Kamasi Washington is on the lineup for Blue Note’s Hollywood location. He’s doing an 11-night stint that stretches from September into October. (Photo by Dave Simpson/WireImage)
When Blue Note throws a club launch, it really goes all out. The storied Greenwich Village jazz institution is now a global brand and the latest listening spot is coming to Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles this summer. The grand opening for Blue Note Los Angeles is set for August 14, with tickets on sale today for shows running into early 2026. Full disclosure: I鈥檓 going to be first in line for a lot of these shows.
Housed in the complex that was once home to Arclight Hollywood, the space will open with a back-to-back weekend stand by Grammy-winner Robert Glasper. This after construction delays tied to January鈥檚 fires pushed the club鈥檚 debut back. The extra time seems to have only sharpened the lineup.
Blue Note Launches Like A Rocket In Los Angeles
August continues with rising R&B singer Alex Isley (Aug 16-17), saxophone futurist Terrace Martin with Kenyon Dixon (Aug 19-20), and a four-night run from Ravi Coltrane (Aug 28-31). In September, bassist-composer Esperanza Spalding (Sept 2-7), alto titan Kenny Garrett (Sept 11-14) and Atlanta rap philosopher Killer Mike (Sept 19-21) warm up the house for tenor powerhouse Kamasi Washington, who takes over for 11 dates straddling September and October. Throw in genre-jumpers like Charlie Puth (Oct 16-19), Branford Marsalis (Oct 21-22) and Andra Day (Nov 28-30) and you begin to understand why Blue Note鈥檚 director of programming, Alex Kurland, once told me, 鈥淲e鈥檙e less in the business of just booking gigs and presenting shows than in creating moments and creating memories and creating happenings.鈥
It鈥檚 definitely happening, people!
Charlie Puth takes over Blue Note Los Angeles on October 17 (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for dcp)
Getty Images for dcp
Built for Intimacy and A-List Talent
As a jazz, blues and R&B fan, I love what Blue Note is bringing to the music scene, and the music industry is watching. The Hollywood outpost stays faithful to the original New York blueprint, with two sets nightly at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., table service throughout, and a booking philosophy that pairs legends with left-field collaborators. The main Hollywood showroom seats 200, while an adjoining 鈥淏-Side鈥 room adds another 100 spots鈥攕mall enough for intimate moments but big enough to keep the bar booming.
Los Angeles hasn鈥檛 exactly lacked for jazz rooms. There鈥檚 The Baked Potato, Catalina, Sam First and a revived Lighthouse that keep the scene percolating. But Blue Note definitely brings a fresh and vital appeal with with tour-routing gravity. A-list artists who once ignored L.A. or treated it as a one-night stop between San Francisco and who-knows-where now have a week-long home base. And since Blue Note is part of a worldwide network (Napa, Tokyo, Milan, Rio, Shanghai, et al.), fans are bound to get next-level performances by musicians looking to stretch their welcome with Blue Note tour bookers.
A Calendar Designed to Dazzle
Growing a jazz and blues-first brand in 2025 might sound counterintuitive but it鈥檚 working. Club residencies (I鈥檓 so sorry I missed PJ Morton鈥檚 recent stint in NYC) and Blue Note鈥檚 Napa festival typically sell out fast. And there鈥檚 much to love about the full lineup for Los Angeles (Emily King! Fantastic Negrito! Keyon Harrold! Adam Blackstone!) announced this week:
August 14-15鈥擱obert Glasper
August 16-17鈥擜lex Isley
August 18鈥擳he Philharmonik
August 19-20鈥擳errace Martin with Special Guest Kenyon Dixon
August 21-22鈥擱obert Glasper
August 23-24鈥擡mily King
August 25鈥擬ayer Hawthorne
August 26-27鈥擝J The Chicago Kid
August 28-31鈥擱avi Coltrane
September 2-7鈥擡speranza Spalding
September 8鈥擨saiah Collier
September 9-10鈥擝raxton Cook
September 11-14鈥擪enny Garrett
September 15鈥擣antastic Negrito
September 16鈥擠ominique Fils-Aim茅
September 17-18鈥擥oldLink
September 19-21鈥擪iller Mike
September 22-24鈥擟hief Xian aTunde Adjuah
September 25鈥擝rasstracks
September 26鈥擳he Soul Rebels & Special Guest
September 27鈥擳he Soul Rebels & Special Guest
September 28鈥擳he Soul Rebels & Special Guest Too $hort
September 29鈥擲amora Pinderhughes
September 30-October 5鈥擪amasi Washington
October 6鈥擜rin Ray
October 7-12鈥擪amasi Washington
October 13鈥擫ady Blackbird Residency
October 14-15鈥擪iefer
October 16-19鈥擟harlie Puth
October 20鈥擲lum Village
October 21-22鈥擝ranford Marsalis Quartet
October 23鈥擜ja Monet
October 24-26鈥擲id Sriram
October 27鈥擜maro Freitas
October 28-November 2鈥1500 or Nothin鈥 & Friends
November 4-5鈥擥host-Note
November 6-9鈥擳ank and The Bangas
November 10鈥擡mily Bear & Friends
November 11-16鈥擟hris Dave / Marcus King / Cory Henry / DJ Ginyard
November 17鈥擩ulius Rodriguez
November 18-19鈥擪eyon Harrold
November 20-21鈥擟imafunk
November 22-23鈥擥oapele
November 24-25鈥擩ames Francies / Joel Ross / Blaque Dynamite
November 28-30鈥擜ndra Day
December 1鈥擫ady Blackbird Residency
December 2-3鈥擜dam Blackstone
December 4鈥擥allant
December 5-7鈥擠errick Hodge
December 8鈥擩ames Fauntleroy
December 9-10鈥擳heo Croker
December 11鈥擝en Folds
December 12-14鈥擳he Free Nationals
December 15鈥擟harles Lloyd Quartet
December 16-21鈥擱obert Glasper
January 9-11鈥擩os茅 James
January 26鈥擫ady Blackbird Residency
March 23鈥擫ady Blackbird Residency
Blue Note Los Angeles is located at 6372 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
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