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. Nov. 17: saxist Sal Crocker. Fri. Nov. 24: vocalist Liz Lomax. Sat. Nov. 25: Ade's Freedom Jazz. Fri. Dec. 1: trumpeter Emile Martinez. Sat. Dec. 2: vocalist Phyliss Causey. Fri. Dec. 8: saxist Azar Lawrence. Donations encouraged here.
* ETA, a bar in Highland Park, brings top local (etc.) jazz. Fri. Nov. 17: guitar & drums from Nick Reinhart & Justin Brown. Check in anytime here, as it often books on short notice.
* LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile offers FREE outdoor jazz concerts every Friday at 6pm through November. Calendar here.
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Fri. & Sat. Nov. 17 & 18: Peter Erskine Trio with Darek Oles & Alan Pasqua. Tues. Dec. 5: jam with world-class pianist Gerald Clayton. Fri. & Sat. Dec. 8 & 9: Joe LaBarbera Quintet. Fri. & Sat. Dec. 15 & 16: John Beasley Trio. Fri. & Sat. Dec. 29 & 30: Roy McCurdy Quartet. Look here for full schedule and options.
* Sat. Nov. 18, 8:30-11pm: Take two Israeli transplant brothers on trumpet/keys/FX and bass, add one funky American on drums, and you get a roomful of peaceful jazzgroove beauty with Maetar, highly recommended for heart, soul and feet. At Corazon in Topanga Canyon; tickets here.
* Sat. Nov. 18: Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer & Rakesh Chaurasia collaborate across international borders on banjo, hand drums, bass and wooden flute respectively. At UCLA's Royce Hall; tickets here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Sat. Nov. 18: Bay Area proto-thrash from Vio-lence, plus somewhat more recent Cali thrash auxiliaries Warbringer. Sun. Nov. 26: Incantation, Suffocation. Full calendar here.
* Sun. Nov. 19: 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 Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Wed. Nov. 22: the ever-versatile and ever-reliable Los Lobos, plus Julie C. & Chris D. fronting '80s postpunk roots outfit Divine Horsemen. Thurs. Dec. 14: Kings of Thrash With Dave Ellefson & Jeff Young. Sun. Dec. 31: L.A. Guns. Calendar here.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Sat. Nov. 25: "brutal prog" unit Upsilon Acrux returns to its SoCal roots, supported by veteran sound manipulator Bobb Bruno, Slow Rose. Listings here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Sun. Nov. 26: low as it goes from Sunn O)))-Shoshin Duo. Fri., Sat., Mon. & Tues. Dec. 1, 2, 4 & 5: Skinny Puppy. Fri. Dec. 15: Cattle Decapitation. Sat. Jan. 20: Zakk Sabbath. Calendar & tix here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Tues. Nov. 28: Drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith leads a band featuring South L.A.'s best. Thurs.-Sun. Nov. 30-Dec. 3: John Daversa Progressive Big Band. Sat. & Sun. Dec. 9 & 10: Mike Stern. Thurs.-Sun. Dec. 14-17: Joe Bonamassa and Rock Candy Funk Party. Thurs. & Fri. Dec. 21 & 22: Jeff Lorber Fusion. Sat. Dec. 23: Mike Garson Trio. Fri. & Sat. Dec. 29 & 30: Billy Childs. Full schedule here.
* Thurs. Nov. 30: veteran Swedish metalmen Katatonia, plus intriguing synthetic sci-fi prog from Gost at Echo Park's EchoPlex; website 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. 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.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood revs some metal. Thurs. Dec. 7: Aerosmith fly the coop on their "final" tour. Listings here.
* Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Thurs.-Sat. Dec. 7-9: Steve Gadd Band. Fri.-Sun. Dec. 29-31: Poncho Sanchez. Full calendar here.
* Sat. Dec. 9: Former Textone and Gene Clark duo pard Carla Olson splits a bill with chestful I See Hawks in L.A. singer Robert Rex Waller Jr., whose new album she produced; you haven't lived until you've heard him climb the tall mountain of the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore." At West L.A.'s McCabe's; tickets here. This will sell out.
* Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Tues. Dec. 12: Suicide's Martin Rev. Mon. Dec. 18: drummer Mark Guiliana. Full calendar here.
* Open Gate Theater has moved its long-running and invaluable avant concert series to the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Ave., Pasadena. Sun. Dec. 17: Andrea Centazzo West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio, featuring the percussionist plus Ellen Burr on flutes and Jeff Schwartz on upright bass; also bassist Miller Wrenn Quartet with Steph Richards on trumpet, Cathlene Pineda on piano and Clint Dodson on drums. More here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Thurs. Dec. 21: Latin music from Louie Cruz Beltran. Full schedule here.
* El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile books yer occasional metal show. Sat. Jan. 27: From Rob Halford to Marilyn Manson to Motley Crue to his own wild solo records, John 5 plays the hell out of a guitar. Calendar here.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Sun. Feb. 4: Jazz Is Dead blowout with Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott, Matt Brewer. Thurs. Feb. 22: Bassekou Kouyate. Full schedule here.
* The Jazz Salon presents top singers on Thursdays and sometimes Sundays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here.
* Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, 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 Bakery has resumed sponsoring live shows; view its calendar here.
* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz. Calendar here.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Tickets here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. 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.
* Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Calendar here.
* The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Tickets here.
* Downtown's Peacock Theater (formerly Microsoft Theater) occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.