Tank and The Bangas
Blue Note Los Angeles1492 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles 90028
Tank and The Bangas are billed at Blue Note Los Angeles for an evening set led by vocalist and poet Tarriona “Tank” Ball. No special program, guest, release celebration, or support act is listed, so the focus is the band’s own genre-crossing songbook and stage approach. The group is described as a shapeshifting collective, with Ball and multi-instrumentalist Norman Spence II at its helm.
New Orleans-bred, Tank and The Bangas weave poetry and spoken word through R&B, soul, hip-hop, funk, jazz, and pop. They won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest unanimously in 2017 and have built a reputation for animated, audience-involving shows; NPR Music called them one of the “best live bands in America.” Their collaborators include Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, Questlove, Lalah Hathaway, Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia, CHIKA, Duckwrth, and PJ Morton. Atwood Magazine called their live sound “unforgettable, distinct, bright, positive, and soulful,” noting smooth movement between funk and jazz-blues, while NPR described Green Balloon as the work of “the indescribable New Orleans band” fulfilling its vision.
A small, dimly lit basement club tucked into a Hollywood corner, Blue Note Los Angeles is a dedicated jazz and live music space with a long-standing reputation for intimate, high-quality performances. The room is modest, with a few rows of seats facing a stage where the music is the focus. It's a place to listen, not to socialize, with the audience often quiet, absorbed in the musicians. Drinks are available, but the atmosphere is centered on the music. Shows are ticketed, with multiple sets each night, and the evening unfolds with a steady rhythm of live music, not casual conversation.