NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/21) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 09/21/2017 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

NEW YORK CITY BALLET – SWAN LAKE (Sept. 19 to Oct. 1)
at the NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $35+
“The first two weeks of City Ballet’s fall season is devoted to the majestic avian classic of the ballet canon, “Swan Lake.” Several of the company’s top ballerinas offer their individual interpretations of the double-sided role of Odette and Odile. In Week One, look for Sara Mearns’s grandeur, Teresa Reichlen’s elegant reach, Ashley Bouder’s attack and Sterling Hyltin’s witty grace. Each will plumb the tragic depths of that white and black plumage in choreography by the company’s director, Peter Martins, that builds on 19th-century steps and later contributions by Balanchine.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>> Karen Akers: Time Flies
>>Silvio Solis
>>THE HEAD AND THE HEART
>> 3rd Annual Brooklyn Americana Music Festival
>>CHICK COREA AND STEVE GADD BAND
>> Eleanor Roosevelt: New Yorker
>>Rolex Central Park Horse Show
 ===========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Karen Akers: Time Flies (sept.21-23)
Beach Cafe 1326 Second Ave (@70th St.)/ 9:15PM, $10-$20
Statuesque contralto Akers once had a reputation as the epitome of the elegant, sophisticated nightclub chanteuse, a persona she spoofed in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo; more recently, however, the star of Broadway’s Nine and Grand Hotel has emphasized a melting streak of emotion. Here she hits the Beach Café with a collection of favorites from the repertoire she has cultivated during her four-decade career.” (TONY)

Silvio Solis
Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, but get there early for a seat.
“The national instrument of Paraguay, the harp has been integral to the country’s music since the 16th-century and Silvio Solis is one of the foremost torchbearers of this tradition. Performing on one of the instruments he built himself at his Jackson Heights apartment, Solis fills the Atrium with sparkling renditions of the guarania, polca, canción, and galopa traditions of his homeland. Solis will be accompanied by guitarist Dani Cortaza and the famed Paraguayan duo Los Maqueda.”

THE HEAD AND THE HEART
at Rumsey Playfield Central Park/ 6PM, $53
“This Seattle band excels at translating feelings of love and loneliness into soothing folk-rock. For its third album, “Signs of Light,” released one year ago, the Head and the Heart successfully broadened its sound to include elements of big-stage rock and pop. Around the same time, the singer Josiah Johnson, a central member, went on hiatus from the group for addiction-related reasons, which has added a bittersweet resonance to performances without him, like this Central Park date.” (NYT – SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)

Elsewhere, but this one looks worth the detour:
3rd Annual Brooklyn Americana Music Festival (sept.21-24)
“The 3rd Annual Brooklyn Americana Music Festival encompasses seven stages along the spectacular waterfront from Superfine in Dumbo to Sunny’s in Red Hook, with outdoor stages in The Archway under the Manhattan Bridge, and in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

With over sixty shows at seven locations, Brooklyn’s best play day time shows in The Archway Under the Manhattan Bridge (Friday and Saturday), & Brooklyn Bridge Park (Saturday and Sunday). The 3rd Annual event begins with an Opening Night Gala at Jalopy Theatre. The gala features special guest bands from the heartland: Tim Grimm Family Band (Indiana), Truckstop Honeymoon (Kansas), The Aching Hearts (Missouri), plus local Brooklyn based Annie Keating and Dumbo locals Everything Turned to Color.”

CHICK COREA AND STEVE GADD BAND (Sept. 19-23, 26-30)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30PM, $55-$85
“Mr. Corea, one of jazz’s most influential pianists and keyboardists, featured Mr. Gadd’s drumming on a few albums in the 1970s, including the classic fusion excursion “My Spanish Heart.” (Mr. Gadd was also in Mr. Corea’s storied band Return to Forever for a spell, though he never recorded with it.) The two have reunited sporadically in recent years, and here they’ll play a two-week run with the support of some fabulous sidemen: Steve Wilson on saxophone and flute, Lionel Loueke on guitar, Carlitos Del Puerto on bass and Luisito Quintero on percussion.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Eleanor Roosevelt: New Yorker
Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Bill Goldstein of Roosevelt House joins Blanche Wiesen Cook to discuss the final volume of the biographer’s trilogy on Eleanor Roosevelt, ​focusing on the legacy of her political activism in NYC.”

Rolex Central Park Horse Show  (sept.20-24)
Central Park, Wollman Rink / 6:30pm; $30–$250
“Central Park will be awash with silky manes and heavy horseshoes as a panoply of majestic horses jump, prance and strut toward eternal glory and big prizes in support of local and equestrian charities.” (TONY)

Continuing Events

Elsewhere, but this one is sure worth the detour:
Photoville  (sept. 21-24)
Brooklyn Bridge Park / 4pm; FREE
“Your insta is about to get meta. NYC hosts a bounty of beautiful photography exhibitions, but only Photoville can claim to be as pretty as the photographs it showcases. Held in and around giant shipping containers in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the massive celebration of pictures features more than 500 artists, 75 exhibitions, talks, screenings and a beer garden.” (TONY)

Not just Photos – Smorgasburg Beer Garden and food vendors return, alongside nighttime events and this is one gem of a park – no better view of the Manhattan skyline. I was there opening night, so worth your time.

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

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Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.”  (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here are two exhibitions that the NYT likes:

‘A Line Can Go Anywhere’

Through Oct. 14. James Cohan, 533 West 26th Street, Manhattan; 212-714-9500, jamescohan.com.

September usually brings a wealth of must-see solo exhibitions, and this year is no different. “A Line Can Go Anywhere,” at James Cohan, however, is a notable group show that shouldn’t be missed. This terrific exhibition, organized by Jenelle Porter, who curated the landmark “Fiber: Sculpture 1960-present” at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, in 2015, includes seven artists from the San Francisco Bay Area working in the fiber tradition.

Among the influential figures here are Trude Guermonprez (1910-1975), who trained at the Bauhaus and taught alongside Anni Albers at Black Mountain College, and Ed Rossbach (1914-2002), who came out of the California Funk Art tradition. Ms. Guermonprez is represented by elegant woven works, including two from her 1960s “Space Hanging” series. Mr. Rossbach’s wonky-shaped raffia baskets are joined by his “After Miro” (1970), which looks like an acid-colored spider web.

“The Cosmetic Affect of Darkness,” a 2017 work by Josh Faught.Phoebe d’Heurle/James Cohan Gallery, New York

Alexandra Jacopetti Hart and Kay Sekimachi, who studied with Ms. Guermonprez in the 1950s, represent a middle generation. Both work with grids: Ms. Hart’s “Nebulae” (1982) is a lovely jumble of pastel rectangles, and Ms. Sekimachi’s muted-linen squares hark back to the Bauhaus weaving tradition.

Terri Friedman, Josh Faught and Ruth Laskey are younger artists making the case for fiber art in the technology-saturated present. Ms. Friedman’s “YES” (2016) looks like a bright wool (electric pink and yellow-green), acrylic and cotton circuit board. Ms. Laskey’s handwoven panels resemble Ellsworth Kelly’s work or Sol LeWitt’s fragmented abstractions, and Mr. Faught’s virtuosic weavings include funny texts that reference new technology and social media — retorts, essentially, to contemporary criticism of fiber art.

Finally, Ben Van Meter’s 21-minute film “The Saga of Macramé Park” (1974) captures children playing on Ms. Hart’s countercultural playground, made of knotted fibers. The film is a reminder of the timeless, haptic allure of fiber art and its magical, near-mythical history in Northern California.” (MARTHA SCHWENDENER, NYT)

Carey Young

Through Oct. 14. Paula Cooper Gallery, 534 West 21st Street, Manhattan; 212-255-1105, paulacoopergallery.com.

“Brussels has drawn even with Berlin as Europe’s coolest city for contemporary art, but amid its new galleries and cheap studios are grand, gruesome reminders of Belgium’s 19th-century empire. None are more imposing than the Palais de Justice, or central courthouse, a ghastly mash-up of Baroque, classical and Assyrian motifs that sprawls over more than six acres of the capital’s heart. (“It wants to be as terrible as the Law, severe and sumptuously naked,” Verlaine wrote after seeing it.) It’s here that the British-American artist Carey Young shot her icy, thoughtful, technically accomplished new video, which takes a distinctly feminist view of jurisprudence.

In “Palais de Justice,” establishing shots of the monstrous courthouse precede long takes of female judges at work, which Ms. Young filmed without permission through the portholes of courtroom doors. Lawyers, defendants and witnesses appear only in partial view, blocked by walls or curtains, as the stern-faced magistrates, all middle-aged and wearing black robes with white neck bands, nod along or stare down petitioners. We never hear the pleas, only ghostly, ambient sounds from the giant courthouse’s halls, and the silent female judges appear unimpressed and unbending. (An associated series of depopulated photographs of the courthouse, bearing the Kafkaesque title “Before the Law,” doubles down on the video’s eeriness.)

“Palais de Justice” is projected here at massive scale, as domineering as the courthouse itself, and its view of gender and law is at once sensitive and bleak. You may briefly fantasize that Ms. Young has found some alternate Brussels where women are in charge. But more often, and more disturbingly, it feels like a juridical peep show, in which the criminal law appears as just a special case of a male-dominated society’s pitiless daily judgments.” (JASON FARAGO-NYT)

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try the NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 09/11 and 09/13.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/20) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 09/20/2017 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Avishai Cohen Quartet
at Le Poisson Rouge /10:30PM, $20-$25
“As performed by the likes of Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Kenny Wheeler, the jazz trumpet has been developed as a force of healing and calm. No other player in 2017 understands this centering aspect of the instrument quite like the Israeli-born Avishai Cohen, whose second LP for ECM, Cross My Palm With Silver, is as meditative a journey into music as you’re likely to embark upon this year. The five-song compendium reaches a highlight in “Theme for Jimmy Greene,” a touching tribute to the saxophone great whose strength and grace through an unspeakable tragedy makes him a true lion in this life. Cohen will be wrapping up his September tour at the former Village Gate, flanked by his touring quartet featuring Gadi Lehavi on piano, drummer Marcus Gilmore, and Barak Mori on bass — a distinctive combo who give their own intuitive stamp on the material presented across both Silver and Cohen’s ECM debut Into the Silence. One cannot imagine a finer pleasure in Manhattan during the Fall Equinox than experiencing the soothing brass of this un- paralleled modern master of the horn.” (Ron Hart, Village Voice)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>> TWYLA THARP DANCE
>>BARRY HARRIS TRIO
>>Maria Friedman: Lenny & Steve
>>CHICK COREA AND STEVE GADD BAND
>>Rolex Central Park Horse Show
>>Interviews: The Latest Book by Alain Elkann | With Diane Von Furstenberg and John Micklethwait
 ===========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

TWYLA THARP DANCE (Sept. 19 to Oct. 8)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM, $76+
“Dance’s Renaissance woman, Twyla Tharp, camps out at the Joyce for three weeks this fall, packing an eclectic collection of old and new works. “The Fugue,” the 1970 work that put her on the dance map, is inspired by Bach’s complex rhythms. But in lieu of his music, we get the dancer’s amplified stomps instead. In “The Raggedy Dances,” from 1972, she mashes up Scott Joplin and Mozart with her own unique blend of rigorous frolicking. Fast forward to now and Ms. Tharp introduces “Dylan Love Songs,” her return to the music of Bob Dylan more than a decade after wrestling with his oeuvre in a short-lived Broadway musical.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

BARRY HARRIS TRIO (Sept. 19-24)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30PM, $30
“Uninhibited but serious, loose-limbed but nimble, Mr. Harris came to New York in the early 1960s as part of bebop’s second generation. Now he’s one of the last remaining patriarchs of a musical movement that began as an assault on sacred cows and became a canonical form. Mr. Harris, 87, appears with a trio featuring the bassist Ray Drummond and the drummer Leroy Williams, his most consistent associate.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Maria Friedman: Lenny & Steve (Sept 19-23)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $60
West End star Friedman, who has won three Olivier Awards, applies her excellent interpretive taste to songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (or, in the case of West Side Story, both).” (TONY)

CHICK COREA AND STEVE GADD BAND (Sept. 19-23, 26-30)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30PM, $55-$85
“Mr. Corea, one of jazz’s most influential pianists and keyboardists, featured Mr. Gadd’s drumming on a few albums in the 1970s, including the classic fusion excursion “My Spanish Heart.” (Mr. Gadd was also in Mr. Corea’s storied band Return to Forever for a spell, though he never recorded with it.) The two have reunited sporadically in recent years, and here they’ll play a two-week run with the support of some fabulous sidemen: Steve Wilson on saxophone and flute, Lionel Loueke on guitar, Carlitos Del Puerto on bass and Luisito Quintero on percussion.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Rolex Central Park Horse Show  (sept.20-24)
Central Park, Wollman Rink / 6:30pm; $30–$250
“Central Park will be awash with silky manes and heavy horseshoes as a panoply of majestic horses jump, prance and strut toward eternal glory and big prizes in support of local and equestrian charities.” (TONY)

Interviews: The Latest Book by Alain Elkann | With Diane Von Furstenberg and John Micklethwait
Italian Cultural Institute, 686 Park Ave./ 6PM, FREE
“La Stampa columnist Alain Elkann discusses his new book, a compendium of his famous interviews, with Diane von Furstenberg and Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. A book signing follows. Italian Cultural Institute.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Continuing Events

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

————————————————————————————————-

Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.”  (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 50th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
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Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/19) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 09/19/2017 by

Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

CHICK COREA AND STEVE GADD BAND (Sept. 19-23, 26-30)
at the Blue Note / 8 and 10:30PM, $55-$85
“Mr. Corea, one of jazz’s most influential pianists and keyboardists, featured Mr. Gadd’s drumming on a few albums in the 1970s, including the classic fusion excursion “My Spanish Heart.” (Mr. Gadd was also in Mr. Corea’s storied band Return to Forever for a spell, though he never recorded with it.) The two have reunited sporadically in recent years, and here they’ll play a two-week run with the support of some fabulous sidemen: Steve Wilson on saxophone and flute, Lionel Loueke on guitar, Carlitos Del Puerto on bass and Luisito Quintero on percussion.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>>BARRY HARRIS TRIO
>>Maria Friedman: Lenny & Steve
>> NEW YORK CITY BALLET
>>Alison Krauss, David Gray
>>Taste Of The Village
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

BARRY HARRIS TRIO (Sept. 19-24)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30PM, $30
“Uninhibited but serious, loose-limbed but nimble, Mr. Harris came to New York in the early 1960s as part of bebop’s second generation. Now he’s one of the last remaining patriarchs of a musical movement that began as an assault on sacred cows and became a canonical form. Mr. Harris, 87, appears with a trio featuring the bassist Ray Drummond and the drummer Leroy Williams, his most consistent associate.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Maria Friedman: Lenny & Steve (Sept 19-23)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $60
West End star Friedman, who has won three Olivier Awards, applies her excellent interpretive taste to songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (or, in the case of West Side Story, both).” (TONY)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (Sept. 19 to Oct. 1)
at the NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $35+
“The first two weeks of City Ballet’s fall season is devoted to the majestic avian classic of the ballet canon, “Swan Lake.” Several of the company’s top ballerinas offer their individual interpretations of the double-sided role of Odette and Odile. In Week One, look for Sara Mearns’s grandeur, Teresa Reichlen’s elegant reach, Ashley Bouder’s attack and Sterling Hyltin’s witty grace. Each will plumb the tragic depths of that white and black plumage in choreography by the company’s director, Peter Martins, that builds on 19th-century steps and later contributions by Balanchine.” (NYT-BRIAN SCHAEFER)

Alison Krauss, David Gray
@ Radio City Music Hall / 8PM, $75+
“Bluegrass and country vet Alison Krauss and folk rock star David Gray don’t seem like artists you’d find on tour together but here we are.”

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Taste Of The Village,
Washington Square Park / 6:30-8:00PM, $55
“Taste your way through New York City’s top restaurants in one of its most picturesque landmarks, as The 15th Annual Taste of the Village returns to the Arch at Washington Square Park this week. Grab your $55 pulsd exclusive ticket to an evening of unrivaled food, drink and fun as some of Greenwich Village’s most famous restaurants all come together under one… arch. You’ll be chowing down on the Chicken Toscano by Rosemary’s, the Bronx Grape Salad (toasted hazelnuts, goat cheese) by Spotted Pig, the Caviar Pie by Knickerbocker and so many more delicious dishes. Pair your delicious foods with a selection of wines from City Winery, premium sake by Joto Sake, and beer by Bronx Brewery & Sixpoint. From the spray of the Fountain to performances by Park musicians, the 15th Annual Taste of the Village promises to be a fun and flavorful evening under the stars.”

Continuing Events

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

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Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.”  (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

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Bonus NYC events– Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of the City of New York
NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

Guggenheim Museum
‘MYSTICAL SYMBOLISM: THE SALON DE LA ROSE+CROIX IN PARIS, 1892-1897’ (through Oct. 4). This brilliantly tasteless exhibition, complete with carmine walls and blue velvet settees, plunges viewers into a spiritualist — and, let’s say it, tawdry — Parisian collective of the last decade of the 19th century. Around the time Cézanne and van Gogh were down in Provence analyzing apples and mountains, the artists of the Salon de la Rose+Croix painted lovesick Orpheuses, busty femmes fatales and virginal shepherdesses, all in the service of the salon’s dubious mystic founder, Joséphin Péladan, an author with a taste for high drama and white robes. Most of the artists here are little exhibited today. Much of their work is sordid; some is simply gross. But it’s all weirdly compelling, and a reminder of the hunger even we alleged moderns still nurse for worlds beyond this one. (Jason Farago-NYT)

and you should be sure to check out the special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish)

at the very least you will want to see these three:

‘CRISTÓBAL DE VILLALPANDO: MEXICAN PAINTER OF THE BAROQUE’  (through Oct. 15). “In 1683, the leading painter of colonial Mexico painted a stupefying altarpiece for the cathedral of Puebla: a 26-foot showstopper that merged a radiant vision of Jesus’ transfiguration into light with a grimmer narrative of Israelites attacked by snakes. Now, for the first time ever, Villalpando’s altarpiece has left Mexico and stands alone in the Robert Lehman Collection wing of the Met, where you could spend days gaping at its churning collision of saints and mortals, and puzzling over the strange confluence of Old and New Testament visions. Compared with Baroque painting in Italy or Flanders, the Mexican version was lighter and less rigid, making use of bright color and free ornamentation. Ten other paintings by Villalpando, all but one lent from Mexican collections, round out the presentation, but it’s the altarpiece that matters, and it’s here for your veneration into the fall.” (NYT-Farago) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

‘TALKING PICTURES: CAMERA-PHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN ARTISTS’  (through Dec. 17). “One of the wisest, savviest museum exhibitions of the summer may not have much actual art in it, but it circles the subject like a satellite around a planet. Using prints, slide shows, books and iPads, it presents image-only camera-phone exchanges between 12 pairs of artists and is full of flashes of wit, poetry, even genius. Observers will find occasional momentous events, both personal and presidential.” (NYT – Roberta Smith) 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

‘JAPANESE BAMBOO ART: THE ABBEY COLLECTION’  (through Feb. 4). “This fabulous show celebrates Diane and Arthur Abbey’s gift of some 70 bamboo baskets and sculptures, which nearly doubles the Met’s already outstanding holdings in this genre and brings them into the 20th and 21st centuries. The curator has embedded this trove within what is essentially a second exhibition that traces bamboo’s presence through folding screens, ink paintings, porcelain, netsuke, kimonos and more.” (NYT-Roberta Smith)
212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

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Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 09/17 and 09/15.
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 09/18/2017 by

Today’s Sweet 6 NYC Events > MONDAY/ SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Jessica Molaskey: Portraits of Joni
Birdland / 7PM, $30
“Jessica Molaskey, who sings with gentle sophistication and sterling taste, celebrates the release of her latest album by paging through the songbook of Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Expect a few rarities along with folkish anthems like “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Both Sides Now,” backed by a trio led by Molaskey’s talented hubby, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli.” (TONY)

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5 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>>Steven Brinberg: Simply Barbra’s Broadway
>>Christine Ebersole: After the Ball
>> SLOW DANCER
>>Frontiers Lecture: Why? What Makes Us Curious with Mario Livio
>>“Passing Time”: A Conversation Between Andrea Köhler and Mark Lilla
 ===========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Steven Brinberg: Simply Barbra’s Broadway
Don’t Tell Mama / 7PM, $28
“Steven Brinberg masters not just Barbra Streisand’s mannerisms but her manner entire—the mixture of soft-spoken entitlement and awkward preening that typifies this funny girl turned self-serious artiste. And Brinberg’s pseudo soprano is the next best thing to Streisand herself; he has a voice like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.” (TONY)

Christine Ebersole: After the Ball
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W 54thSt. / 7PM, $95+
“Broadway leading lady Ebersole (Grey Gardens) can really land a joke and knock out a number, moving with ease between her lustrous belt, her mock-operatic soprano and multiple other modes. On select Monday nights this fall, she spends her night off from the musical War Paint, in which she plays makeup titan Elizabeth Arden, to share standards at Feinstein’s/54 Below.” (TONY)

SLOW DANCER
at Mercury Lounge / 6:30PM, $15
“True to his chosen stage name, the Australian singer-songwriter Simon Okely makes music that often feels fit for a romantic spin around the room at a late-night wedding party. On his releases as Slow Dancer, including the excellent “In a Mood,” from this year, Mr. Okely draws on pop, soul and soft-rock traditions to offer a warm, inviting sound that’s all his own. The tender indie-rock act Petal, from Scranton, Pa., opens.” (NYT-SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Frontiers Lecture: Why? What Makes Us Curious with Mario Livio
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West, enter at 81st St./ 7:30PM, $15
“Mario Livio holding a translucent globe mapping the constellations
The ability to ask “Why?” is uniquely human. Curiosity drives basic scientific research, powers the creativity in disciplines from the arts to technology, and is a necessary ingredient in every form of storytelling. Astrophysicist and bestselling author Mario Livio describes cutting-edge research about the origins and mechanisms of human curiosity.
A book signing will follow.”

“Passing Time”: A Conversation Between Andrea Köhler and Mark Lilla
Deutsches Haus at NYU, 42 Washington Mews / 6:30PM, FREE
“More than three-fourths of Americans own smartphones. It seems most of them/us have ceded our downtime along with them. Whither waiting? Author Andrea Köhler discusses her new book, Passing Time: An Essay on Waiting, which looks at the marking of time across life spans. Columbia professor Mark Lilla (The Shipwrecked Mind: On Political Reaction) joins her at Deutsches Haus at NYU.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Continuing Events

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

————————————————————————————————-

Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.” (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

======================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.
See Below.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
=================================================================================

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

maxresdefaultEach night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines,  but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
========================================================
NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Fall 2017).
◊ Order before Nov. 30, 2017 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/17) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 09/17/2017 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Worlds Fair Nano
Brooklyn Expo Center / 10AM, $55+
EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE!
“Join us for a whirlwind two-day festival filled with mind-blowing technology, futurist talks, interactive art, live music, food, and more. At Worlds Fair Nano, we believe the future should be fun.”

“What do the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, and broadcast television all have in common? They were each introduced at one of the annual World’s Fairs, which have been in existence since 1851. However, because North America hasn’t seen a World’s Fair since 1986, many people on the continent may think the event is a thing of the past. The organizers of Worlds Fair Nano want to bring the spirit of the fair back to the United States, and have attempted to do so with a jam-packed weekend — speakers, interactive art, technology demonstrations, food — that will provide visitors a glimpse of the future. The two-day event in Greenpoint will feature voices including Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Wearable Experiments CEO Billie Whitehouse, and the socially adept robot BINA48. At the “Technology Playground,” you’ll be able to learn about prosthetics, home brewing, smart agriculture, sex toys, and many Virtual Reality devices. Of course, no fair is complete without delicious snacks; here, you can feast on innovative foods like plant-based burgers and Soylent products, as well as more traditional fair fare like Dippin’ Dots and food-truck offerings.” (Amelia Rina, Village voice)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>>Nico Muhly and the Countertenor
>>Bill Charlap Trio
>>ANTONIO SANCHEZ GROUP
>>“Jubilation!”: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley
>>Affordable Art Fair
>>Brooklyn Book Festival
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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Nico Muhly and the Countertenor
Guggenheim, 7:30PM, $40
“Nico Muhly is the classical muse of the indie world. Over the past decade, he’s collaborated with musicians from Sufjan Stevens to Anohni. Muhly’s gift lies in his flexible yet focused style of composition, which brings his unique touch to every project he works on. For this show at the Guggenheim, Muhly will perform pieces from a new commission based on an interpretation of the oldest song in the world. As with all his other projects, the results should be both unexpected and wonderful.” (Sophie Weiner, Village Voice)

Bill Charlap Trio (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard / 8:30PM, 10:30PM, $30
“This year marks the twentieth anniversary of pianist Bill Charlap’s acclaimed trio, rounded out by Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums, who since 1997 have been keeping the flame of Ellingtonian elegance eternally lit on the New York City jazz scene. The combo’s excellent new album, Uptown Downtown, is a continued love letter to Charlap’s hometown metropolis, following up on last year’s Notes From New York with another collection of quaint and compelling versions of favorite compositions from both Broadway’s theater district and Lower Manhattan’s nightclub circuit. For the first two weeks of September, the Charlap Trio will be celebrating the record’s release at the hallowed Village Vanguard, giving these classic tunes from the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Richard Rodgers, Jim Hall, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Duke himself a fresh breath of 21st-century air. As the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, Charlap certainly knows the importance of jazz music on young minds, and this lengthy residence is a perfect opportunity for students to experience an education on the art in real-time.” (Ron Hart, Village Voice)

ANTONIO SANCHEZ GROUP (LAST DAY)
at Jazz Standard / 9:30PM, $30 (7:30PM sold out)
“Later this month, Mr. Sanchez will release “Bad Hombre,” an album of liquid electronics and ebullient drumming; it refers equally to post-rock and ambient techno experimentalism. When he gets going, Mr. Sanchez’s drumming is an emulsion of low surge and high patter, distinctive enough that you might be able to recognize it from the “Birdman” film score, which he recorded. Both that soundtrack and his new album are solo affairs, but for this engagement he will play two sets each night with a quartet: Chris Potter and Donny McCaslin — two of today’s great tenor saxophonists — plus the bassist Matt Brewer.”(NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

“Jubilation!”: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley (LAST DAY)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7. 9, 10:30PM, $38
“There’s never been a more joyful and spirited alto saxophonist than the late, great Julian (Cannonball) Adderley, and it’s looking like there never will be. Honoring this musical giant and the compelling soul-bop bands he co-led with his cornet-playing brother, Nat, will be an ensemble of Adderley aficionados, including the saxophonist Jim Snidero, the trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, and, as special guest, the acclaimed drummer Al Foster.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Affordable Art Fair (LAST DAY)
Metropolitan Pavilion / 11AM-6PM, $20; Friday is FREE 6-8PM
“The price-conscious art fair returns for its 24th edition in NYC. For an $18 advance ticket, you can shop original paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures from 67 local, national and international galleries. With price tags ranging from $100 to $10,000, you can fix up your apartment without breaking the bank.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Brooklyn Book Festival
various times and locations, prices vary
“Literary enthusiasts of all ages — rejoice! The Brooklyn Book Festival is back with another year of events commemorating all things book-related. Over three hundred authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Monica de la Torre, and Karl Ove Knausgaard, will present events at various locations throughout the boroughs on such multifarious topics as “I’m Gonna Live Forever: Fame and Its Discontents,” “Big Data and You,” and “Poets at Play and Work.” The Literary Market’s two hundred booksellers, meanwhile, provide the perfect impetus to clear out your summer reads and make space for the stockpile of titles you’ll need to get through the fall and winter. Young readers can find inspiration at the Children’s Day events (September 16), which feature programs like a rap-writing workshop with What is Hip-Hop? author Eric Morse and a STEM seminar presented by NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. The festival also features a special presentation by Patti Smith in the St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church, coinciding with the release of her new book, Devotion. (Amelia Rina, Village Voice)

Continuing Events

Elsewhere, but this one is sure worth the detour:
Photoville  (sept. 13-17; 21-24)
Brooklyn Bridge Park / 4pm; FREE
“Your insta is about to get meta. NYC hosts a bounty of beautiful photography exhibitions, but only Photoville can claim to be as pretty as the photographs it showcases. Held in and around giant shipping containers in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the massive celebration of pictures features more than 500 artists, 75 exhibitions, talks, screenings and a beer garden.” (TONY)

Not just Photos – Smorgasburg Beer Garden and food vendors return, alongside nighttime events and this is one gem of a park – no better view of the Manhattan skyline. I was there opening night, so worth your time.

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

————————————————————————————————-

Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.” (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

===============================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Whitney Museum of American Art:

Calder: Hypermobility (thru Oct 23)
“focuses on the extraordinary breadth of movement and sound in the work of Alexander Calder. This exhibition brings together a rich constellation of key sculptures and provides a rare opportunity to experience the works as the artist intended—in motion. Regular activations will occur in the galleries, revealing the inherent kinetic nature of Calder’s work, as well as its relationship to performance. Influenced in part by the artist’s fascination and engagement with choreography, Calder’s sculptures contain an embedded performativity that is reflected in their idiosyncratic motions and the perceptual responses they provoke.”

Museum of Modern Art:

‘ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG: AMONG FRIENDS’ (LAST DAY)

“This retrospective of one of America’s great artists includes more than 250 paintings, sculptures, drawings, sound and video recordings, prints and photographs created over the course of a six­decade career. Rauschenberg sometimes worked with artists, dancers, musicians and writers (including John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Yvonne Rainer and Jasper Johns), and the exhibition will be supplemented by dance and performance.” ( STAV ZIV-Newsday)

A special pat on the back to MOMA, who is now displaying art from the seven countries affected by Trump’s travel ban.

“Trump’s ban against refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations has sparked acts of defiance in NYC, from demonstrations across town, to striking taxicab drivers at JFK to Middle Eastern bodega owners closing their shops in protest. Recently, the Museum Of Modern added its two cents by bringing out artworks it owns from the affected countries, and hanging them prominently within the galleries usually reserved for 19th- and 20th-century artworks from Europe and the United States. Paintings by Picasso and Matisse, for example, were removed to make way for pieces by Tala Madani (from Iran), Ibrahim El-Salahi (from Sudan) and architect Zaha Hadid (from Iraq). The rehanging, which was unannounced, aims to create a symbolic welcome that repudiates Trump by creating a visual dialog between the newly added works and the more familiar objects from MoMA’s permanent collection.” (TONY)

American Museum of Natural History:

Mummies (thru 1/7/18)
“For thousands of years, peoples around the world practiced mummification as a way of preserving and honoring their dead. Mummies brings you face to face with some of these ancient individuals and reveals how scientists are using modern technology to glean stunning details about them and their cultures. In Mummies, ancient remains from the Nile Valley of Africa and the Andes Mountains of South America will be on view, allowing visitors to connect with cultures from the distant past. Mummification, a more widespread practice than most think, was used not only for royal Egyptians but also for common people and even animals. Interactive touch tables let visitors virtually “unravel” or see inside mummies as they delve deep into the unique stories of the people or animals who lie within. Other parts of the exhibition showcase the latest isotopic and DNA testing being performed on mummies, and explain how these sophisticated analytical techniques are helping scientists discover important clues about long-vanished practices. Mummies was developed by The Field Museum, Chicago.”(NYCity Guide)

==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 09/15 and 09/13.
============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 09/16/2017 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

EDDIE PALMIERI SALSA ORCHESTRA AND THE DEL CARIBE LATIN JAZZ ALL-STARS
at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts / 7:30PM, $50-$65
“A legend of salsa and Latin jazz-rock fusion, Mr. Palmieri 80, has never let up on his dissonant, endlessly mercurial improvisation style; this large band, which plays a relatively traditional brand of New York Latin dance music, matches his fire while keeping things fluid enough for dancers. (At the Lehman Center, you’ll have to shake a leg in the aisles.) Also on the bill are the Del Caribe Latin Jazz All-Stars, featuring the pianist Emilio Morales, the tres guitarist Nelson González and percussionist Johnny Rodriguez, known as Dandy. Giovanni Hidalgo will appear with the All-Stars as a special guest.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

==========================================================

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>>Bill Charlap Trio
>>ANTONIO SANCHEZ GROUP
>>“Jubilation!”: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley
>>Lindsay Mendez
>>Affordable Art Fair
>>Brooklyn Book Festival
 ===========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Bill Charlap Trio (sept 12-17)
Village Vanguard / 8:30PM, 10:30PM, $30
“This year marks the twentieth anniversary of pianist Bill Charlap’s acclaimed trio, rounded out by Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums, who since 1997 have been keeping the flame of Ellingtonian elegance eternally lit on the New York City jazz scene. The combo’s excellent new album, Uptown Downtown, is a continued love letter to Charlap’s hometown metropolis, following up on last year’s Notes From New York with another collection of quaint and compelling versions of favorite compositions from both Broadway’s theater district and Lower Manhattan’s nightclub circuit. For the first two weeks of September, the Charlap Trio will be celebrating the record’s release at the hallowed Village Vanguard, giving these classic tunes from the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Richard Rodgers, Jim Hall, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Duke himself a fresh breath of 21st-century air. As the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, Charlap certainly knows the importance of jazz music on young minds, and this lengthy residence is a perfect opportunity for students to experience an education on the art in real-time.” (Ron Hart, Village Voice)

ANTONIO SANCHEZ GROUP (Sept. 15-17)
at Jazz Standard / 9:30PM, $30 (7:30PM sold out)
“Later this month, Mr. Sanchez will release “Bad Hombre,” an album of liquid electronics and ebullient drumming; it refers equally to post-rock and ambient techno experimentalism. When he gets going, Mr. Sanchez’s drumming is an emulsion of low surge and high patter, distinctive enough that you might be able to recognize it from the “Birdman” film score, which he recorded. Both that soundtrack and his new album are solo affairs, but for this engagement he will play two sets each night with a quartet: Chris Potter and Donny McCaslin — two of today’s great tenor saxophonists — plus the bassist Matt Brewer.”(NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

“Jubilation!”: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley (Sept. 15-17)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7. 9, 10:30PM, $38
“There’s never been a more joyful and spirited alto saxophonist than the late, great Julian (Cannonball) Adderley, and it’s looking like there never will be. Honoring this musical giant and the compelling soul-bop bands he co-led with his cornet-playing brother, Nat, will be an ensemble of Adderley aficionados, including the saxophonist Jim Snidero, the trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, and, as special guest, the acclaimed drummer Al Foster.” (NewYorker)

Lindsay Mendez (sept 14-16)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $40
“The lovable and super-voiced Mendez has won audiences’ hearts in shows including Wicked, Dogfight, Godspell and last season’s Significant Other. In this nightclub set, her selections include classic show tunes as well as collaborations with contemporary musical-theater songwriters.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Affordable Art Fair (sept. 13-17)
Metropolitan Pavilion / 11AM-6PM, $20; Friday is FREE 6-8PM
“The price-conscious art fair returns for its 24th edition in NYC. For an $18 advance ticket, you can shop original paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures from 67 local, national and international galleries. With price tags ranging from $100 to $10,000, you can fix up your apartment without breaking the bank.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Brooklyn Book Festival
various times and locations, prices vary
“Literary enthusiasts of all ages — rejoice! The Brooklyn Book Festival is back with another year of events commemorating all things book-related. Over three hundred authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Monica de la Torre, and Karl Ove Knausgaard, will present events at various locations throughout the boroughs on such multifarious topics as “I’m Gonna Live Forever: Fame and Its Discontents,” “Big Data and You,” and “Poets at Play and Work.” The Literary Market’s two hundred booksellers, meanwhile, provide the perfect impetus to clear out your summer reads and make space for the stockpile of titles you’ll need to get through the fall and winter. Young readers can find inspiration at the Children’s Day events (September 16), which feature programs like a rap-writing workshop with What is Hip-Hop? author Eric Morse and a STEM seminar presented by NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. The festival also features a special presentation by Patti Smith in the St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church, coinciding with the release of her new book, Devotion. (Amelia Rina, Village Voice)

Continuing Events

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

Elsewhere, but this one is sure worth the detour:
Photoville  (sept. 13-17; 21-24)
Brooklyn Bridge Park / 4pm; FREE
“Your insta is about to get meta. NYC hosts a bounty of beautiful photography exhibitions, but only Photoville can claim to be as pretty as the photographs it showcases. Held in and around giant shipping containers in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the massive celebration of pictures features more than 500 artists, 75 exhibitions, talks, screenings and a beer garden.” (TONY)

Not just Photos – Smorgasburg Beer Garden and food vendors return, alongside nighttime events and this is one gem of a park – no better view of the Manhattan skyline. I was there opening night, so worth your time.

————————————————————————————————-

Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.” (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

==========================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=============================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” closed Jan.15)

lThose in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
=====================================================
Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.
Update#2: Rumor that “Tiny” is back playing only on Friday nights – need to check it out.

==============================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (09/15) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 09/15/2017 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events better check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-September”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all through the month.

===========================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Maxine Linehan: One—The Songs of U2 (also Oct.13)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 9:30PM, $35
“Already considered the premiere interpreter of the U2 songbook, concert and recording artist Maxine Linehan breaks new ground with a unique, lyrically driven orchestral show devoted to the work of this world-famous band. The extraordinary songs written by Bono and U2 find a new voice in a concert that holds to the beautiful melodic lines of the songs, while bringing the lyrics forward into a fresh light. Accompanied by piano, cello, violin, bass, and drums, Linehan will continue her mission of providing audiences with the unexpected experience of hearing U2’s famous songs as if for the first time — while always being true to the heart and soul of each time-honored hit.”(TONY)

==========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)

>>ANTONIO SANCHEZ GROUP
>>“Jubilation!”: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley
>>Joe Battaglia and the New York Big Band
>>Lindsay Mendez
>>Bill Charlap Trio 
>>Affordable Art Fair
>>Jane Campion’s Own Stories
 ===========================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

ANTONIO SANCHEZ GROUP (Sept. 15-17)
at Jazz Standard / 9:30PM, $30 (7:30PM sold out)
“Later this month, Mr. Sanchez will release “Bad Hombre,” an album of liquid electronics and ebullient drumming; it refers equally to post-rock and ambient techno experimentalism. When he gets going, Mr. Sanchez’s drumming is an emulsion of low surge and high patter, distinctive enough that you might be able to recognize it from the “Birdman” film score, which he recorded. Both that soundtrack and his new album are solo affairs, but for this engagement he will play two sets each night with a quartet: Chris Potter and Donny McCaslin — two of today’s great tenor saxophonists — plus the bassist Matt Brewer.”(NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

“Jubilation!”: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley (Sept. 15-17)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Sts./ 7. 9, 10:30PM, $38
“There’s never been a more joyful and spirited alto saxophonist than the late, great Julian (Cannonball) Adderley, and it’s looking like there never will be. Honoring this musical giant and the compelling soul-bop bands he co-led with his cornet-playing brother, Nat, will be an ensemble of Adderley aficionados, including the saxophonist Jim Snidero, the trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, and, as special guest, the acclaimed drummer Al Foster.” (NewYorker)

Joe Battaglia and the New York Big Band
Edison Ballroom / 7:30PM, $100 (includes dinner and open bar)
“The expansive Art Deco grandeur of the Edison Ballroom is the scene of this highly retro evening of dinner and swing music, courtesy of Battaglia and his brassy 16-piece crew. If you’re looking for a time-capsule New York dance hall experience, this is where to find it.” (TONY)

Lindsay Mendez (sept 14-16)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $40
“The lovable and super-voiced Mendez has won audiences’ hearts in shows including Wicked, Dogfight, Godspell and last season’s Significant Other. In this nightclub set, her selections include classic show tunes as well as collaborations with contemporary musical-theater songwriters.” (TONY)

Bill Charlap Trio (sept 12-17)
Village Vanguard / 8:30PM, 10:30PM, $30
“This year marks the twentieth anniversary of pianist Bill Charlap’s acclaimed trio, rounded out by Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums, who since 1997 have been keeping the flame of Ellingtonian elegance eternally lit on the New York City jazz scene. The combo’s excellent new album, Uptown Downtown, is a continued love letter to Charlap’s hometown metropolis, following up on last year’s Notes From New York with another collection of quaint and compelling versions of favorite compositions from both Broadway’s theater district and Lower Manhattan’s nightclub circuit. For the first two weeks of September, the Charlap Trio will be celebrating the record’s release at the hallowed Village Vanguard, giving these classic tunes from the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Richard Rodgers, Jim Hall, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Duke himself a fresh breath of 21st-century air. As the Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, Charlap certainly knows the importance of jazz music on young minds, and this lengthy residence is a perfect opportunity for students to experience an education on the art in real-time.” (Ron Hart, Village Voice)

AUNTS (think it’s too late, this looks sold out, but it sure looked interesting)
NYU Skirball Center, 7:30PM, FREE WITH RSVP
“Launching the first season curated by the Skirball’s new director, Jay Wegman, who recently moved over from the Abrons Arts Center, is a free performance party — a/k/a an “immersive underground dance event” — organized by some of downtown’s most ambitious experimenters: Laurie Berg, Liliana Dirks- Goodman, Ali Rosa-Salas, and Ash R.T. Yergens. They’ll set you loose in the hallways, lobby, backstage, and dressing rooms of the Skirball, where you’ll encounter performances by a crew that includes Alexandra Tatarsky, Christine Elmo, Nia Love, the Freedom Dabka Group, Lime Rickey International, and others; anything can happen, and probably will.” (Elizabeth Zimmer, Village Voice)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Affordable Art Fair (sept. 13-17)
Metropolitan Pavilion / 11AM-6PM, $20; Friday is FREE 6-8PM
“The price-conscious art fair returns for its 24th edition in NYC. For an $18 advance ticket, you can shop original paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures from 67 local, national and international galleries. With price tags ranging from $100 to $10,000, you can fix up your apartment without breaking the bank.” (TONY)

Jane Campion’s Own Stories   (sept 08-17)
FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
various times, FREE–$14
“Since her first feature, the peculiar family drama Sweetie (1989), Jane Campion has been one of the defining feminist voices of world cinema. Her work is imbued with a radically female sensibility that challenges viewers to reconsider their presumptive views of both society’s ills and the possibilities of film form. This month, the Film Society of Lincoln Center celebrates Campion with a retrospective timed around the U.S. premiere of the second season of her acclaimed crime show, Top of the Lake. The series spans her entire career, from her earliest short films to her most recent feature, the underrated Bright Star (2009). Other highlights include an adaptation of Henry James’s classic novel The Portrait of a Lady (1996), starring Nicole Kidman, and The Piano (1993), which remains the only film directed by a woman to have won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The first season of Top of the Lake (2013) will be shown in its entirety for free, and Campion will participate in a public conversation on the retro’s opening night.” (Morgan Leigh Davies, VillageVoice)

Continuing Events

Elsewhere, but this one is sure worth the detour:
Photoville  (sept. 13-17; 21-24)
Brooklyn Bridge Park / 4pm; FREE
“Your insta is about to get meta. NYC hosts a bounty of beautiful photography exhibitions, but only Photoville can claim to be as pretty as the photographs it showcases. Held in and around giant shipping containers in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the massive celebration of pictures features more than 500 artists, 75 exhibitions, talks, screenings and a beer garden.” (TONY)

Not just Photos – Smorgasburg Beer Garden and food vendors return, alongside nighttime events and this is one gem of a park – no better view of the Manhattan skyline. I was there last night, so worth your time.

Feast of San Gennaro  (sept. 14-24)
“Little Italy welcomes all New Yorkers to join The 91st Annual Feast of San Gennaro, which commences on September 14th, bringing 11 days of festivities to the neighborhood. The feast keeps the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants alive and celebrates the annual Salute to the Patron Saint of Naples. There will be colorful parades, free musical entertainment every day, a wide variety of ethnic food delicacies, charming restaurants and cafes and even a world-famous cannoli-eating competition!”(untapped cities)

EXHIBIT ‘TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF NEW YORKERS: THE CROTON AQUEDUCT AT 175’   (thru Dec 31)
“Many New Yorkers today take for granted the appearance of clean water in the city’s taps. This exhibit focuses on the history of the Croton Aqueduct, an engineering feat that brought fresh water from the Croton River upstate to fountains in the middle of the city when it was completed in the 1840s.” (STAV ZIV, Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Opens Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
INFO $18; 212­534­1672, mcny.org.

Learn all about the High Bridge, which carried the Croton Aqueduct across the Harlem River. This magnificent civic structure was modeled on the old Roman Aqueduct bridges, and is New York City’s oldest and best bridge. I know, because I lived nearby in the far west Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge, and have strolled across it many times.

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Madison Square Eats  (thru sept 29)
Worth Square, 11AM, FREE
“The fall version of this twice-a-year event from UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy runs daily from September 2–29, and it’s your chance to try food from two dozen vendors who converge on the park from all corners of the city. It’ll be hard to go wrong with any of it, but we recommend the po’boys from the Gumbo Brothers and whatever sweet concoction that Renegade Lemonade, Ice & Vice, and Macaron Parlour have teamed up to create. (Hint: It’s called “Renegade Vice Parlour.”) Or, if you look at a plate of chicken and waffles and think, “Wish I didn’t have to sit at a table and bother with utensils to enjoy this,” Chick’nCone is your food trend du jour.” (Mary Bakija, Village Voice)

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Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(5 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2017.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

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Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition that is about to close and deserves a visit:

‘MAIRA KALMAN: THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE’ at Julie Saul Gallery (closes Sept. 16). “This show reunites all 57 of Ms. Kalman’s illustrations for William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White’s classic guide to grammar and writing. Painted in opulent (gouache) hues and a quasi-naïve art-savvy style, and given titles — all from the book’s rules — that are alternately literal and elliptical, they combine aspects of Surrealism’s exquisite corpses, Conceptual Art’s deadpan humor and appropriation art’s repurposing of existing images.”(Smith-NYT)
212-627-2410, saulgallery.com

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try the NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 09/11 and 09/13.

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