Beloved Yoshi’s co-owner Kaz Kajimura honored with Jazz tribute in Oakland
Beloved Yoshi?s co-owner Kaz Kajimura honored with Jazz tribute in Oakland
On Monday night, Yoshi?s in Oakland, held a celebration of life to honor Kaz Kajimura, the beloved co-owner of the iconic jazz club who died last month at the age of 82.
OAKLAND, Calif. - On Monday night, Yoshi’s in Oakland, held a celebration of life to honor Kaz Kajimura, the beloved co-owner of the iconic jazz club who died last month at the age of 82.
A celebration of life
What we know:
The evening featured a dinner and a full slate of performances from some of the region’s most acclaimed jazz musicians. The house was packed with friends, family, longtime patrons and performers.
"Everyone is here celebrating his life," said Hal Campos, a current co-owner of Yoshi’s. "Friends, family, patrons, it’s a beautiful night."
The backstory:
Kajimura helped transform Yoshi’s from a small Japanese restaurant founded in the 1970s by Yoshie Akiba and Hiroyuki Hori into one of the Bay Area's most renowned jazz venues. A native of Tokyo, Kajimura moved to the Bay Area at age 22. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Stanford University.
Originally a customer at Yoshi’s, Kajimura’s love of music led him to become a business partner. He helped steer the restaurant into a new era, turning it into a world-class jazz club that would eventually host legends such as Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis and Wayne Shorter.
‘Everybody loves you’
What they're saying:
"It’s hard not having him, especially for me, since we worked together for so many years," said Campos, who Kajimura affectionately referred to as "his only son."
Kajimura’s sister, Toshi Holland, also attended the memorial.
"It’s just really heartwarming," Holland said. "I just want to really show Kaz, hey, look at this, everybody loves you."
Holland recalled how her brother taught himself to play the trumpet as a young man, often rowing into the middle of a lake in a Tokyo park at sunset to practice. "He loved it," said Holland.
Kajimura played a key role in expanding Yoshi’s to its current Oakland location in 1997 and opening a second venue in San Francisco, which operated until 2014.
"He saved this business over and over again throughout the years and kept it alive," said Campos. "He worked 14, 16 hours a day, six days a week. I think without him, this place wouldn’t exist."
"Contrary to whatever he believed," said Holland. "I think he’s watching."
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One of the founders of Yoshi's, the Bay Area jazz and blues club, died on Sunday at the age of 82 following a battle with dementia. The club posted the news along with a tribute on social media on Monday.