Select chronological listings.
Leaving Records, launchpad of many excellent musical adventurers, is offering aid to artists affected by the recent greater Los Angeles wildfires via proceeds from a compilation of 98 tracks by its own. We may be forgiven if smoke got in our eyes when we skipped to the end and experienced the profound sorrow and emptiness of "This Is Where My Room Used To Be" by André 3000 (featuring Carlos Niño, Alex Cline and Pablo Calogero); we'll be listening to the rest as we calendar this week's listings. Contribute/purchase here.
BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE STICKEN BY L.A.-AREA FIRES ARE MARKED WITH ***.
* 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. 24: drummer Tony Austin (Kamasi Washington, Carlos Santana). ***Monday Jan. 27, 7pm: Fundraiser for Musicians Affected by the Altadena Fire, including Bobby Bradford and William Roper, who lost their homes; lineup includes Ralph Moore, Dwight Trible, Eric Scott Reed, Teodross Avery, L.A. Jazz Quartet, Theo Saunders and more; this will also be STREAMED here; you can donate online. Fri. Jan. 31: Brian Hargrove / Double G Chamber Session. Fri. Feb. 7: vocalist Runson Willis. Sat. Feb. 1: vocalist-composer Zaccae'us Paul. Sat. Feb. 8: a young Chicago saxist with a lungful of power and a headful of ideas, Isaiah Collier. Fri. Feb. 14: keyboardist-singer Brandon Coleman. Fri. Feb. 21: typhoon pianist Joshua White. Sat. Feb. 22: World Stage Big Band Black History Month Celebration. Fri. Feb. 28: Dexter Gordon Birthday Tribute.
* The Jazz Bakery sponsors live shows at mostly Westside venues; view its calendar here. Fri. Jan. 24: keyboard groovemaster Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble cycles back to his hometown at Atwater's Motivo L.A. Sat. Feb. 15: Mike Wofford & Josh Nelson Piano Duo at Santa Monica's Moss Theater. Sat. Feb. 22: Edmar Castañeda at Santa Monica's Moss Theater.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Fri. Jan. 24: Carla Kihlstedt & co. get entertainingly weird with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Wed. March 19: SML. Full schedule here.
* Knucklehead in Hollywood has metal DJs and live music. Fri. Jan. 24: melodic post-punkers Dead You; Graves-13, Glossy Eyes, Melancali. Fri. Jan. 31: free show with Trouble Andrew, Oddly Shrugs, more. Fri. Feb. 7: The Lucid Night, Rival Cults, Clutter, Sloth. Fri. Feb. 28: Florida's Lust Era; NoCal's DustBowl Champion; New York's Stare Away; Death by Nature. Fri. March 7, 6pm on: The Goodown with Baby E, Kill Nigel, Audreyisarose, many more. Sign in here.
* The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Fri. Jan. 24: reunited vet Canadian thrashers 3 Inches of Blood. Fri. Feb. 21: Kerry King. Calendar here.
* JustJazzTV is a resource for live jazz. ***It also has buttons to donate toward the fire-rebuild efforts of musicians you may know.
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Tuesdays are Happenings hosted by top local artists. Fri. & Sat. Jan. 24 & 25: Venezuelan pianist Edward Simon Trio with famed bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Adam Cruz. Sat. Feb. 1: saxist Devin Daniels Quintet with trumpeter Julien Knowles. Fri. Feb. 7: keyboardist John Escreet Quartet. Sat. Feb. 8: storied drummer Peter Erskine Trio. Fri. & Sat. Feb. 14 & 15: Hammond man Larry Goldings Trio. Wed. Feb. 26: drummer Tina Raymond Two Guitar Band with Anthony Wilson, Andrew Renfroe & Eric Revis. Look here for full schedule and options.
* 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.
***LATE ADD. Sun. Jan. 26, 7pm: Musician benefit concert featuring Tim Young, Kaveh Rastegar, Max Gerl, Tony Austin and many more at Hotel Cafe, 1623 1/2 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood 90028.
* Alva's Showroom in San Pedro brings in some intriguing music from the edges in addition to tributes and stuff. Sun. Jan. 26: edgy fusion from Oz Noy-Andrew Synowiec Band featuring Hadrien Feraud (bass) and Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums). Full schedule here.
* 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. Except -- Sun. Jan. 26: NAMM Jam hosted by Robert Searlight. Check 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. 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. Mon. Feb. 10: Efajemue featuring Ted Taforo (alto sax), Efa Etoroma (drums), Francisco Ojeda (bass). Mon. Feb. 17: keyboardist Lee Pardini & friends. Mon. Feb. 24: L.A. windman supreme Vinny Golia. Mon. Feb. 3: windman Gavin Templeton. Calendar here.
* Frogtown's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Tues. Jan. 28: electronix 4 in-catz from Jeremiah Chiu, Yuka Honda, Monde UFO (FREE show). Thurs. Jan. 30: big-minded drummer 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.
* Healing Force of the Universe Records in Pasadena has live folk/jazz/experimental music 8-10:30pm. Wed. Jan. 29: universal electric guitarist Jeff Parker. Fri. Feb. 28: tapdance & piano from Melinda Sullivan & Larry Goldings. Calendar here.
* The Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Wed. Jan. 29: Downey proto-thrashers Dark Angel. Thurs. & Fri. Feb. 13 & 14: Pentagram. Sat. Feb. 22: Marty Friedman. Sun. March 23: Kings X. Thurs. May 15: Gene Loves Jezebel. Fri. May 16: Lizzy Borden. Sat. June 7: Angel. Calendar here.
*** Fri. Jan. 31, 8pm: NOW TURNED INTO A BENEFIT. 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; buying early helps them plan.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Fri. Jan. 31: Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding. Listings 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.
* Tues. Feb. 11, 8pm: Wadada Leo Smith and Red Koral Quartet present the trumpeter's concert-length "String Quartet No. 17," which he calls a "reflection on the institutions of democracy." Quite an event as Smith returns to the region whose soil he tilled for many years. At downtown's Monk Space; tickets/details here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Thurs. Feb. 13: Danny Janklow. Thurs. Feb. 20: Nili Brosh. Full schedule here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Fri. Feb. 14: sweet music for Valentine's Day: Aborted, Ingested, Peeling Flesh. Sat. Feb. 15: Nile, Six Feet Under, Psycroptic. Sun. Feb. 16: Septicflesh. Sat. March 1: Decapitated, Incantation, Darkest Hour, Exmortus. Tues. March 4: Murder Death Kill. Sat. March 29: Belphegor. Sun. April 6: Victim Blamed. Sun. June 29: 19 heavy bands concluding with Terrorizer L.A., Apartment 213. Full calendar here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz singers. Thurs. Feb. 20: Judith Owen. Schedule here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock, metal, etc. Fri. Feb. 21: Max & Igor thrash onward as 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: notable heavy lineup with 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, In Flames. Tues. April 15: Arch Enemy. Sat. April 19: Cradle of Filth, Dying Fetus. Fri. May 23: Devin Townsend. 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.