Jazz Jam on 2nd Street

2nd Street Jazz is an oft-overlooked little gem in Little Tokyo. Tucked away on the neighborhood's main drag, the cozy bar/lounge draws a mixed bag of post-sushi strollers and seasoned musicians to check out the nightly gigs.


And given the sign above the door, casual stoppers-by may be surprised to find the music calendar runs the genre gamut. You may walk into a night of live hip-hop, rock, soul or, of course, jazz on any given night.

But Tuesday is open jazz jam night, often home to a small community of USC music students eager to stretch their extracurricular chops. A trio of them christened the dimly lit stage tonight, with Richard Sears (piano), Kevin Hoffman (bass) and Ken Dakota (drums) vamping and improvising over a setlist of original compositions and straight-ahead jazz standards.



Things are relatively uneventful back at the bar area, where a small handful of listeners nursed the one-drink minimum. But it's early yet, and things will get busier as the night pushes on. It's worth checking out at happy hour for the drink specials and modest small plates menu.



Meanwhile, a few other musicians file in, and what appears to be a USC music community slowly forms at a couple tables by the stage. They order, um, Cokes and catch up on old times. Back on stage, drummer Ken Dakota closes out the trio's set with an edge.



Swing by the club when you need to unwind with a relaxed, inexpensive atmosphere and some top-notch musicianship.

Who knows, you may be lucky enough to catch Rufus Thomas, who will never, ever play here: