Blue Note Los Angeles

Blue Note Los Angeles sits at 6372 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Ivar in Hollywood, just past Cahuenga Boulevard. It occupies the space formerly held by Largo on the Sunset strip and brings the New York brand's polished club format to LA. Inside, the room runs tables across the front half with a long bar running along the side, plus standing room behind the bar when it fills up. Everyone needs a ticket to enter, which sets it apart from more casual West Hollywood spots.

The calendar reads like a jazz record store shelf: Talib Kweli, Rapsody, Goapele, Lee Ritenour, Chris Dave, Mohini Dey, Dixson, Josh Levi, Emily Bear: artists who cross between jazz, soul, hip-hop and acoustic acts. Two performances run most nights at 7 PM and 9:30 PM, and seats go to whoever gets there first within whatever area they bought. You do not get to hold seats for friends arriving later.

Table seating carries a twenty dollar per person food or drink minimum, and bar seating asks for one drink. American Express, Visa and MasterCard buy tickets, and Apple Pay covers drinks in the room. Parking lives in the Cinerama Dome garage at 1400 Ivar Avenue, where you can pre-buy a pass for fifteen dollars through TicketWeb. Smart casual attire is encouraged, no formal dress code exists, and photos without flash are fine unless an artist says otherwise.

Blue Note LA also operates a lower-level bar area that is handicap accessible and ADA-equipped. Groups of ten or more need to reserve through club@bluenotela.com instead of buying online. Student tickets appear at the box office for select shows with a valid student ID.