Select chronological listings.
ETA, a bar in Highland Park, brings top local (etc.) jazz. Check in anytime here, as it often books on short notice. Fri. May 12: topnotch edgewise show with Canada-Brooklyn trumpeter Steph Richards Quartet featuring whirlwind pianist Joshua White, bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Max Jaffe. Mon. May 15: wild & soulful organ-drums-guitar trio featuring Wil Blades, Roy McCurdy & Jeff Parker.
The World Stage in Leimert Park has Friday 8pm PT (and sometimes Saturday) in-person presentations with occasional simultaneous live streams of righteous jazz; keep up with the schedule here. Fri. May 12: drummer Al Williams Quintet. Sat. May 13, 6pm: Singer Torre Brannon Reese & Everything With Soul present a fundraiser for the youth organization Princess 2 Queen. Fri. May 19: drummer Tosin. Fri. May 26: vocalist Arnae Batson. Fri. June 2: Latin violinist Dayren Santamaria. Fri. June 9: perennial windman and educator Charles Owens. Fri. June 16: Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Fri. June 23: trumpeter in resurgence Nolan Shaheed. Fri. June 30: vocalist Nailah Porter. Check here for replays of past shows on the World Stage YouTube channel. Donations encouraged here.
The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Fri. May 12: ace guitarist George Lynch's Lynch Mob. Thurs. & Fri. May 25 & 26: Doyle. Sun. June 4: Loudness. Wed. June 14: Otep. Fri. June 30: Venom Inc., Exhumed. Sat. & Sun. July 1 & 2: Robby Krieger. Wed. Sept. 6: Uli Jon Roth. Calendar here.
Fri. May 12, 8pm: Alan Chan Moo-Sic Group presents a variety of jazz at the Harmony Room in Saint Be., 2109 Chickasaw Ave., Eagle Rock 90041; tickets here.
2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Fri. & Sat. May 12 & 13: big jazz event from NYC with avant veterans William Parker-William Hooker-Isaiah Collier Trio on bass-drums-sax. Tues. May 16: New York experimental new music from Ghost Ensemble. Sat. & Sun. May 27 & 28: Iannis Xenakis Retrospective featuring a screening of the avant composer's film "Persepolis" (Sat.) and a concert of his music (Sun.) Listings here.
The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Fri. & Sat. May 12 & 13: storied drummer Joe LaBarbera Quintet with saxist Bob Sheppard. Every Tuesday: jams with world-class pianist Gerald Clayton. Look here for full schedule and options.
1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Sat. May 13: Cali deathsters Autopsy. Mon. May 22: Abysmal Dawn. Tues. July 18: Analepsy. Tues. Sept. 19: Angelmaker. Full calendar here.
Sun. May 14, 2pm: The normally heady Eclipse Quartet bring an earthy Mother's Day variety program to Pasadena's Boston Court concert venue. Tickets here.
The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) has mostly Sunday jazz shows. Sun. May 14: Cathy Segal-Garcia & the Moment and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. May 21: Friends of AMPA Jazz Nite and Sam Hirsh Trio. Tues. May 23: a spirit-stirring saxist coming on strong for half a century, The Azar Lawrence Experience Plays People Moving. Sun. May 28: Jonah Shin Jazz Collective and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. June 4: Tritone Asylum Big Band and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. June 11: Doug MacDonald Trio and Sam Hirsh Trio. Check listings here.
Keep up with the well-curated Vernacular New-Music Series at Oracle Tavern in a hideaway west of Chinatown two Mondays a month here. Mon. May 15, 8pm: the trumpet-bass-percussion trio of Sarah Kramer, Jorge Calderon & Joe Berardi is followed by the synth/sax-bass-percussion trio of Jeremy Gill, Michael Alvidrez & Rich West.
Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Wed. May 17: the loudest, heaviest, funniest tech beat in the world from Germany's KMFDM. Fri. May 19: Lacuna Coil. Fri. Sept 29: Wolfmother. Calendar & tix here.
The Paramount in Boyle Heights hosts concerts presented by Just Jazz. Wed. May 17: fusionistic Mexican bassist Mauricio Morales. Wed. June 14: bubbling improv from Black Whole. Thurs. June 22: drift & ooze from the quintet of bassist Seajun Kwon. Details here.
Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Thurs. May 18: Salsa Meets Jazz. Wed. June 7: Adaawe international women's group. Check full calendar here.
The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal. Fri. May 19: Obituary. Calendar here.
Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Full lineup here. Sat. May 20: Dale Fielder Quartet. Sat. June 10: Nili Brosh Band.
The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Sat. May 20: Pentagram. Tues. June 6: Cattle Decapitation. Sat. June 10: Dark Funeral. Sat. July 15: Havok. Full lineup here.
Sun. May 21: The ensemble of mainstream jazz trumpeter Elliott Caine plays The York, a big bar in Highland Park, from 8 to 10pm, no cover. Website here.
The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm. Thurs.-Sun. May 25-28: John Daversa Progressive Big Band. Wed. May 31: Danny Janklow Elevation. Full schedule here.
The Wiltern (Wilton & Western) occasionally harbors metal. Sat. May 27: Kreator, Sepultura. Sat. Sept. 2: Kamelot. Full calendar here.
Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Fri. June 2: Euro metal with Helloween, Hammerfall. Fri. June 30: primeval Norwegian black metal from Emperor. Calendar here.
The Broad Stage in Santa Monica holds occasional jazz presentations. Sat. June 3: Jason Moran. Tickets here.
Open Gate Theater has moved its long-running and invaluable avant concert series from the Eagle Rock Cultural Center mostly to the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Ave., Pasadena. Sun. June 4, 7pm at Center for the Arts, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock: Vlatkovich/Liebig/Powell and Intangible, featuring Gamin (piri, taepyeonso,saenghwang), Robert Reigle (tenor saxophone), Jeff Schwartz (bass) and Tim Feeney (percussion). Keep up with events here.
The Kia Forum in Inglewood revs some metal. Fri. June 9: Avenged Sevenfold. Mon. & Tues. Sept. 11 & 12: Ghost. Listings here.
Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here. Sun. June 11: Vibe Summit.
Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Thurs. June 15: original Jamaican dubster Scientist. Thurs. June 22: Pere Ubu featuring Mike Watt & the Missingmen. Sat. July 22: Acid King. Thurs. Aug. 3: Vieux Farka Touré. Sat. Sept. 30: The Avengers. Full schedule here.
REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz. Fri. & Sat. June 16 & 17: Partch. Calendar here.
MacArthur Park's Levitt Pavilion, 2230 W. Sixth St., has jazz again this summer. Sat. June 17, 7pm: Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Sun. June 18, 5pm: Katalyst Collective. Full calendar here.
The Hollywood Bowl has some jazz etc. Sat. & Sun. June 17 & 18: Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival featuring Kamasi Washington & Poncho Sanchez (Sat.) and West Coast Get Down (Sun.). Sun. July 23: Reggae Night with Beres Hammond, Steel Pulse. Wed. Aug. 9: Joe Bonamassa With Orchestra. Fri. Aug. 11: Ruben Blades. Wed. Aug. 23: Herbie Hancock. Wed. Sept. 6: Buddy Guy. Fri. Nov. 3: Kiss 'em goodbye. Details here.
Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Sun. June 18: Louie Cruz Beltran. Full schedule here.
Wed. June 28, 8pm: Just Jazz presents South African pianist Nduduzu Makhathini at MusicHead Gallery in Hollywood. Tickets here.
Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Mon. & Tues. July 24 & 25: Sun Ra Arkestra. Sat. Nov. 4: MSSV (Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges & Mike Watt). Full calendar here.
Fri.-Sun. Aug. 25-27: Metallica plates SoFi Stadium.
The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Sun. Sept. 24: Snarky Puppy. Tickets here.
The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Fri. Oct. 3: Orianthi. Calendar here.
Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Wed. Nov. 8: Brad Mehldau Trio. Tickets here.
Thurs. Dec. 7: Aerosmith lands in L.A. on its "final" tour, at The Forum. This Joe thinks it's time to quit campaigning.
Florida death founders Obituary's April livestream party is available on demand through May; tickets here.
Piano Spheres always has topflight outward programming from the classically trained world at the Thayer or Zipper halls downtown. Calendar here.
Santa Monica's Jacaranda music series presents a great selection of forward-looking modern classical and world music. Inquire regularly here.
The Jazz Salon presents top singers on Thursdays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here.