Jazz Isn’t (Just) What You Think It Is!

What do you picture when you think of jazz? If you asked me a month ago, I would’ve painted a portrait of contradictions. Staples of the roaring 20s like flapper girls, speakeasies, and smoke-filled parlors. Christmas vinyls, the vibrant streets of New Orleans, and big swing bands. Femme fatales, taboo sensuality, and elegant soirées. Messy and sophisticated in equal measure. But mostly, I associated jazz with things of the past. Oh, how wrong I was.

While you can still hear the undeniable influence jazz has made on music today, namely across genres like pop, hip-hop, and R&B, I simply did not have any knowledge of the contemporary scene. My two nights at Simmi Gandhi’s beautiful and charming Sound Dhaba in DTLA, served as a gateway into the current local jazz landscape.

Immediately, I was struck by the intimate atmosphere. The exposed brick walls, shelves lined with jazz vinyls and art, and ambient lighting turned a room in the Arts District into its own world. My first night there centered around performances by Isaiah Harwood, Tree Keeper, Devin Daniels and Julien Knowles. Seeing as I got there early, I had the pleasure of listening to some of the pre-show rehearsals. As I let the music wash over me, I observed the guests as they trickled in, endeared by how easily the camaraderie flowed between them. Even to an outsider like myself, there weren’t any moments of trepidation. Never once did I feel unwelcome despite my anxiety beforehand at entering an unfamiliar environment. The community, much like jazz itself, thrives on improvisation. It was built to adapt, to welcome a new voice into the mix without missing a beat.

This reciprocity was echoed by Just Jazz co-founder and KCRW radio host LeRoy Downs, who came to offer his encouragement, “Thank you for showing up to support the band. They feed off your energy, and you feed on theirs, and it keeps going round and round.”

The ability of jazz to remain nimble reflects in the variety within the genre. My favorite piece of the night shown in the clip below, which mixed the trumpet with synths, felt like something out of a cyberpunk video game soundtrack. In my mind’s eye, I could see this perfectly fit the score of a neon-drenched, rain-slicked metropolis. A clash, and then a merger, of gleaming technology with raw, breath-borne brass.

It was a thrilling revelation: this wasn’t your grandfather’s jazz. This was jazz that had metabolized the future, proving the genre could speak the language of tomorrow without losing its essential voice. I will be back!

Meet Mia Arevalo

Mia is a Public Relations and Advertising student at USC who works with the Thornton School Of Music who has a passion music, creativity and storytelling. While still gaining experience, I’m eager to learn and grow in areas like brand strategy, digital content, and campaign development. I’m drawn to opportunities that challenge me to expand my skills and think creatively. Based in Los Angeles, I’m excited to contribute to innovative projects like Just Jazz Magazine across various industries while continuously evolving as a professional.

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