Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events –THURSDAY, SEPT. 04, 2014

Duchess
“Lately the most overlooked ensemble format in jazz is the vocal harmony group—you’re more likely to hear a band with three drummers or accordionists than a trio comprised of three singers. This recently organized threesome, Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner and Melissa Stylianou, devises original arrangements of mostly vintage songs, both familiar and offbeat. They understand that swinging music goes hand in hand with an audacious sense of humor.” (Will Friedwald, WSJ)
55 BAR, 55 Christopher St. (btw Sixth/Seventh Avenue)
A prohibition era dive bar with live jazz and blues nightly.
7pm / NO COVER
(212 ) 929-9883 / 55bar.co

Elizabeth Warren and Paul Krugman
“Senator Elizabeth Warren, from Massachusetts, discusses what ails the middle class with the economist and writer Paul Krugman. Janet Gornick, a professor of political science and sociology and the director of the Luxembourg Income Study Center at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, is the moderator.” (NewYorker)
Proshansky Auditorium, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave, at 34th St.
212-817-8215 / gc.cuny.edu
at 7:30 / FREE
(sold out, but a limited number of seats may open up Thur. – this is worth a shot)

Michael Blake Group
“Warmth and invention spills from the saxophonist’s horn on a regular basis. That makes him part of a lineage that begins with tenor maestro Lester Young, to whom Blake’s new Tiddy Boom is dedicated. It’s all about mucho lyricism, oodles of frolic, and the kind of swing you don’t mistake for a second. The band, which features Ben Allison and Frank Kimbrough, knows about the whomp that understatement can provide. All hail Pres! “(Jim Macnie, VillageVoice)
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 West 10th Street, West Village,
9:30 p.m. / $20
smallsjazzclub.com

Cellist Maya Beiser: “Uncovered”
w/music of Led Zeppelin, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Muddy Waters, Nirvana, and AC/DC

Maya Beiser: Uncovered is a collection of startling classic rock tunes, re-imagined and re- contextualized, in stunning performances by Maya Beiser. Her concert at Le Poisson Rouge, with bassist Gyan Riley and drummer Matt Kilmer, follows shortly after the August 26, 2014 release of Uncovered, the album. A”cover tune” can be an homage to the original, but these “uncovers,” in new arrangements by Evan Ziporyn, attempt to do more – to evoke the unprecedented power of the music of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Janis Joplin, Howlin’ Wolf, and AC/DC.

Maya’s performances in Uncovered are incendiary, in line with New York magazine’s assessment that “Beiser is not the sort of musician who zigzags around the planet playing catalog music for polite and sleepy audiences. She throws down the gauntlet in every program.”
(Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St. (btw Sullivan/Thompson St.)
subway: #1 to Houston St..
7:30 p.m., $20
http://lepoissonrouge.com / 212-505-fish

Elsewhere, but absolutely worth the detour:

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 11) / 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.

The Open 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 that start the second week.
subway: #1-2-3 to Times Square; transfer to #7 to Mets-Willets Point

Matches to watch today (per Matt Cronin – usopen.org):

TONIGHT – #2Roger Federer vs. #20Gael Monfils
The Swiss has been cruising along in his first four matches, barely breaking a sweat and dominating his rallies. Federer has gone up against more dangerous players early on in previous years, but he usually got through, anyway, and once he reached the quarterfinals, he was raring to go, winning five straight US Open titles from 2004-08.

However, Federer eventually began to ease up, largely because as he grew older he wasn’t quite as fast. He reached two semis here against Novak Djokovic in 2010 and 2011 and fell in both matches 7-5 in the fifth sets. In 2012, he finally fell in a quarter, losing to a high-flying Tomas Berdych. In 2013, a charging Tommy Robredo stunned Federer in the fourth round.

But this has been different in New York, as Federer isn’t hurt or unsettled. That is why Federer should look very comfortable when he enters against Gael Monfils, whom he leads 7-2 in head-to-head matches. Monfils has been playing terrific, but can he win three sets when he’s cracking from way back behind the baseline? Perhaps, given how fast he is, but I doubt it. Federer will mix and match and make sure that he can wait and buy his time until he smokes the balls. He has to take over the net and make sure he can return the numerous serves that Monfils will bomb away. The Frenchman is a heck of a lot of fun to watch, but Federer will win three out of five and reach the semifinals.

#6Tomas Berdych vs. #14Marin Cilic
It was hard to figure out how good Berdych would be during the tournament, as the tall Czech has been up and down this year, and he really hasn’t been spectacular since February. But the solid and strong Berdych has played much better in New York, whacking balls and not being afraid. Berdych is a very big hitter, and the guy has gone deep into Slams before.

This time he will go up against Marin Cilic, a Croatian who once reached a major semifinal at the Australia Open and is more creative these days. Here at the US Open, Cilic showed a lot of heart, overcoming No. 18 Kevin Anderson and No. 26 Gilles Simon. The 25 year old is coached by Goran Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon winner who has helped him to become stronger—both mentally and physically. It has taken a while, but Cilic was willing to attack against the better foes, and he upset Berdych in the third round of Wimbledon this year.

The Czech did smoke the Croatian in the final of Rotterdam in February, so this match should be very close. Both can bomb big serves, and both can own their ferocious forehands and take over the net when they are feeling right. Berdych would love to go far, but Cilic now believes in himself again and will pull off the victory in four sets.
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Johnny Mac teams with younger brother Patrick for a doubles exhibition mid afternoon on court 17. For the real deal, see if former champ Martina Hingis can rekindle old glory in a women’s semifinals doubles match in Armstrong mid afternoon vs the #3 seed. Martina is paired with Flavia Penetta, and they have looked good, so far.

Today’s Tips: 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

There are a few places around the grounds open to the public that provide special fan experiences, and a place to beat the heat:
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.
Emirates Airlines – big screen TV, light refreshments available for purchase.

If you are a Chase Bank customer:
Chaise Lounge – snacks and light refreshments (requires pre-registration).

And don’t forget to stop by the Chia Pod booth behind court 11 for free samples.

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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”

This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks / carts, bbq, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, vegetarian / falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars – – no reservations needed. ================================================================================

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

Order before December 31, 2014 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.