Curated chronological listings.
* = entries in Angel City Jazz Fest.
The World Stage in Leimert Park hosts Friday 8pm PT LIVE STREAMS of righteous jazz; join in here for live concerts and here for replays of past shows on its YouTube channel. Fri. Sept. 30: big-toned saxist Justo Almario. *Sat. Oct. 23: David Murray Trio. Donations encouraged here.
The well-received rock documentary "Dio: Dreamers Never Die" is showing on L.A. screens citywide. Locations here.
The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm. Fri. Sept. 30: Luis Conte Band. Thurs. Oct. 6: Nili Brosh. Sun. Oct. 16: Dan Rosenboom Sextet. Fri.-Mon. Oct. 28-31: The Zappa Band. Sat. Nov. 5: Albert Lee. Sun. Nov. 13: L.A. Jazz Quartet. Wed. Nov. 16: Danny Janklow. Thurs.-Sun. Dec. 1-4: John Daversa Progressive Big Band. Wed.-Sat. Dec. 7-10: Rock Candy Funk Party featuring Joe Bonamassa. Sat. & Sun. Dec. 17 & 18: Mike Stern. Full schedule here.
The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces. Sat. Oct. 1: a freak of a hard-rock guitarist, Michael Schenker. Calendar here.
The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Sat. Oct. 1: Warbringer. Sat. Oct. 15: Kings of Thrash with Dave Ellefson & Jeff Young. Thurs. Oct. 20: Last in Line. Fri. Nov. 4: Stryper. Fri. Nov. 25: Supersuckers. Sat. Dec. 31: L.A. Guns. Calendar here.
The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Sat. Oct. 1: fine postbop drummer Willie Jones III. Thurs. Oct. 13: Otmaro Ruiz & Bruno Mangueira. Thurs. & Fri. Oct. 20 & 21: Dan Weiss & Miles Okazaki. Thurs. Oct. 27: Roy McCurdy Quartet. Thurs. Nov. 10: Anthony Fung Quartet. Fri. & Sat. Nov. 18 & 19: Adam Hersh Quartet. Sat. Nov. 26: Joe LaBarbera Quintet. Look here for full schedule and options.
The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) is showcasing jazz shows. Sun. Oct. 2: Laura Drincic & Friends and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. Oct. 16: Vardan Ovsepian and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. Oct. 23: Elliott Caine and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. Nov. 6: Jazz Butchers and Sam Hirsh Trio. Check listings here.
Tues. Oct. 4: Scorpions and Thundermother pierce Inglewood's Forum. (Whitesnake dropped out of the tour due to a Coverdale throat ailment.) Tickets here.
Wed. Oct. 5: Echo Park's EchoPlex hosts Swiss avant-metalmen Zeal & Ardor plus NYC metal abstractionists Imperial Triumphant and femme-fronted hard rockers Sylvaine. Tix here.
Just Jazz presents jazz at Hollywood's Mr. Music Head Gallery. Wed. Oct. 5: Sam Barsh. Wed. Nov. 16: Jonathan Pinson's Boom Clap. Wed. Dec. 14: Mark Turner. Check full lineup here.
The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Wed. Oct. 5: Clutch, Quicksand, Helmet. Thurs. & Fri. Oct. 27 & 28: L7. Full lineup here.
Downtown's Teragram Ballroom occasionally presents heavy and improvisational music. Wed. Oct. 5: Tortoise. Sun. Oct. 23: Marco Benevento. Calendar here.
1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Wed. Oct. 5: Batushka. Sat. Nov. 5: Lorna Shore, Aborted. Fri. Dec. 2: Katatonia, The Ocean. Full calendar here.
Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Wed. Oct. 5: Jamaican jazz from Monty Alexander. Sun. Oct. 9: classic fusion from Yellowjackets. Full schedule here.
LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile offers FREE outdoor jazz concerts every Friday at 6pm. Fri. Oct. 7: the delicately seasoned trio of Alan Pasqua, Peter Erskine & Darek Oles. Fri. Oct. 14: Ben Williams Band. Fri. Oct. 28: *Jonathan Pinson's Boom Clap. Fri. Nov. 11: Chuck Johnson's Jazz Coalescence. Full calendar here.
2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Fri. Oct. 7: Park Jiha, Eyvind Kang, Jessika Kenney. *Sat. Oct. 29: ROVA Saxophone Quartet. *Sat. Nov. 5: Zoh Amba Quartet, Devin Daniels Quartet. Listings here.
The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Fri. Oct. 7: Poncho Sanchez. Fri. Nov. 25: Albert Lee. Calendar here.
The Jazz Bakery is again presenting shows at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. Sat. Oct. 8: guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. Tickets and info here.
The Hollywood Palladium has some metal and hard stuff. Sun. Oct. 9: Meshuggah. Fri.-Sun. Oct. 21-23: The Mars Volta. Full schedule here.
Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon is offering everything. Sun. Oct. 9: Lydia Lunch, Kid Congo. Fri. Oct. 28: Flipper. Full calendar here.
Downtown's Belasco Theater stages a few rock & metal shows. Sun. Oct. 9: GWAR. Calendar & tix here.
The Greek Theater in Griffith Park has outdoor music. Sun. Oct. 9: The Cult, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Full lineup here.
The Wiltern (Wilton & Western) occasionally harbors metal. Wed. Oct. 12: In This Moment. Thurs. Oct. 13: Testament, Exodus, Death Angel. Thurs. Nov. 10: Trivium. Tues. Nov. 22: Cannibal Corpse, Dark Funeral, Immolation. Sun. Dec. 11: WASP. Full calendar here.
Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Thurs. Oct. 13: metal strongmen Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Animals As Leaders. Sat. Oct. 29: Mercyful Fate, Kreator. Fri. June 2: Helloween, Hammerfall. Calendar here.
Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Thurs.-Sat. Oct. 13-15: fusion from Dave Weckl-Tom Kennedy Project. Fri. & Sat. Oct. 21 & 22: Latin jazz from Pete Escovedo & Family. Thurs.-Sat. Nov. 17-19: Simon Phillips' Protocol V. Check full calendar here.
Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Fri. Oct. 14: Julian Lage and The Bad Plus. Sun. Oct. 30: Chaka Khan. Tickets here.
Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Sat. Oct. 15: baritone saxist Dale Fielder Quartet. Fri. Oct. 21: melodic shreddin' guitarist Nili Brosh. Full lineup here.
UCLA'S Center for the Art of Performance has jazz programming. Sun. Oct. 16: Branford Marsalis Quartet. Thurs. Nov. 3: Antonio Sanchez. Sat. Nov. 12: Tigran Hamasyan. Thurs. Feb. 23: MVF Band. Calendar here.
***Make plans now for Angel City Jazz Festival, Oct. 21-Nov. 5 at various venues in Los Angeles.
Fri. Oct. 21: Brazilian music with singer Luciana Souza and a big band conducted by Vince Mendoza at the Ford in Cahuenga Pass.
Sat. Oct. 22: John Escreet's Seismic Shift, Marquis Hill at REDCAT downtown.
Sun. Oct. 23: sax legend David Murray Trio at the World Stage in Leimert Park.
Fri. Oct. 28: drummer Jonathan Pinson's Boom Clap at LACMA on the Miracle Mile.
Sat. Oct. 29: Bay Area avant vets ROVA Saxophone Quartet (8:00) and the young sax quartet Battle Trance (9:15) at 2220 Arts + Archives near Beverly & Alvarado.
Sun. Oct. 30: all-star jazz with saxist Daniel Rotem's Wise One (8:00) plus saxist Ben Wendel High Heart (9:15) at Barnsdall Gallery Theater in East Hollywood.
Fri. Nov. 4: saxist Nicole McCabe Septet (8:00) plus pianist Myra Melford's Fire & Water Quintet (9:15) at Thayer Hall, Colburn School of Music downtown.
Sat. Nov. 5: saxist Devin Daniels Quartet (8:00) plus saxist Zoh Amba Quartet (9:15) at 2220 Arts + Archives near Beverly & Alvarado.
Details and tickets here.***
Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz and metal. Tues. Oct. 25: Tribute to Airto Moreira featuring many luminaries from the percussion and jazz world. Sun. Oct. 30: Makaya McCraven. Full schedule here.
The Orpheum downtown rocks at times. Tues. Oct. 25: Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets (early Pink Floyd). Fri. Nov. 4: Wardruna. Sun. Nov. 6: Jeff Beck. Tickets here.
Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here. Sat. Oct. 29: LAJS Jazz Tribute Concert & Awards at the Montalban Theater in Hollywood.
Sat. Dec. 3: Steve Vai plays the Ace Hotel downtown; tickets here.
Sat. Dec. 17: Amon Amarth, Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation pillage Inglewood's Forum. Tickets here.
The Broad Stage in Santa Monica holds occasional jazz presentations. Fri. March 23: Maria Schneider Orchestra presents "Data Lords." Tickets here.
Piano Spheres always has topflight outward programming from the classically trained world at the Thayer or Zipper Hall downtown. Calendar here.
ETA, a bar in Highland Park, often books edgy jazz. Check in here.