MetalJazz

Select chronological listings.
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. 1: spirit jams from Cosmic Vibrations, featuring wailer Dwight Trible, saxist Pablo Calogero, percussionist Christopher Garcia, bassist John B. Williams and drummer Breeze Smith; highly recommended. Fri. Sept. 15: saxist Randal Fisher. Fri. Sept. 22: pianist Joshua White. Fri. Sept. 29: saxist Logan Richardson. 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. 1: birthday party for alto saxist David Otis of Katalyst; read MetalJazz's recent live review here. Sat. Sept. 2: Max Jaffe, David Binney, Nick Reinhart.
The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Fri.-Sun. Sept. 1-3: John Daversa Progressive Big Band. Full schedule here.
Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Fri.-Sun. Sept. 1-3: Latin-jazz king Poncho Sanchez. 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: veteran Florida power metal from 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, Miller Wrenn & Will Salmon with pipe organ, prepared piano, bass and projections of Smith's paintings). (Joshua White & Alex Cline postponed.) Sun. Oct. 8: Miller Wrenn's Obelix and Vinny Golia With Strings. Keep up with events here.
The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) has mostly Sunday jazz shows anchored by pianist Sam Hirsh Trio. Check listings here.
1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Sun. Sept. 3: Australian technical deathsters 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 usually the first and third Mondays of the month posts listings here. Mon. Sept. 4, 8pm: TBA.
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. Sept. 6: alto saxist Nicole McCabe's Lennie Tristano Project featuring top players John Escreet (piano), Matt Stubbs (clarinet), Logan Kane (bass) and Jonathan Pinson (drums) playing the '50s composer's knotty tunes. Thurs. Sept. 7: saxist Danny Janklow & Elevation. Fri. & Sat. Sept. 8 & 9: Josh Nelson featuring Anthony Wilson. Look here for full schedule and options.
The Hollywood Bowl has some jazz etc. Wed. Sept. 6: last of the Chicago-via-Louisiana blues kings, Buddy Guy. Fri. Nov. 3: Kiss 'em goodbye. Details here.
The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Wed. Sept. 6: truly unusual guitar from former Scorpion and spaceman at large Uli Jon Roth. Thurs. Sept. 28: Gene Loves Jezebel. Fri. Oct. 13: 45 Grave. Calendar here.
The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Thurs. Sept. 7: vintage Crescent sludge from Eyehategod. Wed. Nov. 1: Tesseract. Full lineup here.
JustJazzTV is a great resource for live jazz including California festivals.
The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or brings in an outside master. Fri. Sept. 8: Yngwie Malmsteen & Glenn Hughes! Calendar here.
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. 8: Munyungo Jackson. Fri. Sept. 15: The Jazz Treasure Award goes to saxist Charles Owens. Fri. Sept. 22: Ernie Watts. Full calendar 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 Greek Theater in Griffith Park has outdoor music. Sun. & Tues. Sept. 17 & 19: Van Morrison, Taj Mahal. Full lineup here.
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.
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.
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: Barely a month away, 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.
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.
Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Wed. Nov. 8: Brad Mehldau Trio. Tickets here.
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.
REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz. Calendar here.
Santa Monica's Jacaranda music series presents a great selection of forward-looking modern classical and world music. Inquire regularly here.
Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Full schedule 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 Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Calendar here.
Downtown's Peacock Theater (formerly Microsoft Theater) occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.