Links: L.A. performances (1/12/24).

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. Donations encouraged here. Fri. Jan. 12: flamenco singer and guitarist Cristo Osorio. Fri. Jan. 19: pianist Bobby West. Fri. Jan. 26: trombonist Ryan Porter. Fri. Feb. 2: bassist Eric Revis. Fri. Feb. 9: Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Sat. Feb. 10: Panel Discussion and Live Performances: The History of Jazz in Leimert Park. Fri. Feb. 16: saxist Louis Van Taylor. Fri. Feb. 23: Dexter Gordon Birthday Celebration.
* The LAX-area bar Sam First offers 7:30pm and 9pm jazz shows, in person and sometimes STREAMING. Fri. Jan. 12: beyond fusion with electric bassist Tim Lefebvre featuring saxist David Binney, pianist John Escreet and drummer Gary Novak. Tuesday Happenings feature jams led by top local artists, most often the inspired pianist Gerald Clayton. Fri. & Sat. Jan. 19 & 20: the tuned-in veteran piano & bass duo of Alan Pasqua & Darek Oles (Friday's set is broadcast live on KJAZZ 88.1 FM). Thurs. Feb. 22: pianist Kei Akagi Trio with bassist Darek Oles and drummer Jason Harnell. Fri. & Sat. Feb. 23 & 24: pianist Josh Nelson Ensemble. Wed. March 13: trombonist-composer Jon Hatamiya Sextet. Look here for full schedule and options.
* Sat. Jan. 13, 8pm: Garretson & Gorodetsky bring their quartet's harmonies and distinctive songwriting flair to a bill that also includes Miyo (comedy), Kennon Raines (poetry), Linda Ravenswood (poetry/performance) and Jack Landrón (singer-songwriter). Brad Rabuchin plays downstairs. Storyphile at the Harmony Room upstairs at Saint Be in Eagle Rock; more here.
* Sun. Jan. 14 & Sun. Jan. 28: 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 Whisky on Sunset Strip books metal etc. Tues. Jan. 16: Doors guitarist Robby Krieger plays jazz. Fri. Feb. 2: Glenn Hughes. Fri. Feb. 23: Lizzy Borden. Sat. Feb. 24: Brazilian deathsters Crypta. Sat. March 2: Thredge. Calendar here.
* The Mint (Pico & Crescent Heights) has mostly Sunday jazz shows anchored by pianist Sam Hirsh Trio. Fri. Jan. 26: The Azar Lawrence Experience lifts the soul-jazz (read MetalJazz's recent review here). Check listings here.
* Atwater's adventurous avant/modern/world club Zebulon offers surprises from the present and past. Thurs. Jan. 18: Inventive drummer Mark Guiliana's residency continues. Tues. Jan. 23: Dave Harrington's Pranksters West featuring Nels Cline & more, Stuart Bogie (solo), Yuka Honda (solo). Sun. Feb. 18: Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog. Thurs. Feb. 22: Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Full calendar here.
* The Baked Potato in Universal City presents fusion (etc.) concerts at 8 & 10pm nightly. Thurs. & Fri. Jan. 18 & 19: guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, composer and former Zappa lieutenant Mike Keneally always has something different to say, here with his crack Beer for Dolphins quartet. Tues. Jan. 23: Cosmosquad. Thurs. Feb. 1: Danny Janklow Elevation. Thurs. & Fri. Feb. 29 & March 1: Virgil Donati Group. Full schedule here.
* Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood hosts mostly mainstream jazz and singers, but there are exceptions. Fri. Jan. 19: veteran fusion bassist (CAB) Bunny Brunel & Friends. Sun. Jan. 21: superguitarist Stanley Jordan. Sat. & Sun. Jan. 27 & 28: drum fusioneer Simon Phillips Protocol V. Full calendar here.
* The Jazz Bakery has resumed sponsoring live shows; view its calendar here. Sat. Jan. 20: lilting Puerto Rican saxist Miguel Zenón Quartet at Santa Monica's Moss Theater.
* Downtown's Belasco Theater stages some rock & metal shows. Sat. Jan. 20: Ozzy axman Zakk Wylde's trio really does add something extra to the Sab classix with Zakk Sabbath. Sun. March 24: KMFDM. Calendar & tix here.
* 1720 (east of downtown, south of the 10 freeway) books metal etc. Mon. Jan. 22: Gorod. Sat. Feb. 24: Polish death metal from Vader. Fri. March 8: Ov Sulfur. Tues. Apr. 16: Tyr. Sat. Apr. 27: Korpiklaani. Sat. May 11: Born of Osiris. Full calendar here.
* JustJazzTV is a great resource for live jazz. Tues. Jan. 23: bassist Linda May Han Oh at the Town House in Venice.
* 2220 Arts + Archives (Beverly Blvd. near Alvarado) hosts a variety of cultural presentations including jazz & electronic. Thurs. Jan. 25: Johanna Hedva; anyone who plays noisy minimalist guitar and subtitles a song "Tears Are What God Uses To Lubricate Its Big Machine of Nothing" is worth hearing. Listings 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 Rob Zombie to Motley Crue to his own wild solo records, John 5 plays the hell out of a guitar. Calendar here.
* Teragram Ballroom downtown mixes in metal and jazz. Sat. Jan. 27: Joey Dosik. Tues. March 5: Municipal Waste.
* 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. Feb. 3: violinist-violist-vocalist Wendy Richman. Sat. March. 2: saxophonist Chris Jonas. Sat. Apr. 6: Cold Blue Music Night. Sat. May 4: guitarist Joe Baiza Quartet with vocalist Jessika Kenney, bassist David O. Jones and drummer Brian Christopherson. Sat. June 1: bassist Steuart Liebig's Minim with oboeist Breana Gilcher, cellist Maggie Parkins and pianist Vicki Ray. Sat. July 6: The Present Quartet with bassist Jeff Schwartz, flutist Ellen Burr, harpist Anne LeBaron and windman Charles Sharp.
* 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; two shows; early show sold out. Thurs. Feb. 22: Bassekou Kouyate. Full schedule here.
* Sat. Feb. 10, 7pm: Post-traditional jazz pianist Julius Rodriguez plays West Hollywood's Sun Rose, 8430 Sunset Blvd., as part of the city's free Winter Sounds series.
* 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. Feb. 11, 7pm: bassist Miller Wrenn Large Ensemble plus precise abstract pianist Ben Rosenbloom Band. More here.
* REDCAT (beneath downtown's Disney Hall) presents some experimental music and jazz along with its culturally edgy programming. Sat. Feb. 17: Sans Soleil (Chris Williams & Patrick Shiroishi) with William Parker & Lesley Mok. Sat. Feb. 24: Delbert Anderson & Mali Obomsawin. Fri. & Sat. June 14 & 15: Partch Ensemble. Calendar here.
* Vibrato, a luxurious restaurant high up in Bel Air, books mostly mainstream jazz singers. Sun. Feb. 18: Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra. Full schedule here.
* Sat. Feb. 24, 7pm: Jazz-funk keyboardist Brandon Coleman plays West Hollywood's Sun Rose, 8430 Sunset Blvd., as part of the city's free Winter Sounds series.
* Santa Monica's Jacaranda music series presents a great selection of forward-looking modern classical and world music. Sun. Feb. 25: Kahil El'Zabar directs the Lyris Quartet and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble in exploring the influence of Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone music upon John Coltrane. Full listings here.
* The Canyon in Agoura Hills books its share of metal, fusion and original good stuff. Fri. March 8: Gene Loves Jezebel. Sat. March 30: Lynch Mob. Fri. Apr. 5: Tom Keifer. Calendar here.
* The Fonda Theater in Hollywood has occasional metal & world. Sun. Mar. 10: Voivod, Prong. Calendar here.
* The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills occasionally melts faces or brings in an outside master. Sat. Apr. 6: Tom Keifer, L.A. Guns. Calendar here.
* Downtown's Disney Hall presents some jazz and events of note beyond classical. Sat. Apr. 20: Herbie Hancock. Tickets here.
* The Kia Forum in Inglewood gets heavy now and then. Oct. 8: Iron Maiden. Listings 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.
* The Jazz Salon presents top singers on Thursdays and sometimes Sundays at downtown's Los Angeles Athletic Club. Check in here. (The Salon may move to regular Sundays in February; watch for updates.)
* The Mayan downtown has jazz and rock sometimes. 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.