Pulse of the city heard in streets of San Francisco

By Greg Zeman
The Guardsman

It’s practically impossible to walk through San Francisco on any given day without hearing the diverse rhythms of its streets ringing from the crowded corners and echoing off of the painted walls.

Any style of music imaginable—and some which even bend the limits of imagination­—can be heard in this city, if one knows where to look and listen.

There is a unique cultural character to each of the city’s many neighborhoods, and each one has its own musical tradition and history.

The Filmore was once the creative center of jazz in the city, and a recent musical renaissance happening there could return it to its historical prominence. But the true soul of San Francisco’s timeless love affair with jazz — and all forms and movements in music which are raw and spontaneous ­— can be heard on the streets.

From instrumentalists weaving melodies with saxophones, guitars, violins and all sorts of instruments you may have never heard of to percussionists banging out intricate rhythms on buckets, boxes, trash can lids and anything else that makes a tasty noise when hit, the variety of street musicians in the city is practically unrivaled.