Josh Levi: One Year of Hydraulic
Blue Note Los Angeles1492 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles 90028
Josh Levi brings One Year of Hydraulic to Blue Note Los Angeles, a show billed under the name of his 2025 debut album. The listing identifies Levi alone and does not specify a backing lineup, guest performers, or the shape of the set, so the focus is squarely on his songs from the Hydraulic era. Expect a close look at the record that introduced his modern R&B and pop blend, including the Spotify Artists to Watch-highlighted “Birthday Dance.”
Houston-born and now based in Los Angeles, Levi is a singer-songwriter and actor whom Blue Note calls “one of R&B’s rising young voices.” GRAMMY.com describes Hydraulic as “a collection of 16 modern pop and R&B songs.” His work has paired him with collaborators including BEAM, FLO, MNEK, London on da Track, Normani, Brandy, Teezo Touchdown, and Kirko Bangz. He also voiced Aaron Z in Pixar’s Turning Red, whose “Nobody Like U” received a Grammy nomination. Writers have heard both new and familiar currents in his sound: EARMILK says he “brings a new R&B style,” while Pressed Music calls the album “Y2K-inspired R&B.” Shatter the Standards particularly notes his “silky tenor.”
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.