The Douglas Beach House is a legendary oceanfront live music club on Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay, California. It is home to the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, a nonprofit organization that has been presenting Sunday afternoon headliner jazz, classical, and world music since 1964.
Located directly on the beautiful San Mateo County coast's Miramar Beach, just 35 minutes from San Francisco and 40 minutes from Silicon Valley, the Bach brings a concert approach to a beachfront setting, with the intimacy of a club ambiance. There is a communal feeling to the Beach House and Concert Room, a room that brings the musicians and audience together in a special way. According to the musicians who have played there throughout the years, the Douglas Beach House is "the best small venue in the United States."
The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society had been closed after the founder and owner of the renowned jazz club, Pete Douglas, passed away in July of 2014. Pete's middle daughter, Barbara Douglas Riching, succeeded him as president of the society. "My father created an incredibly special venue and it would be impossible for me to not continue his legacy," said Riching. "There is no way I could ever replace him or the special spirit that he brought to the house, but we are extremely excited to begin a new era."Â With the re-opening of the Bach, Riching will carry on her father's vision of presenting jazz in a chamber-like setting, where both the musicians and audience can share an intimate experience.
Musicians who have played at the Bach include such luminaries as Betty Carter, Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson, Art Blakey, Etta James, Milt Jackson, and Eliane Elias, to name just a few. In addition to jazz, such notables in the classical music world as the Kronos Quartet and Mariano Cordoba played at the venue. The Bach is listed as one of the 2015Â 163 "Great Jazz Venues" in DownBeat magazine.
As a registered nonprofit since 1964, the Bach is partially supported through memberships and donations, but is not member-only. It is open to the public seeking the artistic and musical styles that may interest them.
Though not a bar or restaurant operation, at our concerts we cater a light buffet and have a wine & beer bar. Patrons may also bring their own picnics if they confine their eating to the outer decks, weather permitting. Our motivation is for everybody to have an exceptional experience when at the Bach. We even clear out the chairs and dance occasionally.
