Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, MAR. 18, 2014.
For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide check out:
♦ “Notable NYC Events-Mar”, and also “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
Carl Hoffman
Journalist and author Carl Hoffman will speak about his travels and research delving into the notorious disappearance and death of 23-year-old Michael C. Rockefeller, son of New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, who went missing in 1961 off the coast of New Guinea.
Hoffman will introduce his book: Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller’s Tragic Quest for Primitive Art and sit down for a talk with Patricia Cohen, a New York Times investigative arts reporter.
Carl Hoffman has written The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes, named one of the 10 best books in 2010 by the Wall Street Journal. He is a contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler.
(thought gallery)
Macaulay Honors College, 35 W. 67th St.
at 7:00 pm / FREE
ROSANNE CASH
“Cash was born in Memphis and raised in California but has lived in New York for more than twenty years now. “The River & the Thread,” her first album of original material since 2006, is a thoughtful and moving examination of her Southern musical, familial, and spiritual roots. Since the eighties, when Cash had eleven No. 1s on the country charts, she’s pursued a path independent of the Nashville scene. She co-wrote all the songs on the new record with her husband, the guitarist, producer, and arranger John Leventhal, who leads her band here.” (NewYorker)
Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St.
At 8 p.m./ $35 to $75.
800-982-2787, the-townhall-nyc.org
Volcán (through March 23)
“This all-star Cuban fusion band — the pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the bassist Jose Armando Gola, the drummer Horacio Hernandez and the percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo — makes its first official stateside appearance next week, drawing from a self-titled debut album. As on record, the music is most likely to evoke an air of folkloric futurism, with clean surfaces that soften the whirring complexities beneath the hood.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
At 8 and 10:30 p.m.,/ $35 cover at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum
212-475-8592, bluenote.net
Alonzo King LINES Ballet (through March 23)
Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns to The Joyce with Constellation, a luminous and lucid, encompassing and intimate evening-length piece featuring a light installation by the internationally-acclaimed electronic artist Jim Campbell. When the dancers glimmer into view, they move the way that ideas move through the mind: synoptically, in pulses and flashes. Sharing the stage is the regal Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Maya Lahyani, whose voluptuous voice enhances a mesmerizing Baroque score.
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St.
at 7:30 p.m. / $35 to $59
212-242-0800, joyce.org
Now This: Gary Peacock, Marc Copland, Joey Baron (through March 22)
“Mr. Peacock, the bassist, is an intuitive musician drawn to sonorous melody, and so is Mr. Copland, a pianist and a veteran partner with whom Mr. Peacock has fruitfully recorded. They’ll be joined by Mr. Baron, a deft and unsinkable drummer.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St.
At 8:30 and 11 p.m.,/ $40 cover, with a $10 minimum
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change ==========================================================
A PremierPub – Tribeca
B-Flat / 277 Church st (Btw Franklin/White)
There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door. But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.
It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.
There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.
Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.
It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.
This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.
Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk 1 blk E to Church; 1 blk N to bFlat
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 