Selected Events (10/28) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Today’s SWEET 6 > WEDNESDAY / OCT. 28, 2015

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Nicki Parrott and Rossano Sportiello
Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St./ 8PM +9:30PM, $20
Parrott is a first-call mainstream bassist whose sound cuts through a room, and the pianist Sportiello, her occasional musical partner, is a gifted stylist—both are enamored of classic jazz. Two terrific duo albums, including “Do It Again,” from 2009, attest to their delightful and deeply swinging musical connection.” (NewYorker)

Alfredo Rodríguez Trio / Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio
Blue Note, 131 West Third St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $20-$35
“A double bill of two resourceful young Cuban pianists, each appearing with bass and drums. Mr. Rodríguez, whose two albums feature production by Quincy Jones, now has a home base in the United States; Mr. Lopez-Nussa still lives in Havana, though he has toured widely.” (Chinen-NYT)

The Heath Brothers (through Nov. 1)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $
“Although Percy Heath—the bass-playing sibling of the Heath Brothers Band, who died in 2005—is missed, his siblings, the drummer Albert (Tootie) and the saxophonist Jimmy, have kept their collective ensemble a viable and valued entity. With David Wong, on bass, and Jeb Patton, on piano, this venerable quintet offers up refined hard bop, enlivened by Jimmy’s sturdy compositions and polished playing from all involved.” (NewYorker)

Ballet Memphis (through Nov. 1)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $10 and up
“Ballet Memphis makes a concerted effort to ensure that the dance it presents is reflective of its hometown. Initiatives like the River Project and the Memphis Project have stocked the company’s repertory with work inspired by the city (the “river” being the Mississippi, which flows right by). Six original works, many hailing from those initiatives, come to New York in the company’s first visit since 2007. Choreographers include Matthew Neenan, Gabrielle Lamb, Julia Adam and several company members.” (Schaefer-NYT)
“Some $10 tickets are available, but those go quickly, and they need to be purchased over the phone (which incurs a $6 service charge) or in person at the box office.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Archtober (Oct. 01-31)
This month offers a prime opportunity to honor the beauty of the NYCity skyline with Archtober, a festival of tours, talks and exhibitions exploring the city’s architecture. One of the highlights – the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (Tour Time: 1PM, $10)
Tour Guide: Donald Albrecht, Independent Curator, 36 Battery Place,
Guest curator Donald Albrecht will lead a tour of this special exhibition with a focus on the architects and designers who helped forge a bold new direction in design and thought.
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

Luc Sante
Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway, at 12th St./ 7PM,
“Mr. Sante, a writer and critic, discusses his new book, “The Other Paris.” As the title suggests, it’s an unconventional look at the City of Light — its history of artists, homeless people and all-around outcasts who are becoming increasingly rare.” (NYT)

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

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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, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. 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
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘Picasso Sculpture’ (through Feb. 7)
“Nearly a work of art in its own right, this magnificent show redefines Picasso’s achievement with the first full view here in 50 years of his astoundingly varied forays into sculpture. His materials, not his female loves, become the muses, and are different each time out. The basic plotline: After introducing sculptural abstraction and space, he spent about 50 years counting the ways that the figure was far from finished. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960-1980’ (through Jan. 3) “Visiting this big, spirited group show is like walking into a party of intriguing strangers. For every person you recognize, there are 10 you don’t know. One topic everyone’s talking about, at different intensities, is the anti-institutional politics that swept Europe and the Americas in the 1960s, and almost everyone speaks the language of Conceptualism. A product of an in-house research initiative called Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives, or C-MAP, intended to expand MoMA’s narrow Paris-New York view of modernism, the show is very much the beginning rather than the end of a learning curve. But with curators exploring material new to them — just steps ahead of their audience — the show has a refreshing buzz of surprise as it takes the museum in a realistic new directions. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 10/26 and 10/24.