Often, we forget that our city was once a place where famous musicians and creatives lingered on every corner. Dive bars, jazz musicians, and everything else in between. And today, we of course have a bustling jazz scene with a wonderful array of venues and bands. But what so many of these performances and venues are trying to replicate are the glory days of the past, which maybe a lot of us don’t know enough about.
The Jazz Room’s most recent concert, which has been bringing in a host of 5-star reviews after the success of its original show, is an evening entirely dedicated to Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. The setlist is jam-packed with classics like Fly Me to the Moon, My Way, and many more. But what many don’t know about these icons is their strong connection to SF, what the city meant to them, and how their time there shaped their careers and lives. So, when you’re thinking of getting a ticket for The Jazz Room for this tribute, knowing more about the background makes it a bit more interesting.
Frank Sinatra’s mafia links
There was a time in the 1950s when stars like Frank Sinatra were hanging around street corners in the Bay Area like the rest of us. Sinatra travelled to SF to film Pal Joey, one of his best-known films, which cemented his image as a nightclub singer. But this role, and his time in SF, were not without controversy. Just prior to landing this major role, it was rumored that the Mafia had helped him secure a part in From Here to Eternity, thus paving the way for the role he was filming in SF.
Some say the help was necessary to revive the star’s somewhat fading career at the time. So, while Sinatra was eagerly enjoying his return to the spotlight in sunny San Francisco, the FBI was actively investigating his seemingly dodgy dealings with high-profile mob figures. The nation’s sweetheart, during his SF era, had plenty to be thankful for. As much as he was embracing his return to the stage, he was also escaping to SF. When he covered Tony Bennett’s iconic I Left My Heart in San Francisco, perhaps it meant more than simply covering a great song. Perhaps the homesickness he felt for this period of escapism was genuine, and perhaps he really did leave a part of himself there.
Louis Armstrong, Romance, and San Francisco
Armstrong’s time in SF wasn’t marked by controversy in quite the same way as Sinatra’s. Club Hangover was an iconic venue that Armstrong frequented over the years. Although it is no longer open, it’s exactly the kind of atmosphere that The Jazz Room is trying to recreate. Meanwhile, the Fillmore was packed with some of the biggest names in Black entertainment at the time. On some nights, line-ups featured Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, and Saunders King. For today’s jazz lovers, that’s the stuff dreams are made of. The city also served as the backdrop to his romance with his future wife, Lil Hardin, who was working as a pianist at the time.
Everything you need to know about The Jazz Room’s tribute to the legends
📍The Palace Theater, 644 Broadway, San Francisco, 94133
📅4th June, 6th August & 3rd September
🚌 Take Muni bus 30 Stockton from central San Francisco, which stops near the Palace of Fine Arts at Marina Boulevard and Lyon Street.
🌞 Live jazz concerts dedicated to the music of two jazz legends, with a carefully curated setlist of their greatest hits, glorious improvisations, and local musicians.
