Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

“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.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “September NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

DANIEL CAESAR
at Radio City Music Hall / 8 p.m.; $
“With a voice like warm bathwater and the influence of gospel looming large in his music, this rising Canadian R&B singer captivated audiences when he released his debut album, “Freudian,” in 2017. Caesar’s take on the genre, best represented by songs like the uplifting “We Find Love” and the blissfully romantic duet “Best Part,” offers a softer alternative to the digitized, nihilistic version popularized by artists like the Weeknd. “Case Study 01,” which came out in June, is a headier album, but it’s packed with enough transcendent falsetto moments to distract from the controversy in which Caesar found himself embroiled in March, when he made some poorly received remarks about race.”
(NYT-OLIVIA HORN)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Pasquale Grasso Trio featuring Peter Washington and Kenny Washington
>> Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene
>> Ravi Coltrane
>> Rubberband
>> MATT MITCHELL
>> New York City Ballet
>> New York City Ballet

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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Music, Dance, Performing Art

Pasquale Grasso Trio featuring Peter Washington and Kenny Washington
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Guitarist Pasquale Grasso performs at Dizzy’s Club with the dream-team rhythm section of Peter Washington and Kenny Washington, who are also well known for supporting Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes.

“The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso. This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell].

What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.” – Pat Metheny, 2016, Vintage Guitar magazine”

Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene (Sept.18-22)
York Theatre Company at St. Peter’s Church / 7PM, $40
“Whether attracting or repelling her audiences, international chanteuse Lemper is never less than magnetic. Her style is perversely polymorphic: One moment she might tear into a song with predatory hunger, then she might purr out a dreamy croon or toss back her head for a brassy squeal of jazz. Her newest set is inspired by a long conversation she shared with languid legend Marlene Dietrich in 1988.” (TONY)

Ravi Coltrane (Sept.17-22)
Village Vanguard / 8:30, +10:30PM, $35
“Expect plenty of inside-outside postbop intrigue here, as the subtly commanding sax star distills the innovative spirit from his jazz-royalty legacy into a distinctly modern style with a killer quartet.” (TONY)

Rubberband (Sept.17-22)
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM, $30+
“How do we find calm in the storm of our daily lives? The choreographer Victor Quijada ponders that question in his Joyce debut with the recent work “Ever So Slightly.” While it may not offer solutions, his turbulent movement vividly illustrates the challenge. Quijada, who was born in Los Angeles and is now based in Montreal, melds his B-boy background and contemporary dance chops to create a seething theatrical piece in which 10 powerful performers struggle against society’s relentless pace and their own internal turmoil.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

MATT MITCHELL (Sept.17-21)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Few pianists today are more elegant or more ominous than Mitchell, who has a style that resonates. It is a small miracle that he finds time to lead ensembles as often as he does, considering how called-upon he is as a side musician. In the coming week at the Stone, he will put a few of his own projects on display: He plays on Tuesday with a quartet featuring Craig Taborn on synthesizer and Ches Smith and Dan Weiss on drums; on Wednesday and Sept. 20 with different iterations of Snark Horse, his project with the drummer Kate Gentile; on Thursday in a chamber quintet; and on Sept. 21 with the band from his latest release, “Phalanx Ambassadors.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

New York City Ballet
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $
“For a company that tends to eschew evening-length ballets, “Jewels,” created by the choreographer George Balanchine, in 1967, is an exception. More than a single ballet, it is composed of three separate but thematically connected works, inspired by the qualities of gemstones and by contrasting musical worlds. “Emeralds,” set to music by Fauré, is quietly mysterious. “Rubies,” all sharp angles and brazenness, is meant to evoke the energy of New York. And “Diamonds” reflects the opulence and wistfulness of the Russia of Balanchine’s imagination. In recent years, both Maria Kowroski and Sara Mearns have dominated “Diamonds”; Kowroski is remote and regal, Mearns urgent, almost feverish in her approach. The tall, phlegmatic Teresa Reichlen has come to define the cool glamour of “Rubies.” Few ballets give a better sense of the company as a whole.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Taste of the Dining Concourse – Dine for $5
Grand Central Terminal, Lower Level Dining Concourse merchants.
“Grand Central Terminal food vendors are offering items for just $5 on Wednesdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. They are all listed HERE.”

Continuing Events

Photoville @ Brooklyn Bridge Plaza (thru Sept.22)

It’s the eighth year for the gargantuan photography show Photoville, featuring 80 exhibits and work by more than 600 artists, nightly outdoor programming, site-specific installations, talks, demonstrations, workshops, and more. It’s all installed in and around 60+ shipping containers scattered throughout Brooklyn Bridge Plaza. The huge opening night celebration, presented by United Photo Industries, showcases work from the Magnum Foundation, For Freedoms, Bronx Documentary Center, Batsi’ Lab, and Facing Change: Documenting America. The festival will run through September 22nd.

Feast of San Gennaro (Sept. 12 through Sept. 22)

“Where: Mulberry Street, between Canal and Houston streets; on Hester Street, between Baxter and Centre streets; and on Grand Avenue, between Baxter Street and Centre Market Place. The stage is at the corner of Grand and Mott streets.

What it’s all about: The Feast of San Gennaro dates to 1926 when Neapolitan immigrants wanted to continue the September 19 feast day observed back home. The feast also was a way for Italian immigrants to celebrate their heritage. After being told they would be relegated to worship in the basement of other churches, dominated by Irish Catholics, the community built its own church.

Over the years, the Feast of San Gennaro has grown to 11 full days of celebration, food and drink. Speaking of which, vendors you’ll see include: Cannoli King Caffe Palermo, Grotta Azzurra, Umberto’s Clam House, Lombardi’s, Capri, Alleva Dairy, DiPalo, Ferrara Bakery and more.” Iconic eats to celebrate the feast.(amNY)

Mangia at the 93rd annual San Gennaro Feast

There’ll be food, glorious food, as the 93rd annual Feast of San Gennaro honoring the patron saint of Naples kicks off in Little Italy. The 11-night fest features live music and food on top of food on top of food. Activities include a cannoli-eating contest (2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13), as well as a parade (2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 with “The Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa serving as grand marshal), a zeppole-eating competition (1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18) and a High Mass in the name of San Gennaro (6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19). (Free; food and other items available for purchase; sangennaronyc.org)

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

9/18 Andrew Bird, Brooklyn Steel
9/18 Shawn Colvin, The Cutting Room

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Brooklyn Americana Music Festival @ Various venues

“Get ready for plenty of hand-clapping and foot-stomping at the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, touching down all across Dumbo and Red Hook for the fifth year running. The fest promises 50 shows in nine venues over four days, all free of charge except for the opening-night gala. Some highlights include Female Songwriter of the Year Dayna Kurtz, Americana-folk troubadours Underhill Rose, NOLA R&B group Sabine McCalla and the Dew Drops, classic country crooners the Haggard Kings, country-blues outfit Cari Ray and the Shaky Legs, a Green Chile Bluegrass Brunch, and much, much more.” (gothamist)

Opens Thursday, September 19th // Various venues // Free

Easy Rider Live @ Radio City Music Hall

“Pay a fitting tribute to a legend at Easy Rider Live, a live-music and cinematic experience in celebration of the classic film’s 50th anniversary. The film will be shown on the world’s largest installed LED screen, while its legendary soundtrack—including “Born To Be Wild,” “The Weight,” and “Ballad of Easy Rider”—is performed live onstage by John Kay, Roger McGuinn, and special guests, produced by T Bone Burnett. The evening was originally planned to include opening remarks by Peter Fonda, who passed away last month; his wife Parky Fonda has praised the event, saying, “The celebration of a cinematic masterpiece, a Hollywood icon, and my beloved husband [will be] exactly what he wanted.”  (gothamist)

Friday, September 20th, 8 p.m. // Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Ave., Manhattan // Tickets: $20

♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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A PremierPub

Jimmy’s Corner / 140 W 44th St (btw B’way & 7th ave)

Jimmy’s Corner is right in the heart of Times Square, but you won’t find it on the corner, it’s mid-block. Enter this long narrow bar and you are struck by the walls covered with mostly black-and-white boxing photographs, and memorabilia. Soon enough you learn that “Corner” refers to proprietor Jimmy Glenn’s long career as a corner man for some of boxing greats – Liston, Tyson, even “the greatest,” Ali.

Jimmy’s is a sort of time machine, taking you back to a time and place that no longer exists. All around you Times Square has cleaned up, grown up, assumed a new identity. Jimmy’s probably hasn’t changed a bit since it first opened in 1971. Certainly the bar itself looks original and the prices haven’t changed much either. When I brought a friend, who owns her own bar, she was surprised when she got the small tab for a round of drinks. Figured there must be a mistake, that maybe they forgot to charge for all the drinks.

Times Square today is filled with neon glitz and wandering tourists from Dubuque, but not Jimmy’s. You’ll likely find some old timer’s at the bar nursing their drinks, some younger locals at tables in the back, and maybe just a few adventuresome tourists clutching their trusty guidebooks. There’s no food served here because this is just a bar, and sometimes that’s all you need.

On nights when no local team is playing, it’s a fine place to sip some drafts and listen to a wonderful old time jukebox, with a great selection of  40s & 50s R&B and soul. On sports nights this very narrow bar can get a bit claustrophobic, filled with excited fans watching their team on the TVs. Either way, Jimmy’s is the place to be if you are looking for an old time bar in the new Times Square.
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Website: are you kidding !
(although there is a facebook page with lots of photos –
facebook.com/jimmyscornernyc)
Phone #: 212-221-9510
Hours: 11am – 4 am, except Sunday they open 12 noon
Happy Hour: not necessary, low prices all day, every day
Subway: #1,2,3 to TimesSquare 42nd st
walk 2 blks N on 7th ave to 44th st; ½ blk E to Jimmy’s

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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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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

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