Why Everyone In Music Is Watching Blue Note's New Hollywood Club

Published 1 day ago• 4 minute read

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)

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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 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 by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for 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.

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. And there’s much to love about the full lineup for Los Angeles (Emily King! Fantastic Negrito! Keyon Harrold! Adam Blackstone!) 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