Today’s “Fab 4” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, NOV. 29, 2013

Steve Davis Sextet: The Music of JJ Johnson (Friday and Saturday)
“The early years of bebop were both the first great era of extended improvisations and the golden years of jazz composition: So many major writers established themselves in such a short period that there was hardly time enough in their collective lifetimes to do them justice.

Even though James Louis Johnson (1924–2001) was hardly underappreciated in his own long and fruitful career, his music deserves to be even better known than it is. In recent years, it sometimes seems as if the only Johnson tune that everyone knows is “Lament,” which most musicians wrongly assume was written by Miles Davis.

The highly respected contemporary trombonist Steve Davis is a perfect bandleader to present the vast riches of Johnson’s, which vary from deceptively simple blues to full-length semi-symphonic works. He’ll be in the company of what amounts to New York’s other jazz repertory company (the one not based at Lincoln Center), alongside with trumpeter Eddie Henderson, saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist John Webber, drummer Joe Farnsworth and Johnson’s own pianist, Harold Mabern.” (WSJ)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street,
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m./ $38 cover
864-6662, smokejazz.com

Alan Gilbert Conducts Mozart’s Final Symphonies
Music lovers are thankful for Mozart’s three final symphonies, considered the pinnacle of his genius. Join Alan Gilbert and “the inspired Philharmonic” (The New York Times) for these masterworks on Thanksgiving weekend.

“Mozart’s arc was only half a rainbow—he died at 35—and his last symphonies, including the “Jupiter,” belong to a composer in his prime, with plenty more to say” (NY mag-Justin Davidson)
New York Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall
At 8PM / $30-$118
(try Rubenstein Atrium for day of performance discount tickets – see “onBroadway” section in header above for more info)
(212) 875-5656 / nyphil.org

Freddy Cole Holiday Celebration* (through Sunday)
“The singer and pianist Freddy Cole exudes a gallant but unfussy brand of cool. He is singing Christmas songs in this weekend engagement, and as usual, his maturity will most likely manifest itself as understatement.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village, (212)
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./ $35 cover at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.
BLUE NOTE has a good sound system, making those seats at the bar a good deal.
475-8592, bluenote.net

Wycliffe Gordon & Friends: ‘The Music of Duke, Dizzy, & the Dorseys’
“Let’s face it: as a holiday, Thanksgiving is the neglected middle child and weak sister of its much more virile siblings, Halloween and Christmas. Yet there’s one musician who can transform this underperforming holiday—as well as the weekend that follows—into a joyful celebration to compete with its alpha male brothers. Trombonist, vocalist and raconteur (who also pleases crowds with cornet and tuba), Wycliffe Gordon is a one-man show unto himself, and when he surrounds himself with an outstanding band, as he almost invariably does, the results are greater still.

A virtuosic brassman with a huge capacity for musical history, Mr. Gordon would seem to be going through the great years of jazz alphabetically, with a show that encompasses Duke (Ellington), Dizzy (Gillespie) and the Dorseys (Jimmy Dorsey and one of Mr. Gordon’s trombonist role models, Tommy Dorsey). This is Mr. Gordon’s second year playing Dizzy’s over this postholiday weekend, and if he’s going to keep up the tradition, music lovers are going to be eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving each year in the same way that kids look forward to Christmas.” (WSJ)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway,
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m./ $40 and $45 cover, with a $10 minimum;
(212) 258-9595, jalc.org

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 4 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide) 

‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Jan. 26, 2014)
American Modern: Hopper to O’Keefe (through Jan. 26, 2014)
America’s cultural landscape shifted rapidly in the early 20th century. American Modern at the Museum of Modern Art looks at this change via some of the iconic works produced between 1915 and 1950. Artists highlighted include George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz and Andrew Wyeth. In organizing the art thematically, American Modern will highlight the connections between the artists’ works.
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution’ (through Feb. 23, 2014)
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th St.
(212) 873-3400 / nyhistory.org.

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New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: Al Hirschfeld Exhibition
(through Jan. 4, 2014)
“The Line King’s Library,” a display of work by Al Hirschfeld, whose specialty was theatrical caricatures, includes rare works as well as those familiar to theatergoers and readers of various publications, including The New York Times. The exhibition also includes video interviews with Mr. Hirschfeld, who died in 2003 at 99, and works by some of his contemporaries.”
NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, at Lincoln Center
111 Amsterdam Ave and 65th St.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.,
until 8 on Mondays and Thursdays
(917) 275-6975, nypl.org/events/exhibitions/line-kings-library.

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The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya (ongoing)
This exhibition by artist Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of intriguing and inspiring works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world — LEGO® bricks. The Discovery Times Square exhibit is the world’s biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever and features brand-new, never-before-seen pieces by Sawaya. This show was named ‘One of CNN’s Ten Global Must-See Exhibitions.’
Discovery Times Square, 226 West 44th St. (btw 7th/8th ave)
866.987.9692 / http://www.discoverytsx.com

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WHAT’S ON VIEW: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)

  Museum of Modern Art
XL: 19NewAcquisitions in Photography (through Dec. 31)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
New Photography 2013 (through Jan. 6, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Julia Margaret Cameron (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

   International Center Photography
Lewis Hine
The Future of America: Lewis Hine’s New Deal Photographs
JFK November 22, 1963: A Bystander’s View of History
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
All these exhibitions run through Jan. 19, 2014
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : … …” dated (11/27) and (11/25).