Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014.

Madison Square Eats (until Sat. May 31)
It’s almost over. Better get there fast.

“A picnic in the park takes on a whole new meaning when more than 30 food vendors occupy Worth Square for this month-long pop-up market. New eats include Southern curry chicken wings from Pig & Khao and rock-shrimp burgers from L&W Oyster Co., while veteran vendors like Roberta’s, Red Hook Lobster Pound and Macaron Parlour will be back with their tried-and-true favorites.” (TONY)
Madison Square Park, 23rd St. to 26th St., btw Fifth and Madison Aves
madisonsquarepark.org / 212-538-1884
urbanspacenyc.com/mad-sq-eats/

Jeff (Tain) Watts Quartet (through Sunday)
“As anyone who savors the early albums of Wynton and Branford Marsalis can attest, Watts—the powerhouse drummer who stoked the rhythmic fires of both brothers’ bands—has never been shy about making his presence known. Watts went on to become one of the most dependable percussionists of his day, eventually making the transition to bandleader. His trim quartet includes the pianist David Budway and the saxophonist Troy Roberts. “ (NewYorker)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com;
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 and $30 cover, with a one-drink minimum.

Clarence Spady
Raised in Scranton Pennsylvania, where he still lives, Clarence Spady is accredited with defining the 1990’s blues scene. Raised by a musical family and encouraged to pursue blues, Spady started touring right out of high school. By the ’90’s, this singer/guitarist decided to head out and tour with a band of his own. Clarence Spady’s skills as a songwriter paired with his solid mastery of guitar transcends typical blues performances, leaving audiences clamoring for more of his unique & intelligent sound.
Terra Blues, 149 Bleeker St,
at 7pm / $10
terrablues.com

JC Sanford Orchestra
“When it comes to contemporary big bands, the composer and arranger Darcy James Argue may garner the most coverage these days, but his avant-leaning Secret Society ensemble is far from the only game in town. The trombonist Sanford leads a forward-thinking jazz orchestra which draws from the worlds of contemporary rock and new music in its boundary-stretching repertoire. A vibrant new album, ‘Views from the Inside,” captures the fifteen-piece ensemble, featuring such exceptional soloists as the trumpeter Taylor Haskins, in all its twenty-first-century glory.” (NewYorker)
Greenwich House Music School, 16 Barrow St.
212-242-4770.

BossaBrasil Festival (also Saturday)
“Drawing a bead on the jazz-influenced singer-songwriter traditions of Brazil, this year’s BossaBrasil Festival features the eclectic samba fusionista Marcos Valle and the bossa nova pioneer Roberto Menescal. Their backing band includes the drummer Renato Massa, the trumpeter Jesse Sadoc, the saxophonist and flutist Jorge Continentino and the bassist Itaguara Brandao.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
At 8:30 and 11 p.m. / $40 cover, with a $10 minimum.
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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 is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 4 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Tibet and India: Buddhist Traditions and Transformations’ (through June 8)
‘Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century’ (through July 27)
The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’ (through Sept. 7)
‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org
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‘Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes From the Hill Collection’ (through June 15)
“This sensational, beautifully presented show of 33 late-15th- to early-18th-century bronzes reflects a taste for historically important, big-statement examples in exceptional condition. They vividly reflect the Renaissance’s new interest in antiquity and the human form while encouraging concentration on emotional expression, refined details (great hair!), struggling or relaxed figures and varied patinas. Works by the reigning geniuses Giambologna, Susini and the lesser-known Piamontini dominate, further enlivened by a handful of old master and late-20th-century paintings from the Hill collection.”
(Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St.
212-288-0700 / frick.org.
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Guggenheim Museum: ‘Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe’ (through Sept. 1)
“This epic, beautifully designed exhibition may be one of the more thorough examinations of modernism’s most obnoxious and conflicted art movement that you are likely to see. Awash in the manifestoes that its members regularly fired off, it follows Futurism through to its end with the death of its founder, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, in 1944. It covers the Futurist obsessions with speed, war, machines and, finally, flight and the aerial views it made possible. And the show highlights relatively unknown figures like the delightful Fortunato Depero and Benedetta Cappa, Marinetti’s wife. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.“ (Smith-NYT)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.
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‘Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937’ (through June 30)
Neue Galerie, 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th St.
212-628-6200 / neuegalerie.org.

========================================================== Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Additionally, though technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 70th St. and the The Morgan Library & Museum on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave. Now plan your own museum crawl. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 05/28 and 05/26.