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Sausalito Musicians: If you’re performing regularly in Sausalito and we have not listed you, we don’t mention where to buy your album or singles, or if something below looks incorrect, please let us know!
Sausalito Musicians and Bands
We’ve compiled this alphabetical list of Sausalito musicians and bands, all of whom play here regularly and some of whom are based here. Click on the band or musician’s name to open their personal website or their page on a music website etc. We have also provided videos for some of the better known bands and those who have performed here the longest. Where we could find links for online CD sales we will be adding them below as time permits.
Insiders Tip: The Bay Area and Marin music scene is a large “small industry” where everyone knows each other. Attending a performance by one of the musicians below may also mean hearing others on this list who are playing backup that night and then headlining the next evening at a different club.
Click here to see when and where Sausalito musicians are playing in town
The 7th Sons — North Bay band that covers the hit rock music of the 1960’s and 1970’s, with outstanding guitar work and drums. They play at a variety of Sausalito venues, most recently at the Presidio Yacht Club.
Michael Aragon Quartet — A highly regarded Sausalito musician and experienced session performer, Aragon and his quartet have been performing Friday nights at the No Name Bar for many years, with both locals and visitors in the audience. His musical roots in Sausalito, however, date back to at least 1969 with Gale Garnett and the Gentle Reign’s Sausalito Heliport album, putting him in the same founding class as Joe Tate, Bill Champlin and the late Dan Hicks.
Seth Asarnow and Marcelo Puig — Although Asarnow and Puig both have had distinguished solo careers (e.g. Asarnow has appeared at Davies Symphony Hall with members of the San Francisco Symphony), they have for many years frequently teamed to play Milonga and other forms of tango music at different Sausalito venues. They currently perform each Wednesday evening at the Sausalito Seahorse. You can download an Asarnow collaboration CD here.
Lynn Asher — One of the most popular Sausalito musicians and one of the strongest rock vocalists in the Bay Area, with credits that include playing with Big Brother & the Holding Co. (on songs they originally performed with their band member Janis Joplin on vocals) and with Narada Michael Walden. She also teaches voice to a limited number of students and has appeared at major charity fundraisers. You can buy her CD or individual tracks here.
Barnyard Hammer — Local Country-Blues-Rock band, most often seen in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
Barrio Manouche — Talented, unique Bay Area Flamenco gypsy jazz band with influences (to my ears) ranging from Gypsy Kings to Chucho Valdes to Jean-Luc Ponty, and in their liner notes they also refer to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. After one song you may think you’ve heard someone like them before, but after three or four songs you’ll realize this is something completely new and that the level of talent is very high. They perform occasionally in Sausalito at various venues, most recently at Divino. You can buy their CD’s (they have released three albums) or individual tracks here.
Nathan Bickard — Talented local jazz pianist and composer who isn’t trying to sound like everyone else yet produces accessible, personal music. He most often performs in Sausalito at Divino.
Blue Monday Band — See “Joe Tate”
Ray Caprial — A pianist, composer and teacher, Caprial started as a studio musician and performer in LA but then came to his senses and moved here to the Bay Area. He appears regularly in Sausalito at The Trident.
Daniel Castro Band — Castro is a talented blues guitarist and vocalist with a lifelong commitment to a BB King style tinged with Latin and country, and with the Eagles’ complex moods. Performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017. You can buy their CD’s (they have three albums) or individual tracks here.
Maggie Catfish — Long-time local performer with Joe Tate in The Redlegs, the Gaters and other seminal Sausalito musicians and groups. Most often heard locally at the No Name Bar.
Gabrielle Cavassa — Sultry jazz vocalist whose style shows influences from classic stars like Billie Holliday and Julie London, and sometimes will make you think of Diana Krall or Amy Winehouse. She is most often heard performing in Sausalito at Divino,
Norris Clement — Talented local pianist with a fascinating life story who performs most often in Sausalito at Divino.
Con Quimba, with Rosa Los Santos and Pedro Rosales — Duo with long careers in playing music of the Peruvian coast. They most often perform in Sausalito at Divino.
Ken Cook Trio — Pianist, composer and arranger Ken Cook plays jazz, blues and Latin with his trio, and also gigs with other musicians listed on this page. The trio is most often heard in Sausalito at Divino, but he may perform at any of our music venues.
Dallis Craft — A talented keyboard player with a strong, expressive voice, she can handle everything from ballads to boogie and sound good. She performs regularly in Sausalito at The Trident.
Nick Culp — Jazz trio and quintet leader who is trained in both classic jazz and experimental jazz motifs. Has performed in Sausalito at Divino.
Del Sol — Jazz trio whose instrumentals have both classic jazz and dance-able techno flavors. Seen most recently in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
Jeff Denson — Veteran studio and club jazz group leader, with both the Denson Open Sky Trio and the Denson Quartet. Performs most often in Sausalito at Divino.
Shana Dinha — Young jazz vocalist with an incredible warm voice and the ability to deliver classics a la Julie London or Nancy Wilson or newer styles like Diana Krall. Although early in her career, she has worked with Josh Groban, Mickey Thomas, Michelle Williams and Deitrick Haddon. Has performed locally at Divino.
Smith Dobson — Jazz pianist and band leader who has played with both his trio and his quartet in Sausalito. His recording career includes session work with many jazz greats as well as recording his oln albums. Appears most often in Sausalito at Divino with his trio.
Dr. Mojo Band –Blues band performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017, a gig they’ve done at least as far back as 2009.
Duo Violao Brasil — Brazilian guitar duo who pass through Sausalito occasionally, most recently at Divino. Their music includes traditional Brazilian pieces and (to my ear) echoes of Hector Villa Lobos.
Walter Earl Trio — Veteran jazz pianist, studio musician and recording artist Walter Earl began his career studying with stars like Joe Sample, and in addition to recording his own albums he has worked with many jazz legends. He has a unique cool jazz sound. You’re most likely to find him in Sausalito at Divino.
Michael Fecskes — Talented North Bay cellist with influences from both jazz and classical music. He has appeared most often in Sausalito at Divino.
Felsen — Rock band, most often seen in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
Fly by Train — Folk-Rock-Bluegrass Americana band based in Penngrove. They typically play in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
The Gaters — See “Joe Tate”
David Gerald — Traditional blues and rock vocalist and guitarist. Performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017.
Joan Getz — Sausalito jazz vocalist whose resonant voice is well suited to the classics that she loves to perform. She appears most often in Sausalito at Divino.
Harmonic Law — Sausalito band with members of the Open Mic Jason, Rob and Pacifico team from the No Name Bar, where Harmonic Law also performs.
Paula Harris — Blues, ballad and funk singer with a big voice and stage presence that makes me picture Tower of Power with a female lead singer. Performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017.
James Henry Hands on Fire Band — A long-time local performer and one of the expecially popular Sausalito muisicians, Henry describes his style as World Tribal Funk. Can be heard at various Sausalito venues, most recently at Divino.
The Hippie Voices — See “Joe Tate”
Eugene Huggins and Friends — Huggins has played just about every club in town over the years, and by tradition each year his band of Sausalito musicians serves as the closing act for Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay.
Humdinger Band — Good times throwback rock band playing most often in Sausalito at the Sausalito Cruising Club or at the No Name Bar,
Jimi James Band — Dance-able 1950’s rock and blues band, usually seen locally at the No Name Bar,
David Jeffrey Fourtet — Jazz group assembled by bassist David Jeffrey. On a given night it features a top Bay Area sax player on both original jazz charts and on classics. They perform most often in Sausalito at Divino.
Noel Jewkes — Veteran jazz interpreter, arranger, composer, sax player and front man who has for years organized a rotating set of top musicians who now perform each Tuesday evening at the Sausalito Seahorse.
Justin, Rob and Pacifico — Hosts of the Open Mic sessions at the No Name Bar each Tuesday night.
Joe Kaline and The Beat Meters — Band with its own take on the intersection of jazz, pop and funk, performing both original music and unique covers. Most often appearing in Sausalito at Taste of Rome.
Kenya B Trio — Blues & Jazz band led by guitarist Kenya Baker, who has toured with a variety of major stars. Performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017.
Art Khu — Gifted jazz pianist and guitarist with the ability to play familiar music in new but accessible ways. Most often heard locally at the No Name Bar.
Kimrea & Dreamdogs — For many years Kimrea and Dreamdogs have been some of the most visible Sausalito musicians, appearing each Monday night at the No Name Bar and her performances are a long-standing Sausalito tradition.
Jesse Lee Kincaid — Based in southern Marin, Kincaid started his career in a young rock band with Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal, and as a songwriter has had a song recorded recently by Don Henley. He has a relaxed folk-rock style, and most often appears in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
Doc Kraft Dance Band — Long-time “hardest working Sausalito musicians” band that has appeared in many Sausalito venues. Their repertoire covers hundreds of songs from multiple styles and eras.
Lady D and the Tramps — Jazz group based in Marin and driven by Lady D’s strong vocals on jazz classics as well as pop and soul titles. In Sausalito they usually perform at The Trident.
Michael LaMacchia — Because of his diverse repertoire you may hear LaMacchia playing rock, jazz or Latin music. He has led or played in a number of local bands and appears in a variety of venues with many other Sausalito musicians.
Curtis Lawson & Friends — One of the most prominent Sausalito musicians and one of the most respected blues artists in the Bay Area, Lawson has been performing in different Sausalito clubs for many years. He’s also performed at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay.
Jake Leckie Trio — Leckie is a New York based bassist (sic), group leader, composer and arranger who can be heard occasionally in Sausalito at Divino.
Lone Star Retrobates — Imagine a band playing West Coast Swing with a Texas attitude and you get the idea. They play regularly at the Presidio Yacht Club.
Lucky Drive — Marin rock and soul band that most often performs in Sausalito at the Presidio Yacht Club.
Please click here for our Sausalito Music & Events Calendar
Ma’ayan — Band from Toronto playing original music inspired by ancient Hebrew traditions, plays in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
Eric Markowitz Trio — Markowitz is a bassist who leads a strong jazz trio, most often heard in Sausalito at Divino.
Kate Mills — Well known New York singer-songwriter whose sound has been compared to Grace Potter and Sara Bareilles who also adds a layer of country on some of her original songs. Has appeared with Carrie Welling and Kasey Williams in Sausalito at Divino.
Brian Moran Duo — A gifted Spanish and jazz guitarist, arranger, composer and teacher, Moran most often performs in Sausalito at Divino.
Doug Nichols — Acoustic guitarist and vocalist, most often heard in Sausalito at the No Name Bar,
No Room for Zeus — Local band that performs rock, country and folk music. Most often heard locally at the No Name Bar.
Moises Osorio — Jazz pianist and saxophonist with a broad repertoire of styles. Most often appears in Sausalito at Divino.
Zach Ostroff — Jazz composer, vocalist and bassist who has also done original modern music at TedX Stanford, last seen locally at Divino.
Pasion Habanera — (Often misspelled Passion Habanera) This group of Sausalito musicians performs traditional Cuban jazz and folk music (two terms that in Cuba are close to synonyms). If you aren’t familiar with the style, check out Buena Vista Social Club. Pasion Habanera (“Havana Passion”) most often performs in Sausalito at Divino or the Presidio Yacht Club.
Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra — Talented group re-creating the concept of the classic Soul Reviews in the spirit of Motown and its rival labels. Performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017.
Migrant Pickers — Regulars at the No Name Bar, Migrant Pickers’ acoustic guitar pieces mix folk, bluegrass and jazz in creative ways, sometimes reminding me of David LaFlamme.
Jonathan Poretz — Jazz vocalist who performs standards from Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin and their peers. Performs most often locally at Divino.
Marcelo Puig — See “Seth Asarnow & Marcelo Puig”
The Redlegs — See “Joe Tate”
Pamela Rose & the Beasts of Blues — A long-time local jazz and blues vocalist with a national reputation, Pamela Rose has graced the stage as a headliner at SFJazz and at the Monterey Jazz Festival. She has been a regular at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay for many years.
The Rowan Brothers — One of the longest-performing groups in the Bay Area and seminal Sausalito musicians, they first appeared here in 1971 as the “psychedelic country folk” opening act for The Grateful Dead. The relationship between members of The Dead and the Rowans has continued for many years, with Jerry Garcia and Billy Kreutzmann appearing on their first album (along with local Renaissance Man and good guy Ed Bogas, who took over as composer for the Charlie Brown Specials after the death of Vince Guaraldi) and Phil Lesh later performing Dead material with them on stage. Despite those Grateful Dead alliances and appearances, the Rowans’ natural style feels distinctly different. They play regularly n Sausalito as a duo at The Trident.
Marcos Sainz Trio — A talented jazz pianist, Sainz and his trio are most often heard in Sausalito at Divino.
Carlos Santana — It’s been a while now since Santana has done an unpublicized pop-up show in Sausalito. This may be because the last one (as I remember) at Gatsby’s on Caledonia St. drew such a big crowd in the era of mobile phone word-of-mouth that the cops had to come blockade the nearby intersections to protect the crowd that gathered outside to listen
Chris Saunders Band — Jazz vocalist and trumpeter who’s a storyteller as well as a musician. He usually plays in Sausalito at the No Name Bar,
Gaea Schell Trio — Schell is a versatile jazz pianist as well as a vocalist, and most recently played in Sausalito at Divino.
Slim Jim — Local rock-dance band that plays regularly at multiple Sausalito venues.
Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers — Lavay Smith has an international reputation and has headlined on stages all over the world, including the 2017 SF Jazz Festival. She is also a respected jazz historian and interpreter who works to preserve this uniquely American form of music. Her music videos often emphasize her tongue-in-cheek voluptuous style, but if you see a full concert performance or hear her interviews you’ll see that she has fun, but she’s also a very serious jazz musician with deep expertise in the cultural roots of her work. She’s performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017, and has also played at different venues in Sausalito.
Suzanna Smith — Oakland-based jazz vocalist who performs both classics and new material. Has performed in Sausalito at Divino.
The Sons of Emperor Norton — Local rockabilly band with its own personal take on the genre. Most often appearing in Sausalito at Taste of Rome.
The Speakeasies — Jazz, Soul and Blues band with the chops to play classics from any of those genres. Performed at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017.
Robert Elmond Stone — Country vocalist, songwriter and guitarist who mixes blues and other influences into his songs. Has performed in Sausalito at the No Name Bar.
Joe Tate — Joe Tate is one of our preeminent Sausalito musicians and has been making music in Sausalito for five decades, with bands ranging from The Redlegs (who played on the same bill with top San Francisco bands like The Grateful Dead in the late 1960’s) to more recent outings with long-time bandmates like Maggie Catfish in The Gaters, The Blue Monday Band and The Hippie Voices. The video below shows a late 1960’s or early 1970’s performance. The Blue Monday Band holds regular jam sessions at the Sausalito Cruising Club, and its members can also be heard regularly at the No Name Bar.
Andre Thierry — Grammy nominated accordion soul and zydeco artist raised in a Creole family transplanted to the Bay Area. Performing at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay 2017.
The Turps — Australian punk rock band that most recently performed at the Presidio Yacht Club. Which probably gives you a hint that the Presidio Yacht Club is not like most yacht clubs!
U.S. Navy 32nd Street Brass Band — Jazz band that has been a regular at Sausalito’s Jazz and Blues by the Bay.
Chuchito Valdes — Chuchito Valdes carries a heavy weight on his shoulders. His grandfather Bebo Valdes and his father Chucho Valdes are two of the most respected jazz pianists of the last century, and played a major role in the definition of modern Cuban jazz. Chuchito tours extensively, and about once a year he comes to Sausalito and plays in the intimate setting of Divino.
Well Known Strangers — Hard-working original folk rock band that integrates strings cleverly with strong vocals and makes me think about what Fleetwood Mac would have sounded like if they had come to Sausalito now, instead of in the 1970’s. They’re most often heard in Sausalito at the No Name Bar… where the crowd is a helluva lot more considerate than the crowd in the video below!
Carrie Welling — Nashville-based country singer-songwriter whose sound has also been compared to Stevie Nicks and has earned recognition from MTV. Often performs with Kate Mills and especially Kasey Williams. Has performed in Sausalito at Divino.
Kasey Williams — New York singer-songwriter whose pieces run from satirical to “saying out loud what people think but never say” to romantic love songs. Performs extensively with Carrie Welling and also with Kate Mills. Has performed in Sausalito at Divino.
Yacht Club of Paris — Gypsy jazz group with roots in traditional jazz as well. They appeared most recently at Divino, but one day I hope to be able to write “Yacht Club of Paris appearing at Presidio Yacht Club,” although that may cause a bit of confusion.
Dan Zemelson — San Francisco based pianist who does personal interpretations of classics as well as jazz improvisation and accompaniment. Most often appears in Sausalito at Divino.
