Select chronological listings. Visit MetalJazz's main page for previews of Angel City Jazz Fest shows.
* The World Stage in Leimert Park has Friday 8:30pm PT (and sometimes other days) in-person presentations with occasional simultaneous live streams of righteous jazz; keep up with the schedule here. Donations encouraged here. Fri. Oct. 4: Son Voyage plays Max Roach and M'Boom. Sat. Oct. 5: nationally experienced piano, bass & drums from Orrin Evans, Eric Revis & Nasheet Waits. Sun. Oct. 6, 2pm: Angel City Arts Young Artist Competition. Fri. Oct. 11: harpist-singer Destiny Muhammad. Sat. Oct. 12: Cristo Osorio. Fri. Oct. 18: Diego Gaeta, Yafeu Tyhimba (Angel City Jazz Fest). Sun. Oct. 20, noon: The Derf Reklaw Arts & Heritage Foundation. Fri. Oct. 25: Trevor Ware & Friends. Fri. Nov. 1: drummer Leon Mobley & the Lion. Fri. Nov. 8: pianist Theo Saunders. Fri. Nov. 15: multi-instrumentalist & vocalist Johnny Britt. Mon. Nov. 18: Kombit Creole. Fri. Nov. 22: vocalist Rickie Byers. Fri. Nov. 29: saxist Brandon Sanders. Fri. Dec. 6: guitarist Nate Mercereau record release.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Fri. Oct. 4: charismatic bassist-electrocomposer Anna Butterss record launch. Sat. Oct. 5, 3pm on: October Revolution in Jazz 60th Anniversary celebrates the music of Bill Dixon with film; panel; rare recordings; and music from Vinny Golia and Bobby Bradford among many others. Sun. Oct. 13: Elsa Nilsson's Pulses, Sasha Berliner (Angel City Jazz Fest). Thurs. Oct. 24: Iseul Kim's Liberosis, Jenny Scheinman's All Species Parade (Angel City Jazz Fest). Sat. Oct. 26: DJ/drummer/electroman Photay. Listings here.
* Knucklehead in Hollywood has metal DJs and live music. Fri. Oct. 4: synth-based L.A. black-metal screamers Morningstvr; Burning Grave, Fetters. Thurs. Oct. 10: Vegas doomsters Holy Death; Friendship Commanders, The Actual. Thurs. Oct. 17: Dead Posey. Fri. Oct. 25: Mean Mistreater. Fri. Nov.15: Grey Lotus, Lucrecia. Sign in here.
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Sat. Oct. 5: do-it-all pianist Otmaro Ruiz Quartet. Tuesdays are Happenings hosted by top local artists. Fri. & Sat. Oct. 11 & 12: guitarist Anthony Wilson Trio. Thurs. Oct. 24: Joshua White Quintet. Wed. Oct. 30: Vardan Ovsepian Quartet. Fri. & Sat. Nov. 29 & 30: Roy McCurdy Quintet. Look here for full schedule and options.
* The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) usually has Sunday jazz shows with a rotating early slot and a later jam session led by drummer Kevin Kanner. Plus -- Sat. Oct. 5: tough fusoid guitar from Michael Landau Group (11pm, last of three), with drummer Keith Carlock and bassist Travis Carlton. Sun. Oct. 13: Hippies and Cowboys, Joyous Wolf. Sat. Dec. 28: Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Check listings here.
* Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here. Sat. Oct. 5: Jazz Tribute Concert and Awards.
* The Jazz Bakery sponsors live shows at mostly Westside venues; view its calendar here. Sun. Oct. 6: Puerto Rican flute veteran Nestor Torres at Culver City's Kirk Douglas Theater Sun. Oct. 13: Jeremy Pelt at Culver City's Kirk Douglas Theater. Sun. Oct. 20: Delfeayo Marsalis at Culver City's Kirk Douglas Theater. Sun. Oct. 27: West Coast Jazz Hour Big Band at Culver City's Kirk Douglas Theater. Sat. Nov. 9: Michael Mayo at Westwood's Moss Theater. Sun. Nov. 10: Jon Cowherd, John Patitucci & Brian Blade at downtown's Zipper Hall.
* The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Mon. Oct. 7: out of Iron Maiden, bassist Steve Harris' British Lion (wild coincidence that Maiden plays the Forum tomorrow). Wed. Oct. 23: Robby Krieger. Thurs. Oct. 24: Swiss metalwomen Burning Witches. Fri. Oct. 25: Songs of White Lion featuring Mike Tramp. Mon. & Tues. Nov. 18 & 19: Sebastian Bach. Wed. Dec. 18: Vinny Appice's Sabbath Knights. Tues. Dec. 31: L.A. Guns. Calendar here.
* Mon. Oct. 7 (Troubadour), Wed. Oct. 9 (Roxy), Fri. Oct. 11 (Whisky): Motley Crue's "Hollywood Takeover," originally $19.81 if you stood in line the first day at the box office, now a month's rent from scalpers.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood gets heavy now and then. Tues. Oct. 8: Run for the hills, it's Iron Maiden. Thurs. Oct. 17: Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson, featuring Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and some musicians who think it's OK to protect yourself and others against viruses. Listings here.
* [[POSTPONED TO 5/16/25]]Wed. Oct. 9: Jazz Is Dead presents Ghanaian legends Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas. At Ford Amphitheater in the Cahuenga Pass; tickets here.
* The York, a big bar in Highland Park, has excellent trumpeter and fine composer Julien Knowles hosting the York Session every Wednesday with top local players; house set 8pm, Session 9pm. Website here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Wed. Oct. 9: sci-fi fusion from Chris Poland's Ohm. Fri. & Sat. Oct. 25 & 26: Billy Childs. Tues. Oct. 29: Marvin "Smitty" Smith. Full schedule here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Thurs. Oct. 10: all-time songwriter Jimmy Webb might have something special to say at this moment about "Highwayman." Fri. Oct. 18: Orianthi. Sat. Oct. 26: Yngwie Malmsteen. Calendar here.
* LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile offers FREE outdoor jazz concerts every Friday at 6pm through November. Fri. Oct. 11: sparkling pianist Otmaro Ruiz (Angel City Jazz Fest). Full calendar here.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Fri. Oct. 11: Jazz piano great Jason Moran thinks outside and inside, making his own box. Sat. Oct. 12: an experimental jazz program topped by vocalist Bilal (aided by superlative NYC avant bassist William Parker, pianist Cooper-Moore and percussionist Michael Wimberly), plus vocalist J*Davey and alt-soul artist Liv.e Tickets here.
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Fri. Oct. 11-Sun. Oct. 27: Angel City Jazz Fest returns to venues throughout the city with its priceless showcase of innovative improvisers. Details & tix here; MetalJazz previews accessible from our main page.
Fri. Oct. 11: Otmaro Ruiz, Angel City Arts competition winner at World Stage.
Sat. Oct. 12: Kris Davis, Steve Lehman at REDCAT.
Sun. Oct. 13: Sasha Berliner, Elsa Nilsson at 2220.
Thurs. Oct. 17: Morales-Denson, Romain Pilon at downtown's ArtShare L.A.
Fri. Oct. 18: Diego Gaeta, Yafeu Tyhimba at World Stage.
Sat. Oct. 19: Joy Guidry, Deron Johnson at 2220.
Sun. Oct. 20: Mark Dresser & Thollem McDonas, Patrick Shiroishi & Brandon Seabrook at ArtShare L.A.
Thurs. Oct. 24: Iseul Kim, Jenny Scheinman at 2220.
Fri. Oct. 25: Flat Earth Society Orchestra at ArtShare L.A.
Sat. Oct. 26: Improvising (in) the West at ArtShare L.A.
Sun. Oct. 27: Wayne Horvitz conducts Electric Circus; Zony Mash at REDCAT.
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* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz along with its culturally edgy programming. Sat. Oct. 12: Kris Davis, Steve Lehman (Angel City Jazz Fest). Sun. Oct. 27: Zony Mash, Electric Circus (Angel City Jazz Fest). Calendar here.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Sat. Oct. 12: from Niger, desert bluesmen Etran de l'Aïr. Sat. Oct. 19: veteran Czech progsters Už Jsme Doma. Wed. Oct. 23: Marc Ribot. Mon. Nov. 25: Sun Ra Arkestra. Full schedule here.
* Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Sat. Oct. 12: Arsenio Rodriguez Project presents a tribute to the Buena Vista Social Club. Full calendar here.
* Sat. Oct. 12: Christopher Garcia and Flower Songs Music perform at 1pm & 3pm as part of Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day at the Getty Center in the Sepulveda Pass; details here.
* Sun. Oct. 13: Christopher Garcia and Flower Songs Music perform at Sunland-Tujunga Indigenous Peoples Day, 12400 Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Tujunga 91042, 11am-4pm.
* Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Tues. Oct. 15: Judas Priest, Sabaton. Wed. Oct. 30: Opeth. Fri. Nov. 29: King Diamond. Fri. Dec. 13: Metallica Helping Hands Concert & Auction. Calendar here.
* Midtown's The Wiltern hosts eclectic acts within its classic Art Deco halls. Tues. Oct. 15: Hatebreed, Carcass. Thurs. Nov. 21: Mayhem. Lineup here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz singers. Tues. Oct. 15: swingin', knotty fusion from Randy Brecker with Tod Dickow & Charged Particles. Schedule here.
* The Broad Stage in Santa Monica books some jazz. Sat. Oct. 19: Cyro Baptista's Chama. Fri. Dec. 20: John Beasley's Holidaze. Sat. Jan. 25: Marlon Martinez and Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. Calendar/tickets here.
* The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Sat. Oct. 19: Van Morrison. Tickets here.
* Sat. Oct. 19 at downtown's United Theater on Broadway: CAP UCLA pushes a lot of buttons with "Black Lodge," its Halloweeny multimedia show featuring opera outsider Timur & the Dime Museum and the Isaura Quartet with music by David T. Little, libretto by Anne Waldman and namechecking of William S. Burroughs. Details here.
* Echo Park's EchoPlex hosts a smattering of metal. Sun. Oct. 20: Reggae travelers Groundation. Thurs. Dec. 19: From Autumn to Ashes. Fri. March 7: Swallow the Sun. Website here.
* The Novo near Staples Center downtown hosts some metal. Sun. Oct. 20: The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus. Full listings here.
* Mon. Oct. 21, 6pm: "Sidelining the Sideman (and Woman)," William Roper's documentary about discrimination in L.A. soundstages and classical music, screens at Edendale Public Library, 2011 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. Read MetalJazz's review here. (Note the postponement, originally Oct. 10.)
* The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or hosts an outside master. Thurs. Oct. 24: Yngwie Malmsteen. Calendar here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Thurs. Oct. 24: Norma Jean. Sat. Nov. 30: evil L.A. death from veterans Sadistic Intent. Sat. Feb. 15: Nile, Six Feet Under, Psycroptic. Full calendar here.
* The Hollywood Palladium might rock. Sat. Oct. 26: Testament, Kreator. Sat. Dec. 14: WASP, Armored Saint. Calendar here.
* Frogtown's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Mon. Oct. 28: Hanazono Distance, Patrick Shiroishi. Fri. Nov. 1: Corsano Baiza Watt Trio. Full calendar here.
* Sat. Nov. 2, 7pm: The Resonance Collective (multi-instrumentalists Christopher Garcia, Yolanda Delgado Garcia & Pablo Leñero; harpist Tasha Smith Godinez; violinist Harry Scorzo) presents a Day of the Dead concert at Mid-Wilshire's First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 540 S. Commonwealth Ave.; tickets here.
* You say The Regent downtown has fragments o' metal? Tues. Nov. 12: Denver deathsters Blood Incantation. Sat. Dec. 7: Exodus, Havok. Calendar here.
* Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Fri. Nov. 22: all-star fusion from CTRL+Z. Lineup here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock, metal, etc. Sat. Nov. 23: L7, Redd Kross. Tues. Nov. 26: Morbid Angel. Calendar & tix here.
* The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Fri. Jan. 24: 3 Inches of Blood. Calendar here.
* Healing Force of the Universe Records in Pasadena has live folk/jazz/experimental music 8-10:30pm. Calendar here.
* JustJazzTV is a resource for live jazz.
* The Jazz Salon presents top top singers on Sundays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here.
* Piano Spheres always has topflight outward programming from the classically trained world at venues around town. Calendar here.
* The Greek Theater in Griffith Park has outdoor shows through October. Calendar here.
* The Hollywood Bowl is the Hollywood Bowl. 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.
* Downtown's Bellwether rocks a fair amount. Calendar here.
* Downtown's Peacock Theater occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.
* Teragram Ballroom downtown mixes in bits of metal. Calendar here.