Select chronological listings.
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Fri. Dec. 27: Nicole McCabe-Darynn Dean Quintet, fronted by the saxist and the singer. Tuesdays are Happenings hosted by top local artists (closed New Year's Eve). Fri. & Sat. Jan. 10 & 11: Joe LaBarbera Quintet. Wed. Feb. 26: drummer Tina Raymond Two Guitar Band with Anthony Wilson, Andrew Renfroe & Eric Revis. 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. Dec. 28: a true taste of New Orleans with Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Sat. Jan. 11: Graham Bonnet, Marco Mendoza. Check listings here.
* Healing Force of the Universe Records in Pasadena has live folk/jazz/experimental music 8-10:30pm. Sat. Dec. 28: saxist Mitch Marcus Quintet. Thurs. Jan. 9: "freeform psychogeographical sound" from Ruehlen/Trejo Duo plus MESH, Cassia Streb, Tim Feeney. Sat. Jan. 11: tapdance & organ from Melinda Sullivan & Larry Goldings. Calendar here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz singers. Sun. Dec. 29: Greg Adams & East Bay Soul. Schedule here.
* The York, a big bar in Highland Park, has excellent trumpeter and fine composer Julien Knowles hosting the York Session every Wednesday; house set 8pm, Session 9pm. Website here. THE YORK'S LAST DAY OF BUSINESS IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 5. THANKS FOR HOSTING ORIGINAL JAZZ!
* The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Tues. Dec. 31: Rock yer hairspray into the new year with perennial Strip creepers L.A. Guns. Thurs. Jan. 9: Venom Inc. Thurs. Jan. 23: Denver industrialists Rorschach Test ("Blow Up America"). Wed. Jan. 29: Dark Angel. Thurs. & Fri. Feb. 13 & 14: Pentagram. Sat. Feb. 22: Marty Friedman. Thurs. May 15: Gene Loves Jezebel. Fri. May 16: Lizzy Borden. Sat. June 7: Angel. Calendar here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Thurs. Jan. 2: boplicious alto from Danny Janklow with guest Tom Scott. Fri. & Sat. Jan. 3 & 4: Billy Childs. Tues. Jan. 7: Marvin "Smitty" Smith. Thurs. Jan. 9: Ohm. Thurs. Feb. 13: Danny Janklow. Full schedule here.
* Frogtown's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Fri. Jan. 3: NYC drummer Guillermo E. Brown. Tues. Jan. 28: Jeremiah Chiu, Yuka Honda, Monde UFO. Thurs. Jan. 30: Mark Guiliana. Tues. Feb. 4: Secret Chiefs 3. Sat. May 3: mssv, Mike Baggetta-Stephen Hodges-Mike Watt. Tues. & Wed. May 13 & 14: Bill Frisell's Good Dog. Full calendar here.
* 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. Jan. 3: TBA.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Fri. Jan. 3: Atheist, Abysmal Dawn. Fri. Feb. 14: Aborted, Ingested, Peeling Flesh. Sat. Feb. 15: Nile, Six Feet Under, Psycroptic. Sun. Feb. 16: Septicflesh. Sat. March 1: Decapitated, Incantation, Darkest Hour, Exmortus. Full calendar here.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Sun. Jan. 5: 25 synthesizers play Pauline Lay's "A Composition for 25 Synthesizers." Listings here.
* The High Low, a bar (with pool and good Tex-Mex food) in Atwater, has well-selected local jazz every Monday in its intimate sealed-off lounge. Mon. Jan. 6: drummer Max Jaffe Quartet with Brandon Lopez (double bass) Rob Magill (sax), John Welsh (guitar). Mon. Jan. 13: trumpeter Steph Richards Quartet with Joshua White (keys) Billy Mohler (electric bass), Max Jaffe (drums). Mon. Jan. 20: keyboardist Todd Hunter & the Brazilians. Mon. Jan. 27: bassist Joe Davencens Quartet with Max Jaffe (drums) Daniel Rotem (sax), Miro Sprague (Wurlitzer). Mon. Feb. 3: Veazy/Baba/Wrenn/Dodson, a guitar/viola/bass/drums quartet.
* Knucklehead in Hollywood has metal DJs and live music. Thurs. Jan. 9: God Is War, Lana del Rabies. Sat. Jan. 11: L.A. thrashers Fueled by Fire; L.A. deathsters Blistering Rot; Pestilent Death; Rot Within. Fri. Feb. 28: Florida's Lust Era; NoCal's DustBowl Champion; New York's Stare Away; Death by Nature. Sign in here.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Tues. & Wed. Jan. 14 & 15: Meshell Ndegeocello (Tues. & early show Wed. sold out). Fri. Jan. 24: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Wed. March 19: SML. Full schedule here.
* Fri. Jan. 17: John Schneider plays microtonal (etc.) compositions by Lou Harrison, Harry Partch, Manuel Ponce and more on guitars that've been f*cked up just for the purpose. At the Sierra Madre Playhouse; tickets here.
* JustJazzTV is a resource for live jazz. Thurs. Jan. 23: bassist Jeong Lim Trio at The Paramount in Boyle Heights.
* The Jazz Bakery sponsors live shows at mostly Westside venues; view its calendar here. Fri. Jan. 24: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble at Atwater's Motivo L.A. Sat. Feb. 15: Mike Wofford & Josh Nelson Piano Duo at Westwood's Moss Theater. Sat. Feb. 22: Edmar Castañeda at Westwood's Moss Theater.
* The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Fri. Jan. 24: 3 Inches of Blood. Fri. Feb. 21: Kerry King. Calendar here.
* The Broad Stage in Santa Monica books some jazz. Sat. Jan. 25: Marlon Martinez and Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. Sat. Feb. 15: Terri Lyne Carrington. Calendar/tickets here.
* Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Sun. Jan. 26: Oz Noy-Andrew Synowiec Band featuring Hadrien Feraud (bass) and Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums). Full schedule here.
* Fri. Jan. 31, 8pm: Killer triple bill at the comfortable Hollywood bar The Three Clubs: saxist Nicole McCabe Quartet featuring Spencer Zahn (bass), Zach Tenorio (keys) & Max Jaffe (drums); trumpeter Dan Rosenboom Septet featuring Gavin Templeton (saxophone), Jake Vossler (guitar), John Escreet (keys), Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (electric viola), Jerry Watts Jr. (bass) & Gene Coye (drums); and the guitar-sax-drums trio of Dave Harrington, Patrick Shiroshi & Max Jaffe. $23 tickets here.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Tues. Feb. 4: Taiko drums from Kodo. Sun. March 30: Herbie Hancock. Fri. May 2: Patrice Rushen. Tickets here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock, metal, etc. Fri. Feb. 21: Cavalera, Necrot. Tues. March 4: Alice in Chains axman Jerry Cantrell. Tues. & Wed. April 8 & 9: Dir En Grey. Thurs. April 10: Napalm Death, Melvins. Fri. April 11: Mayhem. Calendar & tix here.
* Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Sat. Feb. 22: Dream Theater. Calendar here.
* You say The Regent downtown has fragments o' metal? Tues. Feb. 25: Helmet. Sat. March 15: Korpiklaani. Thurs. March 20: Tigran Hamasyan. Fri. April 4: All Shall Perish. Fri. April 18: Leprous. Calendar here.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood gets heavy now and then. Wed. & Thurs. March 5 & 6: Deftones, The Mars Volta. Sat. March 29: Danzig, Down, Abbath, Cro-Mags. Wed. April 9: Meshuggah, Cannibal Corpse, Carcass. Tues. May 13: Disturbed. Listings here.
* Echo Park's EchoPlex hosts a smattering of metal. Fri. March 7: Swallow the Sun. Website here.
* Sat. March 8, 8pm: Pianist Joshua White Trio roils Pasadena's Boston Court; tickets here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Fri. March 21: King's X. Calendar here.
* The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Tues. April 1: Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Marcus Gilmore. Tickets here.
* Midtown's The Wiltern hosts eclectic acts within its classic Art Deco halls. Thurs. April 10: Machine Head. Full lineup here.
* Fri. April 18: AC/DC rocks the Rose Bowl in Pasadena; tix here.
* The Hollywood Palladium might rock. Fri. May 16: Emperor. Calendar here.
* The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or hosts an outside master. Sun. Oct. 19: Zucchero. Calendar here.
* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz along with its culturally edgy programming. Calendar here.
* The Jazz Salon presents 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.
* Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here.
* El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile books yer occasional metal show. Calendar here.
* The Novo near Staples Center downtown hosts some metal. Full listings 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.