Photo Credit: The Langham
Whether your preferred venue is a stage, restaurant or lounge, Los Angeles has a rich jazz scene. Here are some of our first-class favorites where we encourage you to celebrate the genre.
The Broad Stage
Photo Credit: Michael Paparazzo Photography
The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage is an intimate venue in Santa Monica. With just over 500 seats, it’s grand yet still intimate and regularly hosts jazz in addition to other types of performance. During the performance season, The Broad Stage’s 100-seat black box theater, The Edye, is transformed monthly into a club scene featuring up-and-coming jazz and blues artists. The bar does serve a selection of beer and wine, but concessions are very light in terms of nosh, so it’s best to enjoy dinner beforehand. Shows are already booked from now through May 2019, including performances from The Stanley Clarke Band, Corey Harris and Guy Davis, Sandra Booker, Billy Valentine, Freddy Cole, the Jennifer Keith Quintet, and many others.
The Langham
Photo Credit: The Langham
On Thursday nights, The Tap Room at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena features live jazz beginning at 8 p.m. Enjoy the scene in a space that oozes class, with dark woods, rich textiles and ambient lighting. The extensive drinks menu boasts signature cocktails (the Japanese Blossom and The Huntington are popular) as well as classics; sparkling wines; whites and reds; ports; bourbons; American, Irish and Japanese whiskeys; single-malt scotches; and other spirits. And while you and your date are both tapping your feet along to the tunes, sample some elevated bites by the Langham’s kitchen. Enjoy a snack or make a light meal of plates such as shrimp tempura, tacos al pastor, wagyu sliders, margarita pizza or caesar salad.
Sam First
Photo Credit: Sam First
This ultra-stylish cocktail bar is just stone’s throw from LAX. The next time you fly home to the City of Angels and aren’t quite ready to end your adventure, or if you’d like to kill some time before a red-eye, visit Sam First for an entertaining way to relax and unwind. Of course, Sam First is a fabulous destination unto itself. Already featuring live jazz Friday through Sunday evenings, the establishment is adding Thursday nights to the calendar as well, starting next month. Just a few of the wonderful performers on the current schedule include the Adam Hersh Quartet, the Robert Rodriguez Rospide Trio, The Lineage Trio with Tamir Hendelman, and many others. Kick back in this modern setting serving light house snacks, a satisfying selection of wines and beers, and a long list of available spirits.
Shutters on the Beach
Photo Credit: Shutters on the Beach
For jazz in a setting with Italian coastal flair, head to Santa Monica’s Shutters on the Beach hotel. On Thursdays between 5 and 9 p.m., guests in the Living Room area can enjoy the hotel’s weekly Aperitivos evening, featuring live jazz paired with hand-selected Italian wines. Post up near the open windows to enjoy a view of the ocean and a breeze. Or settle into one of the plush fireside couches for a cozy evening of fine wine and conversation as the night gets cooler. Fancy a bite or two? Feed your appetite with Italian charcuterie, artisanal cheeses and delicious antipasti.
Vibrato Grill
Photo Credit: Vibrato Grill
There isn’t a bad seat in the house at this premier jazz venue located in the hills between Bel Air and Sherman Oaks. Owned by nine-time Grammy winner Herb Alpert and managed by his business parter and daughter, Eden Alpert, Vibrato is a fine restaurant open nightly starting at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy refined New American cuisine while experiencing curated entertainment from the likes of Paulette Dozier, Margo Rey, Tony Galla, Andy Vargas, Brenna Whitaker and others. Past performers have also included Katharine McPhee and Seth MacFarlane. This is an ideal choice for drinks, a sophisticated meal, or after-dinner dessert and cocktails. Try the miso salmon, roasted lobster tail, sancho seared duck or lamb lollipops.
W Hollywood
Photo Credit: W Hollywood
W Sunday Jazz has just recently returned to The Living Room at the W Hollywood. Every Sunday evening beginning at 9 p.m., The Living Room’s brightly colored and plush modern setting doubles as a jazz lounge featuring the talents of America’s Got Talent semifinalist Nikki Leonti and Brooke Lynn’s Burlesque. Of course, the iconic hotel has been known to deliver a few pleasant surprises. A past Jazz Night was dedicated entirely to Whitney Houston‘s repertoire, and past surprise guests have included Nick Jonas, Justin Bieber, Nicole Scherzinger, Julianne Hough, Gavin DeGraw and Jessie J.
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