Vibe: Retro Jazz Lounge | Sophisticated & Social | Urban Speakeasy
Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club — often referred to by its full name, Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio — is a centerpiece of the Civic Center jazz scene. It channels the feel of a mid‑century recording studio, blending industrial‑chic details with a warm, retro atmosphere. The room walks a careful line between serious listening space and lively social lounge, making it equally welcoming for deep‑in jazz heads and friends just out for a night in the city.
Live Music & Atmosphere
Music runs nightly with a rotation of top Bay Area players, from straight‑ahead bebop trios to modern, more experimental quartets. The room layout supports both listening and conversation: a front bar area for socializing and a dedicated seating section closer to the stage for those who want to focus on the performance. Sightlines are good, the sound is tuned for intimacy, and sets tend to feel tight rather than background.
Beth Schenck | Saxophone Brett Carson | Piano Lisa Mezzacappa | Bass Jordan Glenn | Drums The Elizabeth Schenck Quartet (also known as the Beth Schenck Quartet) primarily plays modern jazz with a strong focus on chamber jazz and improvised music
Beth Schenck | Saxophone Brett Carson | Piano Lisa Mezzacappa | Bass Jordan Glenn | Drums The Elizabeth Schenck Quartet (also known as the Beth Schenck Quartet) primarily plays modern jazz with a strong focus on chamber jazz and improvised music
Ian Carey | Trumpet Kasey Knudsen | Alto saxophone Joyce Todd McBride | Piano Stacy Starkweather | Bass Scott Amendola | Drums Joyce Todd McBride is a pianist, composer, singer and arranger from Berkeley, California. Withwide-ranging interests and a musical background to match, Joyce is delighted to share her newjazz album The Night-time Violets Bloom...
Ian Carey | Trumpet Kasey Knudsen | Alto saxophone Joyce Todd McBride | Piano Stacy Starkweather | Bass Scott Amendola | Drums Joyce Todd McBride is a pianist, composer, singer and arranger from Berkeley, California. Withwide-ranging interests and a musical background to match, Joyce is delighted to share her newjazz album The Night-time Violets Bloom...
Lara Louise is a Dutch-born jazz and bossa nova singer currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her musical style blends folk roots with French chanson and the Great American Songbook John R. Burr | Piano Dan Feiszli | Bass Gawain Mathews | Guitar Brian Fishler | Drums Lara Louise | Vocals Ticketed:$15-30
Lara Louise is a Dutch-born jazz and bossa nova singer currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her musical style blends folk roots with French chanson and the Great American Songbook John R. Burr | Piano Dan Feiszli | Bass Gawain Mathews | Guitar Brian Fishler | Drums Lara Louise | Vocals Ticketed:$15-30
The Valerie Troutt Quartet is a soulful jazz ensemble led by the Oakland-based vocalist and "musical ambassador" Valerie Trout. Known for a sound that blends jazz, gospel, and soul, the group frequently performs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tammy Hall | Piano Ruth Price | Drums Tiny Lindsay | Bass Valerie Trout |...
The Valerie Troutt Quartet is a soulful jazz ensemble led by the Oakland-based vocalist and "musical ambassador" Valerie Trout. Known for a sound that blends jazz, gospel, and soul, the group frequently performs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tammy Hall | Piano Ruth Price | Drums Tiny Lindsay | Bass Valerie Trout |...
Tammy Hall is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader whose work blends swing, blues, gospel, and modern jazz. A vital force on the San Francisco Bay Area scene for decades, Hall is known for her deep groove, lyrical touch, and collaborative spirit. She has led multiple ensembles, recorded widely, and is celebrated as both a...
Tammy Hall is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader whose work blends swing, blues, gospel, and modern jazz. A vital force on the San Francisco Bay Area scene for decades, Hall is known for her deep groove, lyrical touch, and collaborative spirit. She has led multiple ensembles, recorded widely, and is celebrated as both a...
Ian McArdle | Piano Lily Stern | Bass James Small | Drums Lilan Kane | Vocals Special guest – Natalie John | Trumpet & Vocals and Shamilah ivory – Vocals This Women’s History Month celebration honoring the female artists who laid the groundwork for soul, jazz, and R&B. Featuring music inspired by Aretha Franklin, ella Fitzgerald, Dinah...
Ian McArdle | Piano Lily Stern | Bass James Small | Drums Lilan Kane | Vocals Special guest – Natalie John | Trumpet & Vocals and Shamilah ivory – Vocals This Women’s History Month celebration honoring the female artists who laid the groundwork for soul, jazz, and R&B. Featuring music inspired by Aretha Franklin, ella Fitzgerald, Dinah...
Sylvia Cuenca is an active jazz drummer and educator based in New York City. She is well-regarded for her versatile playing style, which blends impeccable swing with an authentic feel for Latin genres. Rico Jones is a rising tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader originally from Denver, Colorado, currently based in Harlem, New York. He is recognized for a...
Sylvia Cuenca is an active jazz drummer and educator based in New York City. She is well-regarded for her versatile playing style, which blends impeccable swing with an authentic feel for Latin genres. Rico Jones is a rising tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader originally from Denver, Colorado, currently based in Harlem, New York. He is recognized for a...
The Rumi Abe Quartet is a contemporary jazz ensemble led by Japanese-born pianist and composer Rumi Abe. Originally from Nagoya and previously active in the Tokyo jazz scene, Abe relocated to San Francisco in late 2024, where her quartet has become a regular fixture at Bay Area jazz venues. Kasey Knudsen | Alto John...
The Rumi Abe Quartet is a contemporary jazz ensemble led by Japanese-born pianist and composer Rumi Abe. Originally from Nagoya and previously active in the Tokyo jazz scene, Abe relocated to San Francisco in late 2024, where her quartet has become a regular fixture at Bay Area jazz venues. Kasey Knudsen | Alto John...
Leela Paymai | Bass Julian Lopez | Piano Jaycie Grady | Drums Nathan Sariowan | Violin Ethan Buck | Alto Rabiah Kabir | Flute Rabiah Kabir is a Jazz flute player who uses her instrument, skill in storytelling and unique style to bend the expectations of what “Jazz” music really is. Born and raised in...
Leela Paymai | Bass Julian Lopez | Piano Jaycie Grady | Drums Nathan Sariowan | Violin Ethan Buck | Alto Rabiah Kabir | Flute Rabiah Kabir is a Jazz flute player who uses her instrument, skill in storytelling and unique style to bend the expectations of what “Jazz” music really is. Born and raised in...
Skylar Tang is a multidisciplinary musician from the San Francisco Bay Area known for her dynamic trumpet playing and profound compositions. Skylar has emerged as a bright young voice in the international scene and was featured on Joshua Redman's latest album, Words Fall Short. In high school, she toured the US, Europe, and South Africa...
Skylar Tang is a multidisciplinary musician from the San Francisco Bay Area known for her dynamic trumpet playing and profound compositions. Skylar has emerged as a bright young voice in the international scene and was featured on Joshua Redman's latest album, Words Fall Short. In high school, she toured the US, Europe, and South Africa...
Lady Bianca is a Gospel and R&B vocalist/pianist, artist, and producer with roots in Kansas City, MO. Raised by a father who taught her Texas Blues piano as a child, Bianca's formal training began at age nine with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her exceptional talent garnered her a full four year scholarship and...
Lady Bianca is a Gospel and R&B vocalist/pianist, artist, and producer with roots in Kansas City, MO. Raised by a father who taught her Texas Blues piano as a child, Bianca's formal training began at age nine with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her exceptional talent garnered her a full four year scholarship and...
San Francisco-based bassist, trombonist, composer, and arranger Leela Paymai (ZHENIIA) grew up steeped in the sounds of Persian Pop music—Googoosh, Marjan, Dariush—before landing in the Bay Area and diving headfirst into the tangled, boundary-less world of modern jazz. What emerged is ZHENIIA: a genre-blurring, emotionally charged project that filters ancestral memory through a contemporary lens....
San Francisco-based bassist, trombonist, composer, and arranger Leela Paymai (ZHENIIA) grew up steeped in the sounds of Persian Pop music—Googoosh, Marjan, Dariush—before landing in the Bay Area and diving headfirst into the tangled, boundary-less world of modern jazz. What emerged is ZHENIIA: a genre-blurring, emotionally charged project that filters ancestral memory through a contemporary lens....
Mara Fox's Foxtet is a San Francisco-based jazz ensemble led by trombonist Mara Fox. The group typically performs a mix of hard bop, contemporary jazz, and original compositions. Mara Fox | Trombone Kasey Knudsen | Alto Lee Bloom | Piano Carla Kaufman | Bass Alexey Berlind | Drums Daria Nile | Voice