MetalJazz

Select chronological listings.


* The World Stage in Leimert Park has Friday 8pm PT (and sometimes other days) in-person presentations with occasional simultaneous live streams of righteous jazz; keep up with the schedule here. Donations encouraged here. Fri. Feb. 23: Dexter Gordon Birthday Celebration -- the all-time-great L.A. tenor man would have been 101 this week; the primo tenors tonight are Justo Almario and Teodross Avery, backed by the superlative Theo Saunders (piano), Henry Franklin (bass) and Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums).
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Tuesday Happenings feature jams led by top local artists. Fri. & Sat. Feb. 23 & 24: post-mainstream pianist Josh Nelson Ensemble with Bob Sheppard on sax. Wed. Feb. 28: pianist Gloria Cheng (7:30) plays "Root Progressions," commissioned pieces by notable composers including James Newton and Anthony Davis. Thurs. Feb. 29: pianist Vardan Ovsepian. Thurs. March 7: pianist Todd Cochran Trio. Fri. March 8: alto sax whiz Nicole McCabe album release. Wed. March 13: trombonist-composer Jon Hatamiya Sextet. Look here for full schedule and options.
* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz along with its culturally edgy programming. Sat. Feb. 24: swinging Indigenous trumpeter Delbert Anderson leads a quartet; Indigenous bassist Mali Obomsawin fronts her own. Fri. & Sat. June 14 & 15: Partch Ensemble. Calendar here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Sat. Feb. 24: veteran Polish death metal from Vader. Fri. March 8: Ov Sulfur. Thurs. March 14: Darkest Hour. Mon. April 8: Flotsam & Jetsam. Sun. April 14: Crematorium. Tues. April 16: Tyr. Sat. April 27: Korpiklaani. Sat. May 11: Born of Osiris. Sun. May 19: Decapitated. Full calendar here.
* Downtown's Bellwether rocks a fair amount. Sat. Feb. 24: Bay Area post-thrash perennials Machine Head. Tues. March 5: major Virginia thrash collectors Municipal Waste. Calendar here.
* Sat. Feb. 24, 7pm: Jazz-funk keyboardist Brandon Coleman plays West Hollywood's Sun Rose, 8430 Sunset Blvd., as part of the city's free Winter Sounds series.
* Santa Monica's Jacaranda music series presents a great selection of forward-looking modern classical and world music. Sun. Feb. 25: Kahil El'Zabar directs the Lyris Quartet and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble in exploring the influence of Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone music upon John Coltrane. Full listings here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Thurs. Feb. 29: Here's your chance to annoy Robert Fripp & David Singleton, guitarist & producer of King Crimson, with your stupid questions in a sitdown setting. Fri. March 8: Gene Loves Jezebel. Sat. March 30: Lynch Mob. Fri. April 5: Tom Keifer. Sat. Sept. 28: Glenn Hughes. Calendar here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Thurs. & Fri. Feb. 29 & March 1: virtuoso drummer Virgil Donati Group. Thurs. March 7: Danny Janklow Elevation. Fri. March 8: organist Ronnie Foster. Fri. & Sat. March 22 & 23: Michael Landau Group. Full schedule here.
* JustJazzTV is a great resource for live jazz.
* The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Sat. March 2: Thredge. Fri. March 8: Thor. Thurs. March 21: Pat Travers, 10 Cent Revenge feat. Cherie Currie. Tues. April 2: Raven. Wed. April 3: Uli Jon Roth. Sat. April 27: Firewind. Tues. April 30: Doyle, Otep. Fri. July 19: Robby Krieger. Calendar here.
* Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Fri. & Sat. March. 1 & 2: By the time you get to Phoenix, Jimmy Webb will be about halfway through one of his impressionistic song-stories; let's not forget "Highwayman," the hit for Johnny, Willie, Waylon & Kris back in '85. Fri. & Sat. March. 15 & 16: Latin-jazz Grammy grabber Pete Escovedo. Full calendar here.
* The Jazz Bakery sponsors live shows at mostly Westside venues; view its calendar here. Sat. March 2: the experienced organ & guitar duo of Larry Goldings & Larry Koonse at Westwood's Nimoy. Sun. May 19: big event with abstract piano great Vijay Iyar Trio at Santa Monica's Moss Theater.
* The new-music and avant-jazz series Soundwaves presents monthly Saturday 3:30pm concerts at Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 90401; FREE. Sat. March. 2: New Mexico-via-NYC saxophonist Chris Jonas jams with his film "Music From the Desert" alongside top Bay Area abstractionists Cory Wright (reeds), Jason Levis (drums) and Lisa Mezzacappa (bass). Sat. April 6: Cold Blue Music Night. Sat. May 4: guitarist Joe Baiza Quartet with vocalist Jessika Kenney, bassist David O. Jones and drummer Brian Christopherson. Sat. June 1: bassist Steuart Liebig's Minim with oboeist Breana Gilcher, cellist Maggie Parkins and pianist Vicki Ray. Sat. July 6: The Present Quartet with bassist Jeff Schwartz, flutist Ellen Burr, harpist Anne LeBaron and windman Charles Sharp.
* Open Gate Theater has moved its long-running and invaluable avant concert series to the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Ave., Pasadena. Sun. March 3: Kallen-LeBaron & Powell; Wayne Peet Band. Sun. April 7: Cassia Streb with Special Guests; Elliot Menard. Sun. May 5: operatics from Anne LaBaron; Will Salmon. Sun. June 16: Steuart Liebig/Minim; new mixed-media works by Mikaela Elson. More here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz singers. Sun. March 3: Yellowjackets. Full schedule here.
* The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) usually has Sunday jazz shows anchored by pianist Sam Hirsh Trio. Check listings here.
* The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Sun. March 10: veteran Canadian darksters Voivod; clanging '90s industrial metal from Tommy Victor's Prong. Sat. April 27: Thy Art Is Murder. Calendar here.
* Knucklehead in Hollywood has metal DJs and live music. Thurs. March 14: distinctively varied beats from Whittier's Zombie Eating Horse, with Vile Life, All Xeeing I, Mermaid Island. Sun. April 28: Ulthar. Fri. May 3: Wayfarer, Sonja. Sat. May 26: God Is War, Comando Barbara, Contorted Corpse, Sheep Ditch, TxTxAxT. Sign in here.
* Fri. March 15: The trippy jazz groove trio Maetar celebrates the release of its long-awaited new album at Harvelle's in Santa Monica; tickets here.
* Tues. March 19: The Knitting Factory North Hollywood presents Max & Igor Cavalera's (Sepultura, Soulfly) Go Ahead and Die at downtown's Boomtown Brewery; tix here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Sun. March 24: KMFDM. Tues. April 30: Insomnium. Fri. May 24: Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex. Calendar & tix here.
* Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Fri. & Sat. March 29 & 30: Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins. Full lineup here.
* Frogtown's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Sun. March 31: Dave Harrington & the Pictures Band. Fri. April 19: Deathchant, Danava. Full calendar here.
* The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or hosts an outside master. Sat. April 6: Tom Keifer, L.A. Guns. Calendar here.
* Midtown's The Wiltern hosts eclectic acts within its classic Art Deco halls. Thurs. April 11: Chris Botti. Lineup here.
* McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica has jazzy stuff now and then. Fri. April 19: guitar master Albert Lee. Sat. May 18: Scott Amendola & Sticklerphonics.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Sat. April 20: Herbie Hancock. Tickets here.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Wed. & Thurs. April 24 & 25: Hear Now festival of new music. Listings here.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Mon. Aug. 5: The Melvins' Buzz Osborne is Buzzo of King Buzzo & Trevor Dunn; Dunn is a fantastically adaptable bassist. Full schedule here.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood gets heavy now and then. Oct. 8: Iron Maiden. Listings here.
* Piano Spheres always has topflight outward programming from the classically trained world at venues around town. Calendar here.
* Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here.
* The Jazz Salon presents top singers on Thursdays and sometimes Sundays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here. (The Salon moves to regular Sundays in March; watch for updates.)
* The Mayan downtown has jazz and rock sometimes. Calendar here.
* Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Calendar here.
* The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Tickets here.
* El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile books yer occasional metal show. Calendar here.
* Downtown's Peacock Theater (formerly Microsoft Theater) occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.