The Hot Club of Los Angeles
The Hot Club of Los Angeles
The Cinema BarSepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles 90066
The Hot Club of Los Angeles plays the Cinema Bar in Culver City. The bill names the ensemble only, without a current lineup or a specified set format, so the focus is on the group’s collective take on Django Reinhardt’s repertoire. The Cinema Bar is a family-owned Culver City bar that has hosted live bands for decades, with performances in its main room and music sometimes carrying onto the covered patio. It is a working bar as well as a music room, with conversation and drinks part of the setting.
The LA ensemble began in 2011, when local sidemen and recording musicians assembled to play Reinhardt’s music. Its approach is rooted in the Django tradition while drawing on swing, jazz, rock and roll, acoustic string music and improvisation. The group served as house band for the 2017 and 2018 Artists for Peace and Justice benefits curated by Jackson Browne. Its own description calls the band a “celebrated ‘nuevo Django’ ensemble.” An event page said its album Cinema Swing was “earning rave reviews,” while a 2024 interview reported that Nova reached the Top 50 jazz charts after earning great reviews, though the available material does not name those reviewers.
The Cinema Bar’s defining feature is its long-running place in Culver City’s music life: the family-owned bar has been serving drinks since 1947 and regularly hosts live bands. In the main room, acts play from a small corner stage beneath string lights and dark wood paneling, with barstools close by; the music can spill onto a covered patio. It’s a working bar as well as a show room, so expect drinks and conversation around the performance. The bar does not serve food, but visitors report bringing takeout from nearby spots. Recent listings describe live music with no cover, though check the night’s details before heading over. The venue’s website lists its address as 3967 Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, and current information supports that it remains open there.