Select chronological listings.
LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile offers FREE outdoor jazz concerts every Friday at 6pm in months when weather is mostly warm. Fri. Aug. 18: breezy intelligence from saxist Chuck Manning, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Darek Oles and drummer Jason Harnell, a.k.a. 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.
ETA, a bar in Highland Park, brings top local (etc.) jazz. Check in anytime here, as it often books on short notice. Fri. Aug. 18: Brace for some slammin' improv with the sax-bass-drums trio of Gavin Templeton, Richard Giddens & Gene Coye.
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. Aug. 18: Nick Smith, Edwin Livingston & Marvin "Smitty" Smith (guessing this is jazz pianist Smith with the distinguished bassist and drummer, not the EDM Smith). Fri. Aug. 25: saxist Benn Clatworthy. Donations encouraged here.
Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Fri. & Sat. Aug. 18 & 19: bassist Brian Bromberg plays the music of Ornette bassist Scott LaFaro. Fri.-Sun. Sept. 1-3, Poncho Sanchez. Full calendar here.
This summer's free Grand Performances at downtown's California Plaza include some jazz. Sat. Aug. 19: Mark De Clive-Lowe presents Jazz Is in the House. RSVP here.
The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Full schedule here.
Sun. Aug. 20: 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 Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) has mostly Sunday jazz shows anchored by pianist Sam Hirsh Trio. Check listings here.
The well-curated Vernacular New-Music Series at Oracle Tavern in a hideaway west of Chinatown usually the first and third Mondays of the month posts listings here. Mon. Aug. 21, 8pm: great lineup with Duo B vs. Spelunker (bassist Lisa Mezzacappa, drummer Jason Levis & saxist Piero Bittolo Bon), plus Rosenbloom Unit, featuring the brilliantly reductive pianist Ben Rosenbloom plus the flutes and voice of Will Salmon and the bass of Anthony Shadduck.
The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Tuesdays are jams, usually hosted by world-class pianist Gerald Clayton. Wed. Aug. 23: classical-Eastern-European-jazz pianist Vardan Ovsepian Group with Vinicius Gomes, Darek Oles & Jimmy Branly. Thurs.-Sat. Aug. 24-26: "Celebrating Wayne Shorter" includes various skilled devotees such as pianist Adam Hersh and drummer Anthony Fung. Look here for full schedule and options
The Hollywood Bowl has some jazz etc. Wed. Aug. 23: Herbie Hancock celebrates Wayne Shorter. Wed. Sept. 6: Buddy Guy. Fri. Nov. 3: Kiss 'em goodbye. Details here.
The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Wed. Aug. 23: Leatherwolf. Wed. Sept. 6: Uli Jon Roth. Thurs. Sept. 28: Gene Loves Jezebel. Fri. Oct. 13: 45 Grave. Calendar here.
Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Thurs. Aug. 24: Boris and The Melvins give ya the tone, loud and slow. Fri. Sept 29: Wolfmother. Wed. Oct. 4: Cradle of Filth, DevilDriver. Sat. Oct. 21: Ne Obliviscaris. Mon. & Tues. Dec. 4 & 5: Skinny Puppy. Mon. Dec. 18: Cattle Decapitation. Calendar & tix here.
Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Thurs. Aug. 24: salsa from Louie Cruz Beltran. Full schedule here.
Fri.-Sun. Aug. 25-27: Metallica plates SoFi Stadium. Tickets here.
JustJazz.tv is a great resource for live jazz. Sat. Aug. 26: Leimert Park Jazz Fest featuring Poncho Sanchez, Carmen Lundy, Gerald Clayton, a crack band of UCLA alumni and more. Sometime in November: Azz-Is Jazz Fest in Venice. And more.
MacArthur Park's Levitt Pavilion, 2230 W. Sixth St., has free music again this summer. Sun. Aug. 27: The Delirians plus classic reggae with Dub Club DJs Tom Chasteen & Boss Harmony. Full calendar here.
1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Tues. Aug. 29: Polish black metal from Batushka. Sun. Sept. 3: Psycroptic, Decrepit Birth. Tues. Sept. 19: Angelmaker. Sun. Oct. 8: Attila. Tues. Oct. 10: Paleface Swiss. Full calendar here.
The new-music and avant-jazz series Soundwaves presents regular Saturday 3:30pm concerts at Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 90401; FREE. Sat. Sept. 2: Patrick Shiroishi, avant music for four saxophonists. Sat. Oct. 7: Anna Homler, exotic vocals augmented with found objects, plus Jorge Martin (electronics) and Jeff Schwartz (bass). Sat. Nov. 4: Michael Jon Fink (cool-jazz guitarist-composer) with Brian Walsh (clarinet) and Derek Stein (cello). Sat. Dec. 2: clarinetist Ben Goldberg with bassist Todd Sickafoose and drummer Scott Amendola. Sat. Dec. 9: Berlin-based oboist Cathy Milliken with bassist Jeff Schwartz and clarinetist Daniel Rothman. Many of these names will be familiar to longtime observers of the California avant and beyond.
Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Sat. Sept. 2: L.A. saxist with the true feel Dale Fielder Quartet. Full lineup 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.
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. Sept. 3, 7pm: Open Gate Ensemble (Breeze Smith, Wells Leng & Will Salmon with pipe organ, prepared piano and projections of paintings) plus the extraordinary improvising piano-percussion duo of Joshua White & Alex Cline. Keep up with events here.
The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Thurs. Sept. 7: Eyehategod. Full lineup here.
Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here. Sat. Sept. 9 at Montalban Theater: 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert featuring Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Tribute Awards.
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.
Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Thurs. Sept. 14: Kamaal Williams. Sat. Sept. 30: The Avengers. Full schedule here.
2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Sun. Sept. 17: electronified powwow singer Joe Rainey. Sun. Sept. 28: Andrea Centazzo's West Coast Art Ensemble. Sun. Oct. 15: Jeong Lim Yang's Zodiac Trio, Ingrid Laubrock (Angel City Fest). Fri. Oct. 27: Mat Maneri (Angel City Fest). 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.
Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. 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.
Fri.-Sun. Oct. 6-8: PowerTrip presents GNR, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Metallica, Tool and lots more out in Indio (Ozzy bowed out). Sell an oligarch's yacht and buy tickets here.
Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Wed. Oct. 11: Dethklok, Babymetal. Calendar here.
Oct. 13-29: Coming down fast, it's 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.
Thurs. Oct. 26: Nicole Mitchell reads at Santa Monica Public Library.
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.
REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz. Calendar 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 Greek Theater in Griffith Park has outdoor music. Full lineup here.
The Jazz Salon presents top singers on Thursdays and sometimes Sundays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here.
The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or brings in an outside master. Calendar here.
El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile books yer occasional metal show. Calendar here.
The Mayan downtown has jazz and rock sometimes. Calendar here.
The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Calendar here.
Downtown's Microsoft Theater occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.