Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society

Music venue in Half Moon Bay, California
37°29′41″N 122°27′41″W / 37.4946°N 122.46134°W / 37.4946; -122.46134OwnerBarbara Douglas RichingTypeMusic venueGenre(s)JazzCapacity200Opened1964 (1964)Websitewww.bachddsoc.org

The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society is an oceanfront music venue located at the Douglas Beach House in Half Moon Bay, California.

The venue was founded in 1964 by Pete Douglas[1] and is now run by his daughter, Barbara Douglas Riching.[2]

Pete Douglas moved to Half Moon Bay in 1957. He purchased a beer joint and ran it as the Ebb Tide Cafe.

The society's name came from an informal party hosted at the Ebb Tide Cafe in 1963. While Pete and his guests danced to a Bach Brandenberg Concerti, others lit dynamite nearby on the beach. A guest suggested they call themselves the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society and they incorporated under that name soon afterwards.[2]

Today a member-supported non-profit, the Bach has hosted performances for more than fifty years, often featuring jazz musicians visiting the San Francisco Bay Area on larger tours.[3]

Musicians who have performed at the Bach include Duke Ellington, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Etta James.[3]

The Bach is listed in the DownBeat 2024 International Jazz Venue Guide as presenting "world-class jazz in an intimate setting with stunning views of the ocean."[4]

Performers at the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society
  • Arnett Cobb playing saxophone
    Arnett Cobb, 1979
  • Barry Harris at the piano
    Barry Harris, 1981
  • Dannie Richmond playing drums
    Dannie Richmond, 1981
  • Red Rodney playing trumpet
    Red Rodney, 1982
  • Phil Woods playing saxophone
    Phil Woods, 1983
  • Emily Remler playing guitar
    Emily Remler, 1984
  • Tony Williams playing drums
    Tony Williams, 1986
  • John Handy playing saxophone
    John Handy, 1987
  • Milt Hinton playing double bass
    Milt Hinton, 1987
  • Milt Jackson playing vibraphone
  • Regina Carter playing violin
  • Bria Skonberg singing, holding a trumpet
Photos taken at the venue

References

  1. ^ Levi, Ryan (2018-06-22). "Hidden Gems: Half Moon Bay's Legendary Jazz Spot That Started in a Living Room". KQED Inc. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  2. ^ a b Metcalfe, John (2022-06-07). "Take a trip to live-jazz paradise at Half Moon Bay's 'Dynamite Society'". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  3. ^ a b Flinn, John. "Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society hosts jazz". SFGate. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  4. ^ Alkyer, Frank (February 2024). "DownBeat 2024 International Jazz Venue Guide". DownBeat. Retrieved 2024-01-15.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society.
  • Official website Edit this at Wikidata
Authority control databases: Geographic Edit this at Wikidata
  • MusicBrainz place