Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ MARCH 21, 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: “March 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
The Music of Van Morrison @ Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / 8PM, $48+
“Van Morrison is the subject of Michael Dorf’s annual charity tribute show at Carnegie Hall, with The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon, Glen Hansard, Bettye LaVette, Josh Ritter, Marc Cohn and more singing his songs.” (brooklynvegan)
José González and the String Theory(Mar.21-22) Apollo Theatre, 253 W. 125th St./ 8PM, $65
“Singer-songwriter José González first wowed listeners with devastating solo acoustic covers of hits by dance-music groups like Massive Attack. In these special appearances, he performs his best work in collaboration with the String Theory, an orchestra based in Sweden and Germany dedicated to bridging the pop-classical divide.” (vulture.com, Craig Jenkins)
GARY CLARK JR. (Mar.21-23) at the Beacon Theater / 8 p.m.; $
“As a gifted blues guitarist, this Austin, Tex., native could easily stick to traditional sounds. But Clark continues to make songs that are expansive and forward-looking. He channels his remarkable technical ability toward hard-edge, political and genre-bending music that is nevertheless rooted in the blues, or at least its angst and earnestness. On his most recent album, “This Land,” he tackles racism and American politics through tunes that are anything but easy listening — and all the better for it.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)
CUNY DANCE INITIATIVE (Mar.20-23)
at Baruch Performing Arts Center / 7:30 p.m.;
“Over the past five years, this expansive residency program has brought more than 100 dance artists to 13 CUNY campuses across the city. This annual showcase offers a sampling of that work, and this year it’s spread over two programs. Program A (on Wednesday and March 22) features the flamenco pair Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernandez, the tap dancer Andrew Nemr, the choreographer Loni Landon and a solo from Urban Bush Women. Program B (on Thursday and March 23) includes Pigeonwing Dance, a solo by Parijat Desai, a mix of dance and spoken word by MBDance and an excerpt from Ephrat Asherie Dance.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)
The Bad Plus (Mar.19-24) Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“As momentous transitions go, it’s been a relatively smooth one for the epochal trio the Bad Plus, which replaced its pivotal pianist Ethan Iverson with the equally skilled player Orrin Evans in 2017. A fine subsequent studio album, “Never Stop II”—which incorporated original material from Evans—and absorbing live performances have proved that the future looks bright for this once iconoclastic and now firmly entrenched ensemble.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (Mar.20-24) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $55+
“It’s rare for a touring ensemble to perform to live music, and even rarer for a contemporary troupe to do so—it’s too expensive, too cumbersome. But Aspen Santa Fe has come up with a simple and elegant solution: a trio of piano ballets, all accompanied onstage by the excellent pianist Joyce Yang. In Jorma Elo’s high-spirited “Half/Cut/Split,” the dancers cavort, speedily, to Schumann’s “Carnaval.” The surrealism of Fernando Melo’s “Dream Play”—in which dancers appear to balance on tightropes and fly—is paired with the spare melodies of Satie and Chopin. And Philip Glass’s looping motifs set a moody atmosphere for Nicolo Fonte’s “Where We Left Off.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)
Death Becomes Us (Mar.20-24)
Find your favorite murder.
Various locations, times
“The first NYC edition of this D.C.-based festival brings together crime authors, content creators, and their fans. Highlights include a talk with Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder of Serial and a panel on being falsely accused with Amanda Knox and Damien Echols, who spent 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.” (vulture.com)
NOCHE FLAMENCA (thru Mar.31, NO MON.) at the Connelly Theater
“This splendid flamenco company, led by Martín Santangelo, its artistic director, and the dancer Soledad Barrio, presents “Entre Tú y Yo” (“Between You and Me”), an evening of solos, duets and ensemble works that includes “Refugiados” (“Refugees”), which has been recently added to the company’s repertoire. The piece transforms poems written by children in refugee camps into song and dance. The program also features the latest iteration of “La Ronde,” which is inspired by Max Ophüls’s 1950 film and spotlights the talents of a guitarist, a vocalist and a solo dancer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)
(March 12-14, 7:30 p.m.; through March 31).
If you like flamenco even a little, you must see Soledad’s performance.
♦ 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 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz 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 Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500 Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661 Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com
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 discovery and enjoyment.
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.
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Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.
For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.
*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better to plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.
TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “
======================================================= For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 03/19 and 03/17.
Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNSDAY/ MARCH 20, 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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events, check the tab above: “March 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
CARLA BLEY TRIO at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $
“Unlike her compositions — a lovable admixture of American folk songs, avant-garde jazz, soft rock and Romanticism — Bley, at age 82, remains a rather inaccessible figure. She doesn’t tour often, and she has long preferred the scholarly remove of a composer’s identity to the more public one of a bandleader. All of which makes this appearance, featuring her longstanding trio (Bley on piano, Steve Swallow on bass and Andy Sheppard on saxophones), something especially worth seeking out.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
CUNY DANCE INITIATIVE (Mar.20-23) at Baruch Performing Arts Center / 7:30 p.m.;
“Over the past five years, this expansive residency program has brought more than 100 dance artists to 13 CUNY campuses across the city. This annual showcase offers a sampling of that work, and this year it’s spread over two programs. Program A (on Wednesday and March 22) features the flamenco pair Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernandez, the tap dancer Andrew Nemr, the choreographer Loni Landon and a solo from Urban Bush Women. Program B (on Thursday and March 23) includes Pigeonwing Dance, a solo by Parijat Desai, a mix of dance and spoken word by MBDance and an excerpt from Ephrat Asherie Dance.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)
The Bad Plus (Mar.19-24) Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“As momentous transitions go, it’s been a relatively smooth one for the epochal trio the Bad Plus, which replaced its pivotal pianist Ethan Iverson with the equally skilled player Orrin Evans in 2017. A fine subsequent studio album, “Never Stop II”—which incorporated original material from Evans—and absorbing live performances have proved that the future looks bright for this once iconoclastic and now firmly entrenched ensemble.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)
Rigoletto (next Apr.26, 8PM) Metropolitan Opera House / 8PM, $20+
“Verdi’s tragic jester returns in Michael Mayer’s neon-bedecked, Las Vegas–themed production. Baritones Roberto Frontali and George Gagnidze share the title role, and soprano Nadine Sierra reprises her portrayal of Gilda, the role that helped launch her now-blossoming Met career. Tenors Vittorio Grigolo and Bryan Hymel share the role of the lascivious Duke, and Nicola Luisotti conducts.”
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (Mar.20-24) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $55+
“It’s rare for a touring ensemble to perform to live music, and even rarer for a contemporary troupe to do so—it’s too expensive, too cumbersome. But Aspen Santa Fe has come up with a simple and elegant solution: a trio of piano ballets, all accompanied onstage by the excellent pianist Joyce Yang. In Jorma Elo’s high-spirited “Half/Cut/Split,” the dancers cavort, speedily, to Schumann’s “Carnaval.” The surrealism of Fernando Melo’s “Dream Play”—in which dancers appear to balance on tightropes and fly—is paired with the spare melodies of Satie and Chopin. And Philip Glass’s looping motifs set a moody atmosphere for Nicolo Fonte’s “Where We Left Off.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)
Central Park Celebrates Spring
various locations in the park / 9AM- 6PM, FREE
“Ahh, it’s finally spring and the park is coming alive. There will be a full day of free programming at Central Park, including an introductory birding tour in the Ramble; pop-up readings by Mark Bittman, author of “How to Cook Everything” and “Dinner for Everyone,” and Nicole Krauss, author of “Forest Dark;” volunteer opportunities and gardening tips from Conservancy staff from Shakespeare and Conservatory Gardens; catch-and-release fishing at the Harlem Meer; games at Chess & Checkers House and more.” (amNY)
An Evening with Music Director Jaap van Zweden
Insights at the Atrium Atrium at Lincoln Center/ 7:30PM, FREE
“As he approaches the end of his inaugural season as music director of the New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden discusses his path to the Philharmonic, the core values he brings to his musicianship and the Orchestra, and his views on the role of the symphony orchestra in the 21st century.”
Death Becomes Us (Mar.20-24)
Find your favorite murder.
Various locations, times
“The first NYC edition of this D.C.-based festival brings together crime authors, content creators, and their fans. Highlights include a talk with Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder of Serial and a panel on being falsely accused with Amanda Knox and Damien Echols, who spent 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.” (vulture.com)
NOCHE FLAMENCA (thru Mar.31, NO MON.) at the Connelly Theater
“This splendid flamenco company, led by Martín Santangelo, its artistic director, and the dancer Soledad Barrio, presents “Entre Tú y Yo” (“Between You and Me”), an evening of solos, duets and ensemble works that includes “Refugiados” (“Refugees”), which has been recently added to the company’s repertoire. The piece transforms poems written by children in refugee camps into song and dance. The program also features the latest iteration of “La Ronde,” which is inspired by Max Ophüls’s 1950 film and spotlights the talents of a guitarist, a vocalist and a solo dancer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)
(March 12-14, 7:30 p.m.; through March 31).
If you like flamenco even a little, you must see Soledad’s performance.
♦ 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 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===================================================== Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:
Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.
For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”
There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.
It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.
There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.
Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.
It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.
This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.
Website:http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html Phone #: 212-219-2970 Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps Music: Mon/Wed 8pm Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat
================================================================================== “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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“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.”
Check the tab above: “March NYC Events”for 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
Today is the last day experimenting with a different format – on some days we went visual and offered a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos, YouTube videos, or Pinterest Pins. On other days we provided info on the Best NYC Restaurants, or Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. We hope you have found this useful and enjoyable. Please let us know in the comments what you thought. Thanks.
“We search the internet 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 as1-2-3.
Check the tab above: “March NYC Events” for 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
For a five day period we are trying a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos, YouTube videos, or Pinterest Pins. On other days you will find info on the Best NYC Restaurants or Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s NYCity on Top Online Travel Forums.
Traditional travel guides and blogs, whether online or in paper format, give you a lot of content but still have their limitations. Chances are you’ll have specific questions and concerns that they didn’t cover.
Online travel forums (the original social media) are one of the best ways to find information you can’t find elsewhere, and to find answers to specific questions. These online communities of travelers are ready and willing to offer their insights and first-hand knowledge.
Which are the best travel forums – the forums with many informed and active members who will answer your questions promptly and accurately? with moderators who will ensure that discussions stay relevant and civil?
> Trip Advisor’s Travel Board
Their motto: ”Get the truth.Then go” Search by destination or interest. The New York City Travel Forum has 189K topics and the sidebar “Top questions about New York City” is very helpful. Search here for New York City
> Fodor’s Travel Talk Forums
This is a big one with 2.1M posts for the USA and 3.9M posts for Europe and can be difficult to find what you are looking for. In order to use all the features of the forum, you will need to register. Search here for New York City
> Flyer Talk Forums
Been around a long time. Heavy, of course, on air travel and airports. But the destinations section has a New York City forum with many posts. Unfortunately, browsing through the threads is time consuming, and the search engine is not very helpful. Search here for New York City
> Rick Steve’s Travel Forum
This is a Euro-centric Forum, so it won’t be much help for NYCity. But Rick Steves and his travelers have so much good information on the site I just had to list it. Be sure to use it when you travel to Europe. Search here for technology tips
Of course, your FaceBook friends and Twitter world may be helpful too.
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here March 20, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
“We search the internet 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 as1-2-3.
Check the tab above: “March NYC Events” for 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
For a five day period we are trying a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos, YouTube videos, or Pinterest Pins. On other days you will find info on the Best NYC Restaurants or Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s NYCity on You-Tube & Pinterest.
There are some very fine YouTube videos and Pinterest Pins that cover New York City and are endlessly fascinating. Here are some of my faves:
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here March 20, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
“We search the internet 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 as1-2-3.
Check the tab above: “March NYC Events” for 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
For a five day period we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos, YouTube videos, or Pinterest Pins. On other days you will find info on the Best NYC Restaurants or Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s NYCity Restaurants.
Best NYCity Restaurants
It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan. Seems like there is at least one restaurant on every block. The New York City health department inspected over 10,000 eating establishments in Manhattan alone last year. And the selection of restaurants includes cuisines from all over the world.
Finding a good place to eat is a bit harder. We could start with New York City’s 72 Michelin-Starred Restaurants, but they are more suitable for those on expense accounts or celebrating a special event. No worries. There are many guides to good eating available, if you know where to look.
Here are a few of my favorite guides to the best restaurants in various neighborhoods:
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here March 20, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
“We search the internet 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 as1-2-3.
Check the tab above:“March NYC Events” for 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
For a five day period we are going to try a different format – on some days we will go visual and offer a selection of the very best NYCity Instagram photos, YouTube videos, or Pinterest Pins. On other days you will find info on the Best NYC Restaurants or Top Online Travel Forums with NYC info. We hope you will come back often to see what’s cooking here. Today it’s NYCity Instagram Photos.
We hope you enjoy this change of pace, then please return here March 20, and every day for our daily, hot off the presses event guide with “Only the Best” NYCity event info.
Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ MARCH 14, 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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events, check the tab above: “March 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
Marta Pereira da Costa: A Portuguese Guitar Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, but get there early for a seat.
“Marta Pereira da Costa, the world’s only professional female Portuguese Fado guitar player, is quickly becoming an ambassador of Portugal’s most iconic musical tradition. She is a 2014 recipient of the prestigious Instrumentalist Award from the Amália Rodrigues Foundation, named after the world-renowned “Queen of Fado.” Joined by a viola, contrabass, piano, and percussion, da Costa will showcase her soulful playing and stunning virtuosity in a dynamic and intense instrumental show at the Atrium.”
Joan Belgrave Quintet Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
“Vocalist Joan Belgrave first started singing in church, went on to study classical voice, and is now known in jazz, blues, gospel, and R&B circles. A hometown hero in her native Detroit, Belgrave is a versatile singer, natural entertainer, and proven crowd-pleaser. Tonight she’ll be performing a show she calls You’re My Everything: Songs of Love & Life, featuring saxophonist JD Allen, pianist Zen Zadravec, bassist Santi Debriano, and drummer Brandon Williams. Start your week with some soul at Dizzy’s Club.”
Harold Mabern(March 14-16.) Smoke, 2751 Broadway, btw 105/106 St. / 7, 9, 10:30PM, $40
“Harold Mabern may just be the hardest-working octogenarian in jazz. To celebrate his eighty-third birthday, the hard-bop patriarch will do what he does best: get out of the house and play some gigs. He’s joined by a rhythm team—the bassist John Webber and the drummer Joe Farnsworth—who, by now, react to the bluesy machinations of Mabern’s pianistics with the intimacy of family members.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)
Miguel Zenón(March 12-17) Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“The virtuosic saxophonist and questing composer Miguel Zenón is anything but old school, but he does hold to a traditional approach to band-leading: he’s somehow kept the same aggregation of players together for more than a decade. With the pianist Luis Perdomo, the bassist Hans Glawischnig, and the drummer Henry Cole in tow, Zenón explores his Latin-American roots as refracted through a cutting-edge lens.’ (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)
Ailey II (Mar.13-17) N.Y.U. Skirball, 566 LaGuardia Pl. / 7:30PM,
“Not many feeder troupes look like this one, always packed with extraordinary dancers who seem fully ready for the varsity team. Many Ailey II dancers do graduate into the main Ailey company, and guessing who will make it is part of the fun. As in the past, the programs are divided between “All New” and “Returning Favorites.” The novelties are by members of the extended Ailey family—from the Ailey alum Uri Sands and the Ailey II alum Bradley Shelver to Ailey II’s artistic director, Troy Powell, and the man in charge of Ailey, Robert Battle.” (Brian Seibert, NewYorker)
SHEN YUN NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $80+
“Shen Yun takes you on an extraordinary journey through China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired civilization. Exquisite beauty from the heavens, profound wisdom from dynasties past, timeless legends and ethnic traditions all spring to life through classical Chinese dance, enchanting orchestral music, authentic costumes, and dynamic animated backdrops. It is an immersive experience that will uplift your spirit and transport you to another world. It’s 5,000 years of civilization reborn!”
The Joyous Music of Beethoven Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America
58 Park Ave. / 8PM, $25
“Keyboard Conversations® with internationally acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel.
“The third concert in this season’s 4-part series, now in its 14th season! Exhilarating, uplifting evening of piano masterpieces! Includes the uproarious “Rage Over A Lost Penny;” the “Thérèse” Sonata,” a favorite of the composer; the “Les Adieux” (Farewell) Sonata—who was leaving and why was Beethoven so deeply affected? Music to enchant the ear and touch the heart.”
Dynamic performances—captivating comments—lively Q & A!
Entertaining, enriching, instantly accessible!
“An achievement of a sort seldom heard.” The New York Times
Saving Washington: The Forgotten Story of The Maryland 400 and The Battle of Brooklyn Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St./ 6PM, $10
“Join author Chris Formant as he discusses the research that went into his new historical fiction novel Saving Washington: The Forgotten Story of The Maryland 400 and The Battle of Brooklyn. Formant will explore his research into this group of citizen soldiers who heroically charged against the more experienced British forces at the Battle of Brooklyn, allowing the Continental Army to escape and saving General George Washington.”
Suzanne Vega (through March 16) at Café Carlyle
“This New York-based singer-songwriter has been composing and performing folk-inspired acoustic tunes since she was a Barnard student in the early 1980s. The venerable cabaret Café Carlyle might be considerably more upscale than Tom’s Restaurant — the Upper West Side student haunt that inspired Vega’s enduring and influential single “Tom’s Diner” — but both offer a glimpse of a bygone New York. A product of the bohemian Greenwich Village folk scene, which has all but disappeared, Vega herself presents an evening of time travel to a completely different period in the city’s history.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)
Hubbard Street (thru Mar.17) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./
“Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the country’s most prominent contemporary-dance ensembles, returns to New York after a four-year absence. Each half of the two-week run is devoted to a single choreographer: the Tel Aviv-based Ohad Naharin first, followed by the Canada-born Crystal Pite. “Decadance/Chicago” is an updated version of Naharin’s popular 2000 work, a series of surrealistic vignettes that concludes with a section in which audience members slow-dance with the cast onstage. The Pite evening, in contrast, is made up of three works—“A Picture of You Falling,” “The Other You,” and “Grace Engine”—executed in Pite’s highly articulated, sinuous movement style.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)
NOCHE FLAMENCA (thru Mar.31, NO MON.) at the Connelly Theater
“This splendid flamenco company, led by Martín Santangelo, its artistic director, and the dancer Soledad Barrio, presents “Entre Tú y Yo” (“Between You and Me”), an evening of solos, duets and ensemble works that includes “Refugiados” (“Refugees”), which has been recently added to the company’s repertoire. The piece transforms poems written by children in refugee camps into song and dance. The program also features the latest iteration of “La Ronde,” which is inspired by Max Ophüls’s 1950 film and spotlights the talents of a guitarist, a vocalist and a solo dancer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)
(March 12-14, 7:30 p.m.; through March 31).
If you like flamenco even a little, you must see Soledad’s performance.
♦ 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 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===================================================== Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:
Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.
For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”
Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.
In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.
The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 55th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.
Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $9.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.
Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.
For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk: 1 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
============================================================== “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.
=================================================================================
Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ MARCH 13, 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 as1-2-3.
For future NYC Events, check the tab above: “March 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
Laurie Anderson presents “Lou Reed Drones”
@ The Cathedral of St. John the Divine / 6:30-11PM, RSVP
“Laurie Anderson presents an incredible drone-based sonic experience utilizing a number of historic guitars from her late husband Lou Reed’s collection. This installation, curated by Reed’s former guitar technician Stewart Hurwood, places the instruments in an arrangement against a group of amplifiers so that their tuned feedback creates an enveloping drone of harmonics that shifts and changes depending on the audience’s location within the space of the Cathedral. Further, the Cathedral’s natural 8-second echo will add immeasurably to the profound Doppler effect the audience experiences as they move around the space.”
Samson et Dalila (next Mar.16, 8PM) Metropolitan Opera House/ 8PM, $30+
“When mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna joined forces for a new production of Carmen at the Met, the results were electrifying. Now this star duo reunites for another sensual French opera when they open the season in the title roles of Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic Samson et Dalila. Darko Tresnjak, who won a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2014 for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, makes his Met debut directing a vivid, seductive staging, featuring a monumental setting for the last-act Temple of Dagon, where the hero crushes his Philistine enemies. Sir Mark Elder conducts the first new Met production of the work in 20 years.”
Lakecia Benjamin: Jazz Takes Flight Dizzy’s Club Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, 9:30PM, $35
“Jazz at Lincoln Center presents tonight’s special event as part of Carnegie Hall’s citywide Migrations:The Making of America festival. This chapter will be an insightful exploration of the creation and evolution of American music during the Great Migration of 1917—1971. Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin will provide the soundtrack to this pivotal era through the music of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Muddy Waters, and Aretha Franklin. Benjamin has a well-earned reputation for energetic, genre-crossing performances, and this repertoire is a great opportunity to gain new insight on American popular music from one of its rising stars.”
MIYA MASAOKA at the Park Avenue Armory / 7 and 9 p.m.;$45
“Masaoka’s style on the koto, a long, stringed instrument from Japan, bespeaks deep equanimity: She is comfortable allowing vast amounts of open space — playing quietly, just a few notes at a time — but within that serene composure she strategically builds a feeling of tensile anticipation. You can lie down and stretch out inside her music, but you can’t ever get completely comfortable. An eclectic collaborator across the worlds of traditional and avant-garde music, at the armory she debuts “The Long Arc of Time,” a work inspired by traditional Japanese Buddhist chants and by the poetry of Tracie Morris. The performance will feature Masaoka alongside fellow Japanese and American musicians and the soprano Kamala Sankaram.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
Ailey II (Mar.13-17) N.Y.U. Skirball,566 LaGuardia Pl. / 7:30PM,
“Not many feeder troupes look like this one, always packed with extraordinary dancers who seem fully ready for the varsity team. Many Ailey II dancers do graduate into the main Ailey company, and guessing who will make it is part of the fun. As in the past, the programs are divided between “All New” and “Returning Favorites.” The novelties are by members of the extended Ailey family—from the Ailey alum Uri Sands and the Ailey II alum Bradley Shelver to Ailey II’s artistic director, Troy Powell, and the man in charge of Ailey, Robert Battle.” (Brian Seibert, NewYorker)
SHEN YUN NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $80+
“Shen Yun takes you on an extraordinary journey through China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired civilization. Exquisite beauty from the heavens, profound wisdom from dynasties past, timeless legends and ethnic traditions all spring to life through classical Chinese dance, enchanting orchestral music, authentic costumes, and dynamic animated backdrops. It is an immersive experience that will uplift your spirit and transport you to another world. It’s 5,000 years of civilization reborn!”
Taste of Grand Central Market Grand Central Terminal / 2PM, FREE
“New Yorkers will gladly cough up change for great food, but when there’s a chance to snag excellent grub for the price of nada, we pounce! Make sure to stake out a spot for Grand Central’s “Taste of Grand Central Market.” The foodie heaven (located between Graybar Building and the 4/5/6 subway lines) serves a ton of gratis bites from merchants such as Ceriello Fine Foods, Eli Zabar’s Bread & Pastry, Eli Zabar’s Farm to Table, Oren’s Daily Roast, Pescatore Seafood Co., Sushi by Pescatore, Murray’s Cheese and more.The complimentary tastings last for an hour (2pm to 3pm) on March 11 and March 13. So, if you’re in dire need of a snack during your commute, this is the spot to hit! And before you go, make sure to check our list of 10 fascinating secrets about Grand Central.” (TONY)
The Privacy Paradox | The Alliance Series Albertine, 972 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Cloud storage, data mining, and social media sharing all chip away at the privacy rights that most of us take for granted. Bernard E. Harcourt of the Columbia Center for Contemporary Critical Thought joins Lecturer in Digital Economy Asma Mhalla to examine the disconnect.” (ThoughtGallery)
AI Data Privacy – What You Should Know! Galvanize, 303 Spring St. / 6:30PM, FREE
“In our modern world of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) your personal data and freedom of privacy is being affected. With the constant collection of self-governing tech systems, connected devices/machines, smart phones/homes, and drones your personal data is being collected, tracked, and used by all types of companies. Can real-time decision-making by self-governing tech discriminate and restrict you of choice or possibilities? How safe and private is your personal data from hackers? Is a data profile being built of you? What type of data privacy protection safeguards are there for citizens? We will explore this and more in this very important session on data privacy in the era of modern technology. The right to privacy is the fabric of humanity and that must be protected.”
Suzanne Vega (through March 16) at Café Carlyle
“This New York-based singer-songwriter has been composing and performing folk-inspired acoustic tunes since she was a Barnard student in the early 1980s. The venerable cabaret Café Carlyle might be considerably more upscale than Tom’s Restaurant — the Upper West Side student haunt that inspired Vega’s enduring and influential single “Tom’s Diner” — but both offer a glimpse of a bygone New York. A product of the bohemian Greenwich Village folk scene, which has all but disappeared, Vega herself presents an evening of time travel to a completely different period in the city’s history.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)
Hubbard Street (thru Mar.17) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./
“Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the country’s most prominent contemporary-dance ensembles, returns to New York after a four-year absence. Each half of the two-week run is devoted to a single choreographer: the Tel Aviv-based Ohad Naharin first, followed by the Canada-born Crystal Pite. “Decadance/Chicago” is an updated version of Naharin’s popular 2000 work, a series of surrealistic vignettes that concludes with a section in which audience members slow-dance with the cast onstage. The Pite evening, in contrast, is made up of three works—“A Picture of You Falling,” “The Other You,” and “Grace Engine”—executed in Pite’s highly articulated, sinuous movement style.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)
NOCHE FLAMENCA (thru Mar.31, NO MON.) at the Connelly Theater
“This splendid flamenco company, led by Martín Santangelo, its artistic director, and the dancer Soledad Barrio, presents “Entre Tú y Yo” (“Between You and Me”), an evening of solos, duets and ensemble works that includes “Refugiados” (“Refugees”), which has been recently added to the company’s repertoire. The piece transforms poems written by children in refugee camps into song and dance. The program also features the latest iteration of “La Ronde,” which is inspired by Max Ophüls’s 1950 film and spotlights the talents of a guitarist, a vocalist and a solo dancer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)
(March 12-14, 7:30 p.m.; through March 31).
If you like flamenco even a little, you must see Soledad’s performance.
♦ 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 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
=========================================================== Bonus NYC events– 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)
Special Mention: 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.
WHAT’S ON VIEW These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)
“Convinced that the world was not ready for her artistry in 1906, particularly as an underrepresented female in her field, af Klint of Sweden kept her work private. Her paintings anticipated by years “breakthroughs” by Kandinsky, Mondrian and others and were unseen before 1986. The Guggenheim rediscovers her.”
“Recognized as one of the art world’s earliest abstract painters, Hilma af Klint was a steadfast believer that her work was inspired by the spiritual. The new Guggenheim exhibition, “Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future,” showcases the work of this groundbreaking Swedish artist (1862-1944), whose work was rarely seen until the 1980s.” (Newsday)
See our art critic’s top pick of the year.
“Luckily, the number-one pick in Jerry Saltz’s best art shows of 2018 is still running. Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Future at the Guggenheim Museum examines the work of the unacknowledged Swedish visionary and makes a case for her being the first modernist abstract painter. Saltz is especially enamored with the first gallery, so make sure you spend some time there.” (NYMagazine)
GD: Definitely worth a visit. af Klint was like the original Kandinsky and it’s interesting to see both of their works in the same museum, even if not side-by-side.
“Saar has been making important and influential work for nearly 60 years. Yet no big New York museum has given her a full retrospective, or even a significant one-person show, since a 1975 solo at the Whitney Museum of American Art. As this exhibition demonstrates, the institutional oversight is baffling, as her primary themes — racial justice and feminism (her 1972 breakthrough piece, “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” merges the two by transforming the racist stereotype of the smiling black mammy into an armed freedom fighter) — are exactly attuned to the present.” (Cotter-NYT) 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org
‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’ “After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago)212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org
Museum of the City of New York
NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)
and you should be sure to check outthesespecial exhibitions atthat little museum on Fifth Ave.,The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)
“How great are the Met’s holdings in the Dutch golden age? Very. This long-term installation rings the lower level of the Lehman Wing with scores of lesser-known gems from the mid-seventeenth century, many of them rarely on view before, amid masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Ruisdael. The period, vivified here, began in 1648, when the end of the Eighty Years’ War with Spain brought a boom in wealth and morale, expressed by genre paintings that exalt the national ideal of gezelligheid—social warmth, comfort, belonging. A key figure was Gerard ter Borch, who had travelled widely and worked at the court of Philip IV, in company with Velázquez. Ter Borch’s lustrous, ineffably witty domestic scenes inspired a generation of masters, notably Vermeer, whose genius rather eclipsed his elder’s. The pictures often star ter Borch’s younger sister Gesina, preening in satins or enigmatically musing. Herself a painter, she is cutely funny-looking—pointy nose, weak chin—and desperately lovable. There’s much to be said for a world with such a family in it.” (Peter Schjeldahl, NewYorker)
=========================================================== Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio(closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York(open 7 days /week)
• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum(closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum(open 7 days /week)
• 89th Street – National Academy Museum(closed Mon-Tue)
• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum(closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York(closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street –The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers
Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection(closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum(closed Mon)(Fri 7-9 FREE)on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
============================================================== For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 03/11 and 03/09.
=============================================================
Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ MARCH 12, 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: “March 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.
To make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above; “LiveMusic.”
Miguel Zenón(March 12-17) Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35
“The virtuosic saxophonist and questing composer Miguel Zenón is anything but old school, but he does hold to a traditional approach to band-leading: he’s somehow kept the same aggregation of players together for more than a decade. With the pianist Luis Perdomo, the bassist Hans Glawischnig, and the drummer Henry Cole in tow, Zenón explores his Latin-American roots as refracted through a cutting-edge lens.’ (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)
The Lineup with Susie Mosher Birdland/ 9:45PM, $25
“Mosher is one of those talents you need to see to believe: warm, funny, biting, ferociously committed. In her biweekly series at the brand-new Birdland Theater, she invites a gaggle of performers from Broadway and beyond to show their talents. Guests at the February 12 edition include Carole J. Bufford, Lucia Spina, Billy Stritch, Barry Anderson and Mark Petty, Amy Rivard, Pascal Victor Pastrana, Daniel Dunlow, Sarah Krauss and cast members from Night of the Living Dead! The Musical!” (TONY)
Giuseppe Verdi Falstaff(next and last Mar.16, 1PM) Metropolitan Opera House / 8PM, $30+
“Baritone Ambrogio Maestri brings his larger-than-life portrayal of the title role back for the first time since his Met role debut in the 2013–14 season. Robert Carsen’s insightful production—which moves the action to postwar England in the 1950s—features an exceptional cast that includes soprano Ailyn Pérez as Alice Ford and soprano Golda Schultz as Nannetta.”
New York Youth Symphony Jazz with Ryan Keberle and Matt Holman Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30-$35
“The New York Youth Symphony Jazz Band is one of the best ensembles of its kind. The members of this group range in age from early teens to early 20s, making the quality of their performance even more astonishing. While celebrating the heritage of jazz, the group also values a progressive, emerging new sound. Joining the band this evening are two distinguished jazz professionals with exemplary reputations for their involvement in music education: trombonist Ryan Keberle and trumpeter Matt Holman. The show will feature the world premiere of Sam Wolsk’s Not a Day Missed, commissioned as part of the 35th Anniversary of the New York Youth Symphony First Music Commissioning Series. Enjoy the latest addition to a lineage of great big band jazz music championed by this gifted young band.”
SHEN YUN NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $80+
“Shen Yun takes you on an extraordinary journey through China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired civilization. Exquisite beauty from the heavens, profound wisdom from dynasties past, timeless legends and ethnic traditions all spring to life through classical Chinese dance, enchanting orchestral music, authentic costumes, and dynamic animated backdrops. It is an immersive experience that will uplift your spirit and transport you to another world. It’s 5,000 years of civilization reborn!”
Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
VIJAY IYER AND CRAIG TABORN at Roulette / 8 p.m.; $18
Two leading jazz pianists in their late 40s, Iyer and Taborn each have their own specific formulas, but both are built on a mix of studious abstraction and propulsive weight. Next week they will release their first album as a duo, the expansive, richly improvised “The Transitory Poems,” on ECM Records. The crystalline scatter of Taborn’s playing meets Iyer’s slightly thicker articulation in a sympathetic repartee; the pair seem to constantly divert their own path. They celebrate the album’s arrival at this concert, playing on two grand pianos.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)
Suzanne Vega (through March 16) at Café Carlyle
“This New York-based singer-songwriter has been composing and performing folk-inspired acoustic tunes since she was a Barnard student in the early 1980s. The venerable cabaret Café Carlyle might be considerably more upscale than Tom’s Restaurant — the Upper West Side student haunt that inspired Vega’s enduring and influential single “Tom’s Diner” — but both offer a glimpse of a bygone New York. A product of the bohemian Greenwich Village folk scene, which has all but disappeared, Vega herself presents an evening of time travel to a completely different period in the city’s history.” (NYT-NATALIE WEINER)
Hubbard Street (thru Mar.17) Joyce Theatre, 175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St./
“Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the country’s most prominent contemporary-dance ensembles, returns to New York after a four-year absence. Each half of the two-week run is devoted to a single choreographer: the Tel Aviv-based Ohad Naharin first, followed by the Canada-born Crystal Pite. “Decadance/Chicago” is an updated version of Naharin’s popular 2000 work, a series of surrealistic vignettes that concludes with a section in which audience members slow-dance with the cast onstage. The Pite evening, in contrast, is made up of three works—“A Picture of You Falling,” “The Other You,” and “Grace Engine”—executed in Pite’s highly articulated, sinuous movement style.” (Marina Harss, NewYorker)
NOCHE FLAMENCA (thru Mar.31, NO MON.) at the Connelly Theater
“This splendid flamenco company, led by Martín Santangelo, its artistic director, and the dancer Soledad Barrio, presents “Entre Tú y Yo” (“Between You and Me”), an evening of solos, duets and ensemble works that includes “Refugiados” (“Refugees”), which has been recently added to the company’s repertoire. The piece transforms poems written by children in refugee camps into song and dance. The program also features the latest iteration of “La Ronde,” which is inspired by Max Ophüls’s 1950 film and spotlights the talents of a guitarist, a vocalist and a solo dancer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)
(March 12-14, 7:30 p.m.; through March 31).
If you like flamenco even a little, you must see Soledad’s performance.
♦ 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 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Hit the Hot Link and 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 Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500 Town Hall – 123 W43rd St. (btw 6/7), thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661 Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474 Sony Hall – 235 W 46th St. (btw 7/8), sonyhall.com, 212-997-5123
and one more, not exactly WestSide: Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com
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 discovery and enjoyment. 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.
A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village
Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./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 fairly priced wines, 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. 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, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.
CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, VERY SAD. I HAVE LEFT THIS REVIEW ON MY SITE AS A KIND OF MEMORIAL. As reported in the “Gothamist”: “Caffe Vivaldi, one of the last bohemian bastions of the West Village, is set to close this weekend. During its 35 years on Jones Street, the casual cafe won the hearts of locals and celebs alike, including Oscar Isaac, Bette Midler, and Al Pacino.
Despite that friendly communal atmosphere, the owners ultimately struggled to survive under their notorious vulture landlord Steve Croman, who they say waged a harassment campaign against the restaurant, and eventually tripled their rent.”
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 left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards 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.
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. $9 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 St.)
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 Square 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.
======================================================== “3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
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NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.
◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available SUMMER 2019).
◊ Order before AUG. 31, 2019 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 