Select chronological listings.
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. July 7: super tradition-plus show with Page One Band featuring Richard Grant, Ralph Gibson, Theo Saunders, Fritz Wise and Jeffrey Littleton. Fri. July 14: vocalist Gloria Hendry. Fri. July 21: vocalist Neil Leadbetter. Fri. July 28: sax omniscient Charles Owens. Fri. Aug. 4: Cosmic Vibrations featuring Dwight Trible, Breeze Smith, Christopher Garcia, Pablo Garcia and Peter Jacobson. Fri. Aug. 11: vocalist Angie Wells. Sat. Aug. 12. 4pm, free: Celebration of Life for WS Music Theory Workshop Coordinator Billy McCoy. Fri. Aug. 18: keyboardist Rudi Mwongozi. Fri. Aug. 25: saxist Benn Clatworthy. Donations encouraged here.
2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Fri. July 7: The excellent local keyboardist Diego Gaeta celebrates the release of his new recording with a nine-piece band. Tues. July 11: Angel Deradoorian & Jessika Kenney (8pm), plus guitar expander Jeff Parker (9pm) joined by singer Amirtha Kidambi, avant saxist Patrick Shiroishi and drummer Max Jaffe. Sat. July 29: Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Tues. Sept. 19: electronified powwow singer Joe Rainey. Sun. Oct. 15: Jeong Lim Yang's Zodiac Trio, Ingrid Laubrock (Angel City Fest). Fri. Oct. 27: Mat Maneri (Angel City Fest). Listings here.
Sat. July 8, 9pm: Welcome back the spacefunk electronified trumpet-bass-drums trio Maetar, shaking up the floor of Corazon in Topanga Canyon and previewing material from next year's Ropeadope album; tickets here.
Sat. July 8, 7pm: I See Hawks in L.A. fly their country harmonies and uncorny verses into the summer hills around the laid-back backyard environs of the Folly Bowl, 1601 E. Loma Alta Drive, Altadena CA 91001; $20 suggested donation, no reservations, no advance ticket sales, doors 6pm, picnicking encouraged.
Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Sat. July 8: singer Kenny Washington backed by a crack band featuring pianist Josh Nelson & saxist Brandon Fields. Sat. July 15: Brazilian jazz with singer-guitarist Téka. Thurs. July 27: Macy Gray's 1970. Full schedule here.
Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Sun. July 9: Jimmy Webb, yeah that piano-playing, singing-songwriting guy, nobody like him. Fri.-Sun. Sept. 1-3, Poncho Sanchez. Full calendar here.
The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) has mostly Sunday jazz shows. Sun. July 9: Corbin Jones Big Band and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. July 16: Glenn Cashman Quartet and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. July 23: Jazz Butchers and Sam Hirsh Trio. Sun. July 30: MB Projkt and Sam Hirsh Trio. Check listings here.
ETA, a bar in Highland Park, brings top local (etc.) jazz. Check in anytime here, as it often books on short notice.
The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Wed. July 12: Rising vibraphonist Sasha Berliner puts together a hot quintet with saxist Nicole McCabe, pianist Paul Cornish, bassist Luca Alemanno and drummer Anthony Fung. Thurs. & Fri. July 13 & 14: Pianist and bassist Josh Nelson-Bob Bowman Collective assemble impressive talent such as saxist Matt Otto, guitarist Larry Koonse and drummer Joe LaBarbera. Thurs. July 20: saxist Bob Sheppard Quartet. Fri. July 28: Cathlene Pineda Quartet. Sat. July 29: Roy McCurdy Quintet. Thurs. Aug. 3: Michael Wolff Trio. Tuesdays are jams, usually hosted by world-class pianist Gerald Clayton. Look here for full schedule and options.
LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile offers FREE outdoor jazz concerts every Friday at 6pm. Fri. July 14: vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu. Fri. July 21: wild bassist Billy Mohler Quartet. Fri. Aug. 18: L.A. Jazz Quartet. Fri. Sept. 8: Munyungo Jackson. Fri. Sept. 15: The Jazz Treasure Award goes to saxist Charles Owens. Fri. Sept. 22: Ernie Watts. Full calendar here.
This summer's free summer Sunday Grand Performances at downtown's California Plaza include some jazz. Sat. July 15: Jazz Is Dead presents Garrett Sarracho. Sun. Aug. 19: Mark De Clive-Lowe presents Jazz Is in the House. Website here.
The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Sat. July 15: Havok. Sat. Aug. 12: Zambian '70s psychedelic rockers W.I.T.C.H. Thurs. Sept. 7: Eyehategod. Full lineup here.
Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Full lineup here. Sun. July 16: funky Detroit bass freak Tony Newton.
Sun. July 16: 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.
1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Mon. July 17: FREE (with RSVP) Metal Monday featuring Exmortus, Novareign, Persekutor, Anubis, Violent by Nature. Tues. July 18: Analepsy. Tues. Aug. 29: Batushka. Sun. Sept. 3: Psycroptic, Decrepit Birth. Tues. Sept. 19: Angelmaker. Sun. Oct. 8: Attila. Tues. Oct. 10: Paleface Swiss. Full calendar here.
The well-curated Vernacular New-Music Series at Oracle Tavern in a hideaway west of Chinatown two Mondays a month posts listings here. Mon. July 17, 8pm: TBA.
Wed. July 19, 8pm: The avant all-stars of The Present Quartet are Ellen Burr (flutes), Anne LeBaron (harp), Jeff Schwartz (bass) and Charles Sharp (winds), and they celebrate the release of their new "With Voices" by including those very remarkable throats -- Bonnie Barnett, Will Salmon and Vetza. That's one set; the other set features superpercussionist Andrea Centazzo. At Kulak's Woodshed, 5230 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood; $20 includes a copy of the PQ's 2019 debut CD.
Fri. July 21, 6:30-9:30pm: West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio features the exceptional talents of veteran avantists Andrea Centazzo (percussion), Ellen Burr (flutes) and Jeff Schwartz (bass). At Industry Cafe & Jazz, 6039 Washington Blvd., Culver City, Ethiopian/soul food, wine & beer, no cover; website here.
Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Sat. July 22: hard-riffin' rock from California vets Acid King. Thurs. Aug. 3: Vieux Farka Touré. Tues. Aug. 8: Ronnie Foster. Thurs. Sept. 14: Kamaal Williams. Sat. Sept. 30: The Avengers. Full schedule here.
The Hollywood Bowl has some jazz etc. 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 celebrates Wayne Shorter. Wed. Sept. 6: Buddy Guy. Fri. Nov. 3: Kiss 'em goodbye. Details here.
Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Mon. & Tues. July 24 & 25: Sun Ra Arkestra. Wed. Oct. 4: Wolf Eyes with Anthony Braxton. Wed. Oct. 25: Oceans And (Tim Berne), Harriet Tubman (Angel City Fest). Sat. Nov. 4: MSSV (Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges & Mike Watt). Full calendar here.
Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Tues. July 25: Dream Theater, Devin Townsend, Animals As Leaders. Wed. Oct. 11: Dethklok, Babymetal. Calendar here.
MacArthur Park's Levitt Pavilion, 2230 W. Sixth St., has music again this summer. Fri. July 28, 7pm: Tuareg desert rock from Imarhan. Sun. July 30, 5pm: West African music with Weedie Braimah & the Hands of Time plus amazing Ghanaian malletman SK Kakraba. Sun. Aug. 27: classic reggae with Dub Club DJs Tom Chasteen & Boss Harmony. Full calendar here.
The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Sun. July 30: former Manson and KMFDM axman Skold. Wed. Aug. 23: Leatherwolf. Wed. Sept. 6: Uli Jon Roth. Thurs. Sept. 28: Gene Loves Jezebel. Fri. Oct. 13: 45 Grave. Calendar here.
The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm. Fri. & Sat. Aug. 3 & 4: Greg Howe. Full schedule here.
Sat. Aug. 5, 8pm: The Music Center's Summer Sound Waves presents Jazz Unleashed L.A., featuring trumpeter Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), plus an All-Star Jazz Collective featuring saxist David Binney. 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. Aug. 6, 7pm: unusual winds and percussion from Liam Mooney. Keep up with events here.
The Mayan downtown has jazz and rock sometimes. Sun. & Mon. Aug. 6 & 7: Brazilian composer-singer Arthur Verocai with orchestra. Calendar here.
Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Thurs. Aug. 24: Boris, The Melvins. Fri. Sept 29: Wolfmother. Wed. Oct. 4: Cradle of Filth, DevilDriver. Sat. Oct. 21: Ne Obliviscaris. Calendar & tix here.
Fri.-Sun. Aug. 25-27: Metallica plates SoFi Stadium. Tickets here.
The Wiltern (Wilton & Western) occasionally harbors metal. Sat. Sept. 2: Kamelot. Fri. Oct. 6: The Darkness. Wed. Oct. 18: Max & Iggor Cavalera, Exhumed. Full calendar here.
Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here. Sat. Sept. 9 at Montalban Theater: Tribute Celebration.
The Kia Forum in Inglewood revs some metal. Mon. & Tues. Sept. 11 & 12: Ghost. Thurs. Dec. 7: Aerosmith fly the coop on their "final" tour. Listings here.
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: femme ax ripper Orianthi. Calendar here.
Fri.-Sun. Oct. 6-8: PowerTrip presents GNR, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Ozzy, Metallica, Tool and lots more out in Indio. Sell an oligarch's yacht and buy tickets here.
Oct. 13-29: Don't let out-of-town relatives get married during Angel City Jazz Fest, stocked with an exciting mix of forward-looking artists at venues throughout the city. Details here. Fri. Oct. 13: Celebrating Sam Rivers with Billy Harper, Nicole McCabe et al. at LACMA. Sat. Oct. 14: Destiny Mohammad/Teodross Avery at the World Stage. Sun. Oct. 15: Jeong Yim Lang, Crump-Laubrock-Smythe at 2220. Mon. Oct. 16: Vernacular Night featuring Vinny Golia, Motoko Honda, Nicole McCabe et al. at Oracle Tavern. Sat. Oct. 21: Gloria Cheng at Zipper Hall. Sun. Oct. 22: Todd Sickafoose, Kirk Knuffke at Moss Theater. Wed. Oct. 25: Oceans And (Tim Berne), Harriet Tubman (Brandon Ross) at Zebulon. Fri. Oct. 27: Mat Maneri, Ennis Harris at 2220. Sat. Oct. 28: Nicole Mitchell, Next Jazz Legacy at REDCAT. Sun. Oct. 29: Todd Cochran/Hubert Laws, Billy Mohler at REDCAT.
Sat. Oct. 14: Bill Frisell & Ambrose Akinmusire play the Ace Hotel downtown; tickets here.
Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Wed. Nov. 8: Brad Mehldau Trio. 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 and sometimes Sundays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here.