Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events  – SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2014.

MoMA Summergarden: New Music for New York
The Museum of Modern Art established Summergarden in 1971. In keeping with MoMA’s history of presenting jazz and classical music in the Sculpture Garden, this year’s concert series once again welcomes the participation of The Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Titled New Music for New York, the series comprises four evenings of adventurous contemporary music, with premieres each night. Juilliard concerts are performed by members of The New Juilliard Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Joel Sachs, who has assembled two distinctive programs of recent compositions, all of which are enjoying their New York premieres. Jazz at Lincoln Center has selected two up-and-coming jazz ensembles whose concerts emphasize original works, each with one world premiere.

Summergarden is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may close if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance to Summergarden is through the Sculpture Garden gate on West 54 Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Sculpture Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. and run approximately one hour to 90 minutes. The exhibition galleries are closed during Summergarden.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 West 53 St. (btw Fifth and Sixth avenues)
(212) 708-9400
all at 8PM:
Sunday, July 20, 2014 – Juilliard Concert II: New Music for String Quartet with Flute
Sunday, July 27, 2014 – Jazz Concert II: Helen Sung Quintet

A Memorial Concert for Pete and Toshi Seeger
“Pete Seeger, who died in January, and Toshi-Aline Ohta Seeger, who died last July, were married for just under seventy years, and for nearly that long they were tireless and benevolent champions of peace, environmental issues, and anti-discrimination causes. As the composer of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” (among many others) and the prime popularizer of “We Shall Overcome,” Pete Seeger was responsible for three of the most iconic and important pieces of music of the second half of the twentieth century.

The couple’s grandson Kitama Cahill-Jackson has organized a five-day celebration of their legacy (Seeger Fest), with events in the Hudson Valley, as well as two free, all-star memorial concerts in the city. On July 20, at the Damrosch Park Bandshell, at Lincoln Center, Judy Collins, Peter Yarrow, Fred Hellerman, the Paul Winter Consort, Tom Chapin, David Amram, and many other artists who worked with the Seegers take the stage. The speakers include George Wein, Harry Belafonte, and Michael Moore.” (NewYorker)
Damrosch Park Bandshell, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza
at 4:00 PM / FREE

Jane Monheit’s Jazz Party (Sundays through Sept. 28)
“Jazz’s need to create on the spot never really goes away–testing moves in front of an audience is always a consideration for performers who truly want to know how an arrangement or an approach will play to a crowd. Jane Monheit is an intrepid soul; starting tonight she’ll green-light this notion for the next three months, hosting a Sunday-evening “Jazz Party,” which affords audiences a chance to peek behind the curtain and enjoy the looseness of a jam session while basking in the talents of a very tight band.

The singer and her trio, including pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Neal Miner, and drummer Rick Montalbano, will be opening the doors to guest instrumentalists and giving new ideas plenty of elbow room–a spotlight on spontaneity. The boss lady and her seductive coo ain’t shy–Monheit is a natural charmer. Whether she’s tweaking her take on “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart” (there’s a Judy Garland tribute in her future) or embedding herself in a boo-hoo opus such as “Two Lonely People,” prepare for charisma around every turn.” (VillageVoice-Jim Macnie)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St.
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
At 6 p.m. / $30 cover, with a $10 minimum.

Chelsea Block Party.
The Rubin Museum of Art throws a fun-filled Block Party celebrating their tenth anniversary year and new Family Sundays!
Best of all – Free admission to the galleries all day.
The Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. (btw 6th/7th ave)
11am-6pm / FREE
212.620.5000

ASPECTS OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Cats. The Phantom of the Opera. Evita. Jesus Christ Superstar. Starlight Express. Sunset Boulevard. Aspects of Love. Song & Dance… the list goes on. 54 Below is delighted to tip our hat to the artistry of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, the celebrated composer who has left an indelible mark on Broadway, the West End & popular music.

Featuring a rotating cast of some of Broadway and cabaret’s best, Aspects of Andrew runs the gamut from the humor of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and By Jeeves, to the high-flying (adored) diva tunes that populate some of the most beloved musicals of the past half century. Turbans, masked deformity, roller skates, singing felines, love-starved hat designers, Mary Magdalene… expect it all at Aspects of Andrew. “Jellicle cats come out tonight!” Guests include: Kelli Rabke, Julie Reiber, Leenya Rideout, Rob Maitner, Derrick Cobey, Heather MacRae, Julie Reyburn, Brian Charles Rooney, Raissa Katona Bennett, Leah Horowitz, and special guest Karen Mason.
54 Below, 254 W 54th St., (btw Broadway and Eighth Ave)
(646) 476-3551 / 866-468-7619 / 54below.com
at 9:30PM / $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage 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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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/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’ ”.

Each 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 wines and lite meals, fairly priced, 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. I should note that 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, NYC 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 S/left on Bleecker to Jones st, 50 yards E/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 (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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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. $8 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)
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 Sq 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”

That covers a wide range of food – pizza, burgers, food trucks/carts, vegetarian/falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars, hot dogs, bbq, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls. No reservations needed. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods (plus 27 casual dining places with free Wi-Fi) order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99).
(available Fall 2014)