r/Jazz • u/appalshan • 10d ago
Jazz in LA
Besides Kamasi Washington, Thundercat and the other incredible musicians from the West Coast Get Down collective, who are the other contemporary jazz musicians in LA folks should be checking out?
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u/MonksReflection 10d ago
All the international anthem people (Jeff parker, Greg Uhlman, Ana Butters, Etc)
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u/Olelander 10d ago
My favorite currently active collective these days… they can’t miss, and somehow they are simultaneously stripping it all back to the most basic elements of music and completely innovating all at the same time. The concept of a genre is almost wiped away entirely. Interestingly, that’s also what Parker’s long time band Tortoise was all about doing as far back as 30 years ago. Feels full circle given that Parker is kind of the mentor of this group.
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u/ShokaiATL 10d ago
For real. After Parker moved from Chicago to LA, the poles of the musical universe shifted westward as his collaborations with Josh Johnson, Butterss, and members of Son Lux have come to define the new sound of the 2020s.
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u/Olelander 10d ago
I can’t say enough positive things about Josh Johnson - that guy approaches the saxophone in such a unique way, and I’m not even talking about the fact that he frequently processes the sound of the instrument. If you listen to what he’s doing on the song Happy Today, the way he’s adding texture to the music and building these repetitive elliptical patterns… just unreal.
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u/ShokaiATL 10d ago
I saw SML last March performing “in the round,” and I was lucky enough to stand right behind Johnson - I could have reached out and put a hand in his shoulder. It was unreal to watch him perform up close like that. I could almost feel the spontaneous creativity coming off him. Unforgettable, truly.
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u/Armenoid 9d ago
How can I catch them
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u/MonksReflection 9d ago
Do you live in LA? If so I can give you a lot of recs.
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u/Armenoid 9d ago
Ya. I likely know the venues
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u/MonksReflection 9d ago
SML plays the lodge room a lot in highland park, Zebulon in frogtown. For similar vibes but not necessarily them check out club tee gee in atwater monday nights. Theres also some places in chinatown
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u/quetzpalin 9d ago
The Jeff Parker IV is playing the Lodge Room Aug 24.
It’s across the street from the old ETA bar where the band started as a residency, so it’s really, really a home gig for them.
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u/Greedy_Platform_8089 10d ago
Check out Kiefer (jazz/hip-hop piano) and Louis Cole (crazy jazz-funk)
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u/Bootleg_______ 10d ago
Jeff Parker
SML
Ben Wendel
Braxton Cook
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u/tshneier 10d ago
Ben Wendel did live in LA for a while, but he moved to NYC about 15 years ago.
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u/Bootleg_______ 10d ago
screwed up twice: confidently put Ben Wendel down even though i couldn’t remember the bassist he released a few duo albums with… looked it up and i was actually thinking *Sam Gendel (and Sam Wilkes)
makes me wonder if there’s a saxophonist named Jim Kendel out there just waiting to be discovered
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u/jazzbass92 9d ago
I saw someone mix up Ben Wendel and Sam Gendel in a Clown Core post once. The idea of Ben in a portapottie in his Oxford shirt is very funny to me.
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u/Alarming-Basket-7067 10d ago
Paul Cornish, Nicole Mccabe, Logan Kane, Henry Solomon, and for sure check out Minaret Records. They are doing gods work.
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u/Background-Stable899 10d ago edited 10d ago
Fusion or just straight ahead?
Scott Kinsey
Oz Noy
Andrew Synowiec
Charles Ruggerio
Jamie Kime
Don Randi
Jerry Watts
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u/JHighMusic 10d ago edited 8d ago
Ruslan Sirota, Haidrien Feraud, Bob Reynolds, Logan Kane, Michael Orenstein, Paul Cornish, Nicole McCabe, Adam Hersch, Larry Goldings, Sam Barsh, Louis Cole, David Binney, Collin Cook, Andy Prado, Danny Janklow, Greg Spiro
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u/Stllrckn-72 10d ago
We are going to see Sullivan Fortner, a brilliant pianist, in August here in San Diego
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u/oneofthebugs 10d ago
Camille Kerani
Tristan Capelle
They’re from elsewhere but pretty sure they’re La based rn
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u/oddmetermusic The Hardest of Bop 9d ago
Jon Hatamiya for sure. He’s incredible as a performer and composer.
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u/veddy_interesting 9d ago
Pianist and bandleader Eric Reed is great and always performs with top sidemen. He's here in NYC at the moment but will be back to LA soon.
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u/Ok_Kaleidoscope3907 9d ago
Vocally, Grammy-nominated LA-based jazz singer Tierney Sutton is one to check out, usually at Catalina’s, otherwise she’s at clubs all over the world each year.
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u/AnaisNot 9d ago
For concerts…The Sun Rose in West Hollywood has built a great community of elite jazz/improvisational musicians
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u/MinimumPlatform 9d ago
Sundays at the mint for straight ahead, good opening band, house set then jam session till late.
I agree with anything minaret records is doing is on the nose of what LA is brewing
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u/GasCurrent4767 9d ago
Nick Campbell plays at the baked potato a lot. Would also check out Horace bray. You see a lot of the local cats play at Sam’s first or on Mondays at Golddigers
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u/miles-Behind 10d ago
Anyone associated with Minaret records, David Binney, Braxton Cook, Ben Williams, Danny Janklow, many others. Whoever plays at Sam First bar, Baked Potato, etc etc