Select chronological listings.
***Next weekend begins this year's Angel City Jazz Festival, Oct. 13-29, and it's a monster. Full listings chronologically below; get tickets and info here.***
* Fri. Oct. 6: Dean of avant sax Anthony Braxton plays a solo concert, including new compositions he's bringing forth for the first time since his landmark 1971 release "For Alto." A significant event, as this Chicago giant makes his second local stop on a visit to Koreatown's First Congregational Church; tickets here.
* 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. Oct. 6: bassist Henry Franklin Birthday Concert will attract the region's best players in tribute to this remarkable perennial, who plays with a teen's punch and verve. 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. Oct. 6: Brandon Coleman, Ronald Bruner Jr. & Ben Williams. Sat Oct. 7: superlative ensemble of pianist-composer Cathlene Pineda with saxist Nicole McCabe, bassist Dave Tranchina and drummer Tina Raymond.
* The Wiltern (Wilton & Western) occasionally harbors metal. Fri. Oct. 6: The Darkness ask no permission to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their pop-rockin' debut masterpiece, "Permission To Land." Wed. Oct. 18: Max & Iggor Cavalera, Exhumed. Wed. Nov. 1: Static-X, Sevendust. 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.
* Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Fri.-Sun. Oct. 6-8: Miles bassist and groove specialist Marcus Miller. Sat.-Sun. Oct. 20-21: Pete Escovedo. Full calendar here.
* The Jazz Bakery has resumed sponsoring live shows; view its calendar here. Sat. Oct. 7: John Beasley's Monk'estra at downtown's Zipper Hall. Sat. Oct. 14: Eddie Henderson Quartet at Santa Monica's Moss Theater. Sun. Oct. 15: fine guitarist Russell Malone Quartet at Santa Monica's Moss Theater. Sun. Oct. 29: the 14-piece jazz orchestra of composer & conductor Miho Hazama at downtown's Aratani Theater.
* 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. 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.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Sun. Oct. 8: the original & thoughtful sounds of saxist Chuck Manning, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Darek Oles and drummer Jason Harnell in L.A. Jazz Quartet. Thurs. Oct. 19: Bunny Brunel CAB. Fri. Nov. 10: Albert Lee. Fri. Nov. 24: Cosmosquad. Full schedule here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Sun. Oct. 8: Atlanta metalcore journeymen Attila. Tues. Oct. 10: grinding Zurich death croakers Paleface Swiss. Sun. Nov. 12: Inferi. Full calendar 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. Oct. 11: excellently named midtempo Cali deathsters Fetal Sewage. Fri. Oct. 13: 45 Grave. Calendar here.
* Inglewood's midsize YouTube Theater brings variety programming. Wed. Oct. 11: cartoons come to life (but slaying just the same) Dethklok, Babymetal. Calendar here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Fri. Oct. 13: femme ax ripper Orianthi. Sat. Nov. 11: Wishbone Ash. 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. Oct. 13: Celebrating Sam Rivers with Billy Harper, Nicole McCabe et al. (Angel City Fest). Full calendar here.
Oct. 13-29: Look out, 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 Intergenerational Improvisation Night featuring Vinny Golia, Motoko Honda, Nicole McCabe et al. at ArtShare L.A., pending a new location for the Vernacular series.
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 Billy Mohler at REDCAT (the recent replacement of Hubert Laws on flute with Bennie Maupin on clarinet in Cochran's ensemble is an even trade).
* Sat. Oct. 14: Gauzy guitarist and modern trumpeter Bill Frisell & Ambrose Akinmusire and friends play the Ace Hotel downtown; tickets here.
* Sat. Oct. 14: Lift your spirits with the rolling groove of singer Dwight Trible, windman Pablo Calogero, hand drummer Christopher Garcia, bassist John B. Williams and drummer Breeze Smith as Cosmic Vibrations. At First Congregational Church in Koreatown; tickets here.
* Sat. Oct. 14: Another copacetic assembly of an eclectic alliance: guitarist Joe Baiza & Mecolodiacs; the far-ranging songs & harmonies of Garretson & Gorodetsky; Minutemen drummer George Hurley's poetic jamfest Wrinkling Brothers; plus the mysterious El Grupo Suave. At Maui Sugar Mill, 18389 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana 91356; doors 8:30; no cover; two-drink minimum.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. 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 LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Tues.-Sat. Oct. 17-28: Piano Fest featuring Vardan Ovsepian, Otmaro Ruiz, Milen Kirov, Cathlene Pineda, John Beasley, Adam Hersh, Josh Nelson, Kris Davis, Larry Goldings. Fri. Nov. 1: keyboardist Rachel Eckroth (St. Vincent, Rufus Wainwright) leads you down strange paths. Look here for full schedule and options.
* JustJazzTV is a great resource for live jazz. Thurs. Oct. 19 at The Paramount in Boyle Heights: bassist-composer Adi Meyerson.
* Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Sat. Oct. 21: Television fans take note, it's guitarist Richard Lloyd Group. Wed. Oct. 25: Oceans And (Tim Berne), Harriet Tubman (Angel City Fest). Thurs. Oct. 26: Dwarfs of East Agouza, Eyvind Kang & Jessika Kenney. Thurs. Nov. 2: Divine Horsemen. Sat. Nov. 4: MSSV (Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges & Mike Watt). Full calendar here.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Sat. Oct. 21: Ne Obliviscaris. Thurs. Nov. 2: First flushed at the Whisky (Fetal Sewage) and then moribund here, it's hard times for symbolic death-metal embryos in L.A. with Dying Fetus. Sat. Nov. 11: Carnifex. Sun. Nov. 26: Sunn O)))-Shoshin Duo. Fri., Sat., Mon. & Tues. Dec. 1, 2, 4 & 5: Skinny Puppy. Fri. Dec. 15: Cattle Decapitation. Calendar & tix 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.
* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz. Sat. Oct. 28: Nicole Mitchell, Next Jazz Legacy (Angel City Fest). Sun. Oct. 29: Todd Cochran/Hubert Laws, Billy Mohler (Angel City Fest). Calendar here.
* Sun. Oct. 29: Big-minded guitarist Pat Metheny plays UCLA's Royce Hall. Tickets here.
* The Regent downtown books some heavy music. Wed. Nov. 1: Tesseract. Full lineup here.
* The Hollywood Bowl has some jazz etc. Fri. Nov. 3: Kiss 'em goodbye. Details here.
* Sat. Nov. 4, 4pm, free: The Getty Center in the Sepulveda Pass celebrates the launch of "The Digital Florentine Codex," documenting the early years of the Aztec incursion by the Spanish, with a concert featuring original music by Lu Coy and by Christopher Garcia's Xochi Cuicatl. Tickets here.
* Highland Park's Lodge Room occasionally books jazz, metal, heft and influential obscurities. Sat. Nov. 4: journeyman Maryland grindcorers Full of Hell. Full schedule here.
* Sat. Nov. 4: Azz-Is Jazz Festival in Venice features Mark De Clive-Lowe, Jamael Dean, Black Nile, Dwight Trible, Jonathan Pinson and more. Website 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. Nov. 5: extended piano from Michael Goodheart, plus windman Vinny Golia, trombonist Michael Dessen and drummer Garth Powell. Keep up with events here.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Wed. Nov. 8: Brad Mehldau Trio. Tickets here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz. Tues. Nov. 14: Pete Escovedo. Full schedule here.
* Thurs. Nov. 16: "Bowl for Ronnie" lines up rock celebs such as Geezer Butler, Dave Grohl and Tom Morello to benefit the Dio Cancer Fund. Sign in here for the event, 6:30-11pm at Pinz in Studio City.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood revs some metal. Thurs. Dec. 7: Aerosmith fly the coop on their "final" tour. Listings here.
* Keep up with L.A. Jazz Society events, including its Young Musician Showcases, here.
* Santa Monica's Jacaranda music series presents a great selection of forward-looking modern classical and world music. Inquire regularly 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 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.
* The Orpheum downtown rocks and jazzes at times. Tickets here.
* Downtown's Peacock Theater (formerly Microsoft Theater) occasionally books heavy music. Lineup here.
* The Greek Theater in Griffith Park has outdoor music in season. Full lineup here.