Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, DEC. 23, 2013

Holiday Markets
More than 150 vendors are selling their goods in Union Square Park, bordered by Park Avenue South, Broadway and 14th Streets, through Christmas Eve. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; urbanspacenyc.com. (through Dec 24)

The Holiday Shops are just part of the seasonal events in Bryant Park, at Avenue of the Americas and 40th Street, through Jan. 5. Hours: weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (through Jan. 5)

In Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, the 14th annual Holiday Fair offers 76 stalls of goods through Christmas Eve. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. These shops have some nice stuff. Try to shop before noon and avoid the lunch time worker bee crowds. (through Dec 24)

While in GrandCentral check out the Holiday Train Show (through Feb. 23) which features a 34-foot-long Lionel model train layout. It’s on display at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store near the Station Master’s Office. To be honest, this year’s setup is not as good as previous years and not worth a special trip to GCT. But it is FREE and  can be viewed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. see mta.info/mta/museum.

Christmas at Birdland (variations through Dec. 28)
Holiday music will be the theme of several sets at Birdland jazz club. Tonight, “A Swinging Birdland Christmas” will feature the cabaret performers Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch.

In the tradition of beloved seasonal specials, Blackhurst, Caruso and Stritch will perform swinging arrangements of “Christmas Waltz,” Kay Thompson’s “Holiday Season,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” among other favorites. The singers will be joined by Steve Doyle on bass and Carmen Intorre on drums.
Birdland – 315 West 44th St (btw 8th/9th ave)
at 6 p.m./$30 cover (includes a drink if you sit at the bar, which are not bad seats)
(212) 581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com

Duduka Da Fonseca and Helio Alves + ANAT COHEN: Jazz Samba Christmas
“Duduka Da Fonseca, a drummer, and Helio Alves, a pianist, have carved out a strong niche together, playing in each other’s bands and on each other’s albums. For this holiday engagement they enlist the clarinetist Anat Cohen, the guitarist Mike Moreno, the bassist Hans Glawischnig and the singer Maucha Adnet.” (Chinen-NYT)
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

Eric Alexander Quartet featuring Louis Hayes (through Dec 25)
To kickoff the third annual “Countdown: A John Coltrane Festival,” Saxophonist Eric Alexander leads a quartet featuring the legendary Louis Hayes. Louis Hayes, a drummer at the heart of straight-ahead jazz for the past 50 years, established his reputation in the 1950’s and 60’s during extended stints with Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and Cannonball Adderley.

His innate swing and effortless feel sometimes make it seem like he invented jazz drumming. He has worked with everyone from Dizzy and Newk to Ravi Shankar and, of course, Trane. As The New York Times reports, “You know the drummer Louis Hayes if you have a halfway decent jazz record collection.”
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St.
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m./ $40 cover
(212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com

Chris Botti (through Jan. 5)
“Mr. Botti, whose adult-pop savvy and controlled but brooding trumpet sound have made him a high-gloss global superstar, descends on the Blue Note each year around this time for an extended run. As usual he has a slick but substantial band, and the clout to call on the occasional unbilled celebrity guest. $75 cover at tables, $40 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third St., Greenwich Village
At 8 and 10:30 p.m., $75 cover at tables (8pm sold out),
$40 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (sound is fine at these bar seats, vision decent)
475-8592, bluenote.net

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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 (12/21) and (12/19).