Maybe not as a four-wall physical structure — it lost its lease and closed its Berkeley building in October.

But its spirit endures as a nonprofit group providing young people with an alcohol-free place to perform music they've learned in school, as well as a much-needed venue for Bay Area jazz artists and touring musicians to jam, network, experiment, be creative and just have a musical blast.

So as the active search continues for a new and permanent performance space, The Jazz House serves as a roving host to monthly jazz events at various locations.

In fact, The Jazz House has a really cool gig coming up tonight. It will be at 21 Grand, a gallery and performance space that is neither at 21 nor Grand. It is at 449B 23rd St., Oakland, between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway.

The show is called "Coltrane: A Tribute," featuring well-known Bay Area saxophonist Howard Wiley performing the songs of John Coltrane, with a trio of young musicians as backup. But that's not all. As the music plays, Oakland-based visual artist Timothy Streuli will be creating live art drawings, based on the evening's musical inspiration.

"It's a whole music-art-vibe thing, a full art experience," said Rob Woodworth, founder and director of The Jazz House. "Timothy will accompany the music with his colorful, vibrant art. It's something that was done more often in the older jazzdays — you'd have some jazz guys in the corner, and somebody reading poetry over that."

While this will surely be a fun show, Woodworth would still prefer a permanent home for The Jazz House.

The Jazz House had been open less than two years at a little building near the Berkeley police headquarters, and the place was hopping up to seven nights a week. They had a regular jam session on Tuesdays and weekend youth clinics. It was getting rave reviews from the jazz community and beyond.

Then the group lost its lease, and the building was slated for demolition.

"It was the rug out from under us," Woodworth said. "But we want to keep things going, especially with the kids.

"That's what it's all about," he said. "We started this for kids to have a place to play music. In public school or private music classes, kids are learning music either in a classroom setting or they have to pay some kind of fee. They're in their bedrooms at night, learning scales and notes, and there's not a place to use it. Maybe there's a recital at school, but just a handful of parents show up. And most adult music venues are in an alcohol and bar environment.

"So we're trying to take that part away," he said. "It's a whole real-life music experience for them, being on the bill, setting up a show, interacting with worldwide musicians. It's something they won't get anywhere else."

Kids always get in free to Jazz House performances, and there's a teen group performing the opening act at tonight's show. But the shows are by and for adults, even big-name guest performers. And funds raised at the shows go right back to the Jazz House cause.

Woodworth, who says he has been a drummer and a jazz fan "forever," came up with The Jazz House idea after working for a nonprofit group in San Francisco and seeing the need for musical young people to have a place to show off their stuff. He and a handful of volunteers got it going, booking acts and advertising shows.

He's had some offers for a new space, but nothing perfect just yet.

"So many places get closed down for code violations, or you have to worry about the lease being up in a month or so," he said. "I want to do it right."

Doors open for tonight's show at 21 Grand at 8:30 with the show starting at 9. Admission is $10. Check out www.thejazzhouse.org for new developments and upcoming events.

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