Fri. Aug. 8 -- Tenor man Kamasi Washington launched his career on the same Leimert Park stage that Billy Higgins, Horace Tapscott and Azar Lawrence sanctified, and he maintains the same '60s spiritjazz tradition. He calls his band The Next Step, just so you know it ain't nostalgia. At LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., LA 90036; 6-8pm; FREE; Friday summer jazz schedule here.
Fri. Aug. 8 -- Jazz in a park? Sounds good to me, especially if it's the family-friendly postbop of trumpeter Elliott Caine's quintet. At Ted Watkins Memorial Park, 1335 E. 103rd St., Watts 90620, 7-9pm; FREE.
Fri.-Sat. Aug. 8-9 -- ECM mainstay bassist Steve Swallow (Carla Bley, Gary Burton) knits up a fine modernistic Brooklynite trio with younger saxist Ohad Talmor and drummer Adam Nussbaum (John Abercrombie, John Scofield). At the Blue Whale on the third level of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 9pm-midnight; $20; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Sat. Aug. 9 -- The quartet of brawny yet elevational tenor saxist Azar Lawrence features pianist Benito Gonzalez and brings back his most pugnacious foil in former Herbie Hancock-McCoy Tyner-Larry Coryell drummer Alphonse Mouzon, along with tried & true bassist Jeff Littleton. At Roscoe's Seabird Jazz Lounge, adjacent to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, 730 E. Broadway, Long Beach 90802; $15; 9pm-1am; (562) 787-0899 .
Sun. Aug. 10 -- Emerging saxist Jasper Dutz (son o' Brad) won the Angel City Young Artist Competition, y'know. Everybody who's seen him has been blown away. At the Blue Whale on the third level of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 9pm-midnight; $15; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
LATE ADD: Mon. Aug. 11 -- Jon Hassell, a founder of the whole artistic electro-ambient groove thing, brings his trumpet and his finely shaded sensibilities to an actual live band; quite an event, as he doesn't play L.A. often. With Inc. and SVF Acid, don't know about the order. At Club Los Globos, 3040 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park 90026; doors 8pm; $14; www.clublosglobos.com; (323) 207-6686.
Tues. Aug. 12 -- Smart, swinging and stylistically unbounded pianist Billy Childs has a quintet with young lord Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), polished vet Bob Sheppard (sax), reliable Hamilton Price (bass) and a drummer to be named later in a trade with the Red Sox. Can't fail. At the Blue Whale on the third level of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 9pm-midnight; $20; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Tues.-Sun. Aug. 12-17 -- Piano legend Chick Corea (Miles Davis, Return to Forever, everything else) returns with an album and band called "The Vigil," a crazed and inspired flashback to his '70s fusion days. This version of the group retains the especially poundiferous drums of Marcus Gilmore (grandson of skins god Roy Haynes), the penetrating sax of Tim Garland and the shreddin' guitar of Charles Altura, while substituting bass phenom Carlitos Del Puerto. Don't expect to doze. At Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028; 8:30 & 10:30pm; $25-$50; (323) 466-2210; www.catalinajazzclub.com.
Wed. Aug. 13 -- Phast Phreddie's L.A. visit this year features a special reunion of his poetry-jazz experience Phast & Bulbous, featuring redoubtable original '80s member Paul Body (Sheiks of Shake) on drums plus guest groovers Tony Marsico (Plugz) on bass and Nancy Gardner (Ubangies) on beret. At Village Bakery and Café, 3119 Los Feliz Blvd., Atwater 90039; come before 7pm closing to grab a bite, and stay for Phast soon after the cash register closes. Pay what you feel.
Wed. Aug. 13 -- Looks like a few rear tickets have been released for the ZZ Top and Jeff Beck show. I don't have to tell you who those guys are. At the Greek Theater, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz 90027; 7:30pm; $75; www.greektheatrela.com.
Wed. Aug. 13 -- Although tributes can be too tributary, consider the presence at this James Brown kneelfest of true-blues singer Bettye LeVette and African princess Angelique Kidjo, plus Aloe Blacc and D'Angelo. And mainly, music director Christian McBride has assembled a big fat James Brown Alumni Band featuring greats like saxist Pee Wee Ellis, trombonist Fred Wesley and drummer Clyde Stubblefield. Attendees may be compelled to get up off of that thing. At the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 Highland Ave., Hollywood 90068; 8pm; $28-$105; (323) 850-2000; www.hollywoodbowl.com.
Thurs. Aug. 14 -- Damian Erskine, Mitch Forman, Jeff Kollman & Eric Seats play together for the first time, it says here. It's an intriguing dice roll, because bassist Damian is Peter Erskine's nephew, and because guitarist Jeff Kollman never plays with anyone who sucks. Other than that, I know little except that it's likely to be fusiony. At the Blue Whale on the third level of Weller Court Plaza, south of East First Street between South Los Angeles Street and South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo 90012; 9pm-midnight; $20; parking $5 underneath off Second Street at the sign of the P in a circle; (213) 620-0908; www.bluewhalemusic.com.
Thurs. Aug. 14 -- African xylophonist SK Kakraba and his band rock the Ghanaian roots (9pm); Dwight Trible, the Ronnie James Dio of souljazz, leads an ensemble (8pm); DJ Frosty cools it out (7:45); ambient beatman Sean Christian steeps the grassy hillside (6pm). Food and kid stuff too. Let's move to Pasadena. A Dublab presentation at Levitt Pavilion, 30 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena 91103; FREE; (626) 683-3230; www.levittpavilionpasadena.org.
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Read Don Heckman’s jazz picks here and MoshKing's metal listings here. Read John Payne's plutonic Bluefat.com here.