Why Everyone In Music Is Watching Blue Note's New Hollywood Club
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'm 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's Hollywood fires pushed the club's debut back. The extra time seems to have only sharpened the lineup.
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's director of programming, Alex Kurland, once told me, 'We're less in the business of just booking gigs and presenting shows than in creating moments and creating memories and creating happenings.'
It's definitely happening, people!
Charlie Puth takes over Blue Note Los Angeles on October 17 (Photo byfor dcp) Getty Images for dcp
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 'B-Side' room adds another 100 spots—small enough for intimate moments but big enough to keep the bar booming.
Los Angeles hasn't exactly lacked for jazz rooms. There's 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's working. Club residencies (I'm so sorry I missed PJ Morton's recent stint in NYC) and Blue Note's Napa festival typically sell out fast. There's much to love about the full lineup for Los Angeles (Emily King! Esperanza Spalding! Branford Marsalis! Charlie Puth!) announced this week:
August 14-15—Robert Glasper
August 16-17—Alex Isley
August 18—The Philharmonik
August 19-20—Terrace Martin with Special Guest Kenyon Dixon
August 21-22—Robert Glasper
August 23-24—Emily King
August 25—Mayer Hawthorne
August 26-27—BJ The Chicago Kid
August 28-31—Ravi Coltrane
September 2-7—Esperanza Spalding
September 8—Isaiah Collier
September 9-10—Braxton Cook
September 11-14—Kenny Garrett
September 15—Fantastic Negrito
September 16—Dominique Fils-Aimé
September 17-18—GoldLink
September 19-21—Killer Mike
September 22-24—Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah
September 25—Brasstracks
September 26—The Soul Rebels & Special Guest
September 27—The Soul Rebels & Special Guest
September 28—The Soul Rebels & Special Guest Too $hort
September 29—Samora Pinderhughes
September 30-October 5—Kamasi Washington
October 6—Arin Ray
October 7-12—Kamasi Washington
October 13—Lady Blackbird Residency
October 14-15—Kiefer
October 16-19—Charlie Puth
October 20—Slum Village
October 21-22—Branford Marsalis Quartet
October 23—Aja Monet
October 24-26—Sid Sriram
October 27—Amaro Freitas
October 28-November 2—1500 or Nothin' & Friends
November 4-5—Ghost-Note
November 6-9—Tank and The Bangas
November 10—Emily Bear & Friends
November 11-16—Chris Dave / Marcus King / Cory Henry / DJ Ginyard
November 17—Julius Rodriguez
November 18-19—Keyon Harrold
November 20-21—Cimafunk
November 22-23—Goapele
November 24-25—James Francies / Joel Ross / Blaque Dynamite
November 28-30—Andra Day
December 1—Lady Blackbird Residency
December 2-3—Adam Blackstone
December 4—Gallant
December 5-7—Derrick Hodge
December 8—James Fauntleroy
December 9-10—Theo Croker
December 11—Ben Folds
December 12-14—The Free Nationals
December 15—Charles Lloyd Quartet
December 16-21—Robert Glasper
January 9-11—José James
January 26—Lady Blackbird Residency
March 23—Lady Blackbird Residency
Blue Note Los Angeles is located at 6372 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
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