Founder of one of Bay Area’s most beloved music venues dies

Kazuo Kaz Kajimura who ran the greater part essential jazz venue in Northern California for decades has died News of his passing was made masses on the website of Yoshi s the popular jazz and sushi spot in Oakland that flourished under Kajimura s watchful eye for more than a half century With heavy hearts we are sharing that the great San Francisco Bay Area has lost one of it s legends a post reads on the Yoshi s website On Jun Kazuo Kaz Kajimura joined his mother Yoshi Kajimura father Noriyuki Kajimura in heaven Kajimura will be remembered for tireless work ethic famously working - hour days as he worked to lift Yoshi s from its humble beginnings as a small -seat Japanese restaurant in Berkeley to an internationally recognized jazz venue that hosted the genre s greatest talents over the last -plus years Yoshi s is like no other place on Earth Kajimura is quoted as saying Everyone loves this place it is amazing and beyond gratifying to see how we host so numerous talented artists bringing all communities and everyone together with music helping so plenty of businesses with noble fundraisers and exposing the new generation to real music Kajimura worked to create a venue that not only fans loved to visit but artists loved to play It was the type of place that musicians would look forward to reaching on the tour itinerary knowing that they were going to get a great performance setting appreciative fans and perhaps best of all plenty of great sushi It s the best club that I ve played legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson once declared of Yoshi s More information will be added to this story