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Inside Cafe Colonial: Sacramento's Hidden Gem for Live Jazz
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Inside Cafe Colonial: Sacramento's Hidden Gem for Live Jazz

How a neighborhood cafe became the unexpected heart of Sacramento's jazz revival.

By Myki AngelineMarch 25, 2026

Walk past Cafe Colonial on any given Thursday and you might hear bebop spilling onto Oak Park's streets. What started as occasional jam sessions has become one of Sacramento's most reliable spots for live jazz.

Owner Maria Santos never planned to run a music venue. "We just had a piano," she laughs. "Then someone brought a bass. Then horns showed up."

Now the cafe hosts weekly jazz nights featuring both local legends and young players cutting their teeth.

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