Area jazz scene here

Our neighbors at William Stout Architectural Books in Jackson Square and Eames Institute co-host a design and architecture trivia night at Specs as part of SF Design Week!

5:30-7:30pm, free entry

Live jazz from 8-11pm

Join us for a spirited evening of Design Trivia at Specs’, where architects, designers, artists, and design enthusiasts will go head-to-head in a friendly battle of wits. Trivia rounds will cover everything from iconic chairs and postmodern buildings to Bay Area design lore, forgotten utopias, and some oddball visual references. Expect a mix of deep cuts and crowd-pleasers—and yes, there will be prizes, including an Eames Archives tour and a Stout Books gift card. Show off your knowledge, soak up the energy, and leave with more than just glory.

An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become a part of this longstanding Specs tradition! Everyone welcome!

Sip n’ Sketch drawing class hosted by Pixar’s animation art director Deanna Marsigliese! All levels welcome

BYO materials | $5-10 suggested donation

Steinway and Stradivarius are SF-based musicians Aaron Messing (trumpet) and Zach Puller (piano). Transplants from the Chicago music scene, Stein and Strad brings a modern sensibility to the trad-jazz repertoire, in the lineage of the great instrumental duos in classical and jazz music.  

SF based indie soul/jazz vocalist and bandleader Mae Powell returns to Specs, performing her take on classic jazz standards with a killer band! Check out her solo project here

Mae Powell is a Bay Area based jazz singer that brings a mellow atmosphere and classic vintage vibes to any space. She plays a mixture of jazz standards and bossa nova, channeling favorites from the past with songs from Ella Fitzgerald, Astrud Gilberto, and Billie Holiday. Some past performances include sold out shows at Mr. Tipples, Specs’ 12 Adler Cafe, The Page, Woods Taproom, Arcana, and the Golden Gate Park Boathouse.

Balkan beats, Klezmer stylings, goofball remixes and original tunes combine in the music of Oakland-based band Hernandez Hideaway.

Playing the Bay and beyond since 2009, this band is always working hard to find that sweet spot where traditional meets modern.

Bottoms up: bass (Dan Harrison), accordion (Tim Phillips), trombone (Sam Hernandez), saxophone (Claire Phillips), and voice (Lucie Duffort).

Wonderful Bay Area based vocalist and performer Valeriana Quevedo returns to Specs with her band for an evening of jazz, Latin, blues and songs from the Great American Songbook.

Fantastic jazz and blues guitarist Jose Simioni returns to Specs with his trio, playing jazz, blues and soul.

An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become a part of this longstanding Specs tradition! Everyone welcome!

Sip n’ Sketch drawing class hosted by Pixar’s animation art director Deanna Marsigliese! All levels welcome

BYO materials | $5-10 suggested donation

It’s that time again!! Join us in celebrating our 57th anniversary! Food, booze & partying awaits! 4pm onward. Flyer by Michael Grim

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Lara Louise taught herself how to play the guitar, inspired by artists such as Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell. Later, she became influenced by jazz and bossa nova singers like Madeleine Peyroux, Frank Sinatra and Astrud Gilberto, and was particularly drawn to French jazz.

After studying philosophy in the Netherlands, Lara started pursuing music full-time and moved to California in 2020. She started playing venues and private events in the San Francisco Bay Area and also started recording her first album, together with producer, sound engineer and multi-instrumentalist Gawain Mathews.

Celebrating the 90th anniversary of Clifford Odets’ iconic play Waiting for Lefty at Specs! Sunday, April 13 at 2:00pm, Doors open at 1:30pm. Poster by Derrick Scocchera!

Multi-instrumentalist and melodic explorer Jay Sanders has been a stalwart of the Bay Area music scene for over a quarter century. Raised in Santa Cruz and now residing in San Francisco, Jay discovered music at an early age and continued his musical development learning from notable jazz educators Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, and Smith Dobson. As a sought-after Bay Area working musician, Jay is currently performing, arranging, composing, and collaborating with projects across all musical genres. Jay is the bandleader of the dynamic progressive jazz project Fault Line Trio, and is the musical director for a handful of Bay Area music venues.

Victoria Sol is a Cuban-American artist, vocalist, and songwriter based between Miami and San Francisco. She is currently collaborating with East Bay jazz musicians on a new project inspired by their shared love of improvisation, storytelling, and worldbuilding through sound. Come enjoy her jazz duo set as part of North Beach First Fridays!

Fantastic Bay Area jazz guitarist Nick Rossi brings his jazz combo to Specs for a night of upbeat swing!

https://www.nickrossiarts.com/

Join us for an afternoon of author’s readings hosted by writers Frances Stroh (author of Beer Money) and Alan Black. 2-4pm

SHOW CANCELLED

We regretfully announce this show has been cancelled. However wonderful vocalist Mae Powell and her trio will be filling in from 9:30-11pm.

Renowned jazz vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, originally from San Francisco and now based in LA, brings her duo to Specs for a special evening of music.

Sasha got her major start on the NYC scene when she debuted at NYC Winter Jazz Fest in 2018, followed soon after by Atlanta Jazz Fest and Burlington Jazz Fest in the same year, all before age 20. Sasha was the also first US recipient of the LetterOne “Rising Stars” Jazz Award in 2019, where she headlined 10 reputable jazz festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Shortly after, Sasha was named the 2020 Downbeat Critics’ Poll winner of the “Rising Star - Vibraphone” category. She was both the first woman, and at 21, was the youngest individual in the poll’s history to be granted the win. She was voted in the top ten vibraphonists for the 2021 and 2022 Downbeat Reader’s Polls, sharing a list with vibraphonists such as Joe Locke, Stefon Harris, and Joel Ross.

Sasha’s music work remains primarily based in both New York City and Los Angeles. She has gone on to headline international venues like Newport Jazz Festival, The Blue Note, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival.

In addition to performing with her own band, her recent notable performances and recordings have been with musicians such as Tyshawn Sorey, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, and Cecile Mclorin Salvant. She has been a guest lecturer at esteemed universities and programs like University of Champaign-Illinois, UC San Diego, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Berklee College of Music, and is currently a Professor of Jazz and Jazz Composition at UC Irvine.

Read more here

SF based jazz/soul vocalist Maralisa debuts her new quartet The Starlight Martinis at Specs for an evening of classic standards! James Gallagher on drums, Eric Markowitz on bass and Jay Sanders on piano.

Vallejo-born, Bay-raised and Nashville-based keys player Raynier Jacildo loves nothing more than a good homecoming. Current member of The Black Keys’ touring band as well as artist, Yola — Ray gathers his favorite hometown musicians at his favorite hometown watering hole for an evening of soul-jazz, pop, and r&b instrumentals. Dancing encouraged.

Dave Easley is a Hawaii born, New Orleans based pedal steel guitarist. He’ll be returning to Specs for a special solo performance on Tuesday Jan 28!

Live jazz with saxophonist and bandleader Danny Brown & his quartet

Join us for our 2nd annual holiday market at Specs!

Pastry pop-up by Sol Bakery 4-6pm, live jazz with Mae Powell Trio 6-8pm, vintage clothing & homewares by Vacation, artwork, cards & jewelry by Tina Tarnoff, handmade jewelry by Fecundity (Julia Shannon Farrow), handmade clothing by Form + Fiber, and drink specials! Come sip, shop and celebrate the season with us!

Argentinean/Italian/American, Grew up in Argentina, where interest in art and music lead him to study classical piano and visual arts. He emigrated to California in 1981 to further his artistic explorations, taking classes in print making, sculpture and painting at San Mateo College, Art Institute, and Berkeley Extension. Mauro is a founding member of “849 Folsom Music”, a 13 member music and spoken word performance troop that brought vital energy to the San Francisco “South Market” artist underground scene in the pre-dot com years of the late 80’s.  

As a founding member of the Enso Art Collective and the Miles Davis Memorial Hall, Mauro has been investigating sounds with the deconstruction of pianos, becoming more able to expand the 12-tone scale. He does not subscribe to the romantic notion of a solitary artist, a suffering individual, hidden in a state of despair, creating work that only few can appreciate; instead Mauro travels the world, looking to the mundane, the sacred and the original with the same eyes, and listening to the music of diverse cultures, bringing it all home to work with it’s particular way of assimilation making art and music available to the community.