Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events –MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2014

West Indian American Day Carnival
Even in New York City, few events overwhelm the senses more than the West Indian American Day Carnival, the annual celebration of the culture of NYC’s Caribbean community. More than a million spectators turn out in Brooklyn to hear the sounds of reggae and calypso music, taste freshly cooked delicacies and see revelers in elaborate, colorful costumes. It’s a great chance to experience firsthand the City’s trademark diversity—and, of course, to purchase the foods, crafts, books, clothing, art, jewelry and more offered by vendors along the parade route, which officially runs along Eastern Parkway from Schenectady Avenue to Washington Avenue, though in practice goes up to Grand Army Plaza. The parade starts at 11am. (nycgo.com)

Michael Mwenso & Brianna Thomas celebrate 110 years of Fats Waller
Two young vocalists, Michael Mwenso (from Sierra Leone, West Africa) and Brianna Thomas (from Peoria, Ill.), celebrate Thomas “Fats” Waller, the legendary pianist-songwriter-singer-comedian at Dizzy’s. The location is apt because Dizzy Gillespie himself lauded Waller as one of the funniest in jazz. The vocalists will be accompanied by pianist Chris Pattishall, trombonist Josh Holcomb and trumpeter-singer Bria Skonberg.

Then on Thursday, Ms. Skonberg leads her own band, honoring Louis Armstrong’s mega-masterpiece album from 1955, “Satch Plays Fats.” (WSJ)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway at 60th St., 5th Fl.,
7:30 & 9:30pm / $20-$35
(212) 258-9595 / dizzys.jalc.org

New York International Salsa Congress Dance & Music Festival (last day)
“Every Labor Day weekend salseros and salseras from all around the world come to town for the New York International Salsa Congress Dance & Music Festival—and dance cards fill up at a fast and furious pace. The action unfolds at the New York Hilton Midtown, with a full schedule of workshops, performances, competitions, live music (including sets by Bronx conga king Eddie Montalvo and the Jimmy Bosch Orchestra) and DJs spinning tunes well into the early-morning hours.” (nycgo.com)
New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Sixth Ave. (at W. 53rd St.)
212-586-7000 / nycsalsacongress.com

Molly Ryan “Come Up and See Me Sometime” a Cheeky Tribute to Mae West
Since moving to New York City from Roseville, CA in August of 2003, she has become one of the most sought-after vocalists on the New York jazz scene. She has performed at such prestigious Manhattan venues as the Café Carlyle, The Waldorf Astoria, Birdland, AND Iridium.

She has performed alongside such prominent jazz artists as Randy Reinhart, Jon-Erik Kellso, Bria Skonberg, Dan Barrett, Mark Shane, Rossano Sportiello, as well as with the preeminent 1920s-style orchestra, Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks. Featuring Dan Levinson on clarinet and sax, Dalton Ridenhour on piano, Rob Adkins on bass and Kevin Dorn on drums.
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave.)
7:00 PM / $25 + $10 food/drink minimum

Elsewhere, but absolutely worth the detour:

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 8) / TODAY’S PREMIER EVENT
The U.S. Open continues today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square), and runs through Sept. 8. This is the fourth and final tournament which culminates the tennis Grand Slam each year. It consists of five event championships: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, with additional tournaments for seniors and juniors.
subway: #1-2-3 to Times Square; transfer to #7 to Mets-Willets Point

When you first arrive check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you. Head over to their court for some great competitive tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players. Sometimes the most competitive, fun matches are on the outer courts.

There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – on the outer courts, the Grandstand court, or even Louis Armstrong stadium. Courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game.

Matches to watch today (per Matt Cronin – usopen.org):
“With Week 1 of this event in the books, the pursuit of tennis’ toughest title today begins in earnest. The job only gets tougher from here.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga vs. Andy Murray
Tsonga is coming off a tremendous performance in Toronto, where crushed first serves and forehands and ran through some of the best names in the game to win the title, overcoming Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov and Roger Federer en route.

On Monday he will face Murray for the 12^th time, with the Scot leading their head to head meetings, 9-2. Until Toronto, Murray had Tsonga’s number, dominating their meetings with his backhand and establishing himself as more consistent from the baseline. Murray has won two Slam titles–the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon – while Tsonga boasts just one final in Melbourne in 2008, so Murray knows better what it takes to advance in majors.

Tsonga’s concentration is an issue, but at his best he can be very tough to top. Murray has been spotty this season, but is playing better recently and is ready to grab another title. As long as he returns well, he will be control all day. Murray will waiver, but he will come through in four sets.

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Ekaterina Makarova
The Canadian Bouchard (see photo) has had an outstanding year at the majors, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and the final of Wimbledon. Who would have thought coming into 2014 that he would be so good at only 20 years old? She has been quick around the court and solid off both sides, but the difference is that she is now stepping inside the baseline to attack, cracking first serves and putting short balls away. I guess the world found out that she was coming fast.

Bouchard, however, looked tired after Wimbledon, having carried the weight of expectations for the first time. But during this tournament she has been able to forget about all the press and instead focus on the tennis. She has not played great during the first three matches, but she has fought very hard to win two tight contests.

So now Bouchard can take a big breath and really go for it. There are some very tough matches ahead, but at least for now, she should be in control. Her foe in the fourth round, Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, is underrated and can move her opponents all over the place. Makarova can go toe to toe with just about anyone, but she can get nervous deep in Slams, while Bouchard will not. Bouchard will win in straight sets.

Other Picks
There are a ton of attractive matches on Day 8. No. 5 Milos Raonic faces No. 10 Kei Nishikori in a match that is sure to go three hours at a minimum. It’s a toss-up affair, but Canada’s Raonic will smoke some big serves to gain the edge in the contest. Nishikori is faster but he isn’t as efficient at net. Raonic will win in five.

All of a sudden, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka has begun to play well again. He looked outstanding in winning the 2014 Australian Open but was inconsistent after that. Now he is back and on course, which means that he will out-stroke the determined No. 16 Tommy Robredo in four sets

No. 1 Novak Djokovic is rolling along and feeling strong once again. Sure, No. 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber can be enjoyable to watch, but he cannot push Djokovic. The Serb will win in four sets.

Unseeded Kaia Kanepi is one of the biggest hitters on the women’s tour, but powering through No. 1 Serena Williams is no easy task. Williams wins in straight sets.

Well, what do you know, No. 11 Flavia Pennetta is playing well at the US Open again. The Italian seems to thrive in New York, and Monday she goes up against No. 29 Casey Dellacqua of Australia. The lefty can play some good ball, but Pennetta will win in three.

No. 16 Victoria Azarenka is looking better and better. Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia is playing the best tennis of her life, but she isn’t yet ready to overcome Azarenka, who is rising again and will win this one in straight sets.”

Today’s Tips: Lines to get into the show courts will be long this holiday weekend. Pick a court with matches you are most interested in and stay put. Watching the players on the new practice courts is a good way to get a free tennis lesson, and video screens show when your fave player is scheduled to hit. The best review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com

Finally, these places around the grounds provide special fan experiences, a place to beat the heat, and are open to the public:
Heineken House – big screen tv’s, quality photo booth op, various sporting challenges, sandwiches & beer available for purchase. Say Hi to my fave Heineken girl – Missy.
American Express Fan Experience – swing analysis, 180 degree photo op, charging lockers. Second level of the lounge is only open to card members, where food and drinks are available for purchase.
Time Warner Cable Studios – photo ops, prizes, charging stations.

And only for Chase Bank customers:
Chaise Lounge – snacks and light refreshments (requires pre-registration).

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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 @ 3 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘Jasper Johns: Regrets’ (through Sept. 1)
‘Robert Heinecken: Object Matter’ (through Sept. 7)
‘A World of Its Own: Photographic Practices in the Studio’ (through Oct. 5)
‘Designing Modern Women 1890-1990’(through Oct. 5)
Here’s what the NYT said about ‘A World of Its Own: Photographic Practices in the Studio’
“This mostly lively if repetitive overview traces the history of photography as the Modern never has — with images taken in the studio rather than out in the world. Its roughly 180 works span 160 years and represent some 90 portraitists, commercial photographers, lovers of still life, darkroom experimenters, Conceptual artists and several generations of postmodernists. Including film and video, it offers much to look at but dwells too much in the past, becoming increasingly blinkered and cautious as it approaches the present. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.

Designing Modern Women 1890-1990:

International Center of Photography: ‘Urbes Mutantes: Latin American Photography 1944-2013’ and ‘Caio Reisewitz’ (through Sept. 7)
It’s a Latin American summer at New York City art museums, with a high number of shows of work from South America and the Caribbean. This institution, as usual one step ahead of the curve, has two. The larger, “Urbes Mutantes: Latin American Photography 1944-2013,” is a roomy survey of some 200 small, mostly black-and-white pictures that fit, with trimming and squeezing, into the genre of “street photography.” The second is a solo devoted to a single artist, the contemporary Brazilian photographer Caio Reisewitz, whose big color images of threatened tropical rain forests offer a lush antidote to urban grit — Manhattan’s included.
International Center of Photography, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, at 43rd Street, 212-857-0000, icp.org. (Cotter-NYT)

Museum of Arts and Design: ‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’ (through Oct. 12) This plunge into the biennial format makes a big, messy splash sampling the visual culture across the city — whether opera set design, art or new technologies. An expansive, invigorating move, it still contains too much that is fun, cute, clutter-making or useless, aimed at those with plenty of disposable income and homes to decorate.
Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle,
212-299-7777, madmuseum.org. (Smith-NYT)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (08/30) and (08/28).