MetalJazz

Select chronological listings.
* The essential Vernacular New-Music Series at Oracle Tavern has been suspended for now due to the closure of the venue. Read a post about the change here. The Vernacular slot in October's Angel City Jazz Festival will be moved to a different location.
* LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile offers FREE outdoor jazz concerts every Friday at 6pm in months when weather is mostly favorable. Fri. Sept. 15: The Jazz Treasure Award goes to saxist Charles Owens, in whose sound you hear the original jazz going back to its bop/swing roots, not an imitation. Fri. Sept. 22: Ernie Watts. Full calendar here.
* The World Stage in Leimert Park has Friday 8pm PT (and sometimes other days) in-person presentations with occasional simultaneous live streams of righteous jazz; keep up with the schedule here. Fri. Sept. 15: fine youngblood saxist Randal Fisher. Fri. Sept. 22: pianist Joshua White. Fri. Sept. 29: saxist Logan Richardson. Sat. Sept. 30: Nonsemble. Mon. Oct. 2: Herbie Hancock Institute Enseble. Fri. Oct. 6: bassist Henry Franklin Birthday Concert. Fri. Oct. 13: guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson. Sat. Oct. 14: Destiny Mohammad/Teodross Avery (Angel City Jazz Fest). Fri. Oct. 20: flamenco singer-guitarist Christo Sorto. Fri. Oct. 27: World Stage Big Band. Donations encouraged here.
* ETA, a bar in Highland Park, brings top local (etc.) jazz. Check in anytime here, as it often books on short notice. Fri. Sept. 15: drummer Jonathan Pinson's Boom Clap. Sat. Sept. 16: Tenormen Tim Shaghoian & Daniel Rotem with bassist Logan Kane and drummer Max Jaffe.
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Sat. Sept. 16: the wafting sounds of guitarist Larry Koonse, saxist Chuck Manning and L.A. Jazz Quartet. Tues. Sept. 19: Haven't seen this premier avantist around for a while: clarinetist Don Byron Quartet. Most Tuesdays are jams, usually hosted by world-class pianist Gerald Clayton. Tues. Sept. 26: Dan Schnelle Quartet. Wed. Sept. 27: Steve Lehman Quartet. Thurs. Sept. 28: Anthony Fung with Mark Turner. Sat. Sept. 30: Anthony Wilson. Fri. Nov. 1: keyboardist Rachel Eckroth (St. Vincent, Rufus Wainwright) leads you down strange paths. Look here for full schedule and options.
* The Jazz Bakery has resumed sponsoring live shows; view its calendar here. Sun. Sept. 17: wondrous pianist Gerald Clayton at downtown's Zipper Hall. Sun. Oct. 1: Sergio Mielniczenko's Brazilian Hour comes to life with live musicians at Santa Monica's Moss Theater. Sat. Oct. 7: John Beasley's Monk'estra at downtown's Zipper Hall.
* Sun. Sept. 17: 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.
* 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 Greek Theater in Griffith Park has outdoor music. Sun. & Tues. Sept. 17 & 19: Van Morrison, Taj Mahal. Wed. Sept. 27: Jethro Tull. Full lineup here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Tues. Sept. 19: Vancouver deathcore from Angelmaker. Sun. Oct. 8: Attila. Tues. Oct. 10: Paleface Swiss. Full calendar here.
* JustJazzTV is a great resource for live jazz including Monterey Jazz Fest, Thurs.-Sun., Sept. 21-24.
* Fri. Sept. 22: A singer and a pianist of considerable reputation and skill combine talents at UCLA's Royce Hall: Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap. Tickets here.
* The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Sun. Sept. 24: Snarky Puppy. Tickets here.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Mon. Sept. 25: David Binney, Louis Cole, Pera Krstajic. Sat. Sept. 30: The Avengers. Full schedule here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Wed. Sept. 27: Danny Janklow & Elevation Band. Fri. & Sat. Sept. 29 & 30: Michael Landau. Sun. Nov. 1: Hazy Jane. Full schedule here.
* The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Thurs. Sept. 28: Gene Loves Jezebel. Fri. Oct. 13: 45 Grave. Calendar here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. 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. Tues. Oct. 3: Le Coq Records artist Andy James, a traditionalist New York singer with a flamenco-dancing background, fronts her ace ensemble featuring pianist Jon Cowherd, saxist John Ellis, drummer Clarence Penn, bassist James Genus and percussionist Alex Acuña. Full schedule 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.
* The Wiltern (Wilton & Western) occasionally harbors metal. Fri. Oct. 6: The Darkness. Wed. Oct. 18: Max & Iggor Cavalera, Exhumed. 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.
* 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. 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.
* Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Sat. Oct. 7: John Beasley's Monk'estra. Sun. Oct. 15: Russell Malone. 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. Oct. 8: Miller Wrenn's Obelix and Vinny Golia With Strings. Keep up with events here.
* Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Wed. Oct. 11: Dethklok, Babymetal. Calendar here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Fri. Oct. 13: femme ax ripper Orianthi. Calendar here.


Oct. 13-29: Look out, 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 a venue TBA.
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.
* Piano Spheres always has topflight outward programming from the classically trained world at the Thayer or Zipper halls downtown. Sat. Oct. 21: Gloria Cheng (Angel City Fest). Calendar here.
* The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Wed. Nov. 1: Tesseract. Full lineup here.
* The Hollywood Bowl has some jazz etc. Fri. Nov. 3: Kiss 'em goodbye. Details here.
* Sat. Nov. 4, 4pm, free: The Getty Center in the Sepulveda Pass celebrates the launch of "The Digital Florentine Codex," documenting the early years of the Aztec incursion by the Spanish, with a concert featuring original music by Lu Coy and by Christopher Garcia's Xochi Cuicatl. Tickets here.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Wed. Nov. 8: Brad Mehldau Trio. Tickets here.
* Thurs. Nov. 16: "Bowl for Ronnie" lines up rock celebs such as Geezer Butler, Dave Grohl and Tom Morello to benefit the Dio Cancer Fund. Sign in here for the event, 6:30-11pm at Pinz in Studio City.
* Azz-Is Jazz Festival in Venice, featuring Mark De Clive-Lowe, Billy Mohler, Randal Fisher and more, is supposed to happen sometime in November. Check in here.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood revs some metal. Thurs. Dec. 7: Aerosmith fly the coop on their "final" tour. Listings here.
* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz. Calendar here.
* Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, 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.
* 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 Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or brings in an outside master. Calendar here.
* The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Calendar here.
* Downtown's Peacock Theater (formerly Microsoft Theater) occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.