Selected NYC Events (01/27) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/27/2017 by GregD

Today’s Elite8 NYC Events>FRIDAY/JAN.27, 2017

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
image-1 “Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

7  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
THE LATIN SIDE OF DIZZY WITH CARLOS HENRIQUEZ
GIORGIO MORODER
Nellie McKay: A Girl Named Bill
Butler, Bernstein, and the Hot 9
Bryant Park’s Winter Carnival
Winter Antiques Show
Lunar New Year

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
New York Boat Show

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

THE LATIN SIDE OF DIZZY WITH CARLOS HENRIQUEZ (also Jan.28)
Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center / 7, +9:30PM, $65+
As a teenager growing up in the Bronx, the bassist Carlos Henriquez apprenticed and performed with some of the city’s leading Latin jazz musicians, names like Jerry Gonzalez and Tito Puente. Many of them could recall playing alongside the legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, who in the 1940s helped pioneer a fusion of Afro-Cuban music and bebop. This weekend Mr. Henriquez convenes a redoubtable cast of musicians from across generations and nationalities for a celebration of Gillespie’s Latin jazz legacy. They include the Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez, the American pianist Larry Willis and the Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

GIORGIO MORODER
at Flash Factory, 229 W28th St./ 11PM, $30, only limited tickets left
The Italian producer Giorgio Moroder was a disco trailblazer in the early 1970s, thanks to his work with Donna Summer on songs like “Last Dance” and “I Feel Love.” But after a 2013 collaboration with the futuristic electro-funk mavens Daft Punk, Mr. Moroder, now 76, has been enjoying a career resurgence: His 2015 comeback album, “Déjà Vu,” featured club-ready productions with modern-day disco divas like Britney Spears, Kelis and Kylie Minogue. Mr. Moroder’s D.J. sets these days feature his new work, but it’s the bulletproof classics from his breakthrough years that really get crowds moving — and still sound totally vital today.” (NYT-KEVIN O’DONNELL)

Nellie McKay: A Girl Named Bill
Feinstein’s/54 Below, / 7PM, $55-$65
“Fearless singer-songwriter McKay is always guaranteed to flabber your gast with her witty, unwieldy and beguiling performances. Her themed sets are especially bonkers (in a wonderful way); this one, first performed in 2014, employs original songs and a wide range of covers to explore the life of jazz bandleader Billy Tipton, who was discovered at his death to have been born female.” (TONY)

Butler, Bernstein, and the Hot 9
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St./
“The stylistically omnivorous brass man Steven Bernstein has a soft spot for early jazz, so his fertile hookup with the New Orleans pianist and singer Henry Butler, a virtuosic performer who honors tradition while remaining unbound to it, always delivers big fun. The fruits of their collaboration—fortified by the spirited Hot 9 unit—were first heard on “Viper’s Drag,” from 2014, a recording that gave a joyous dusting-off to formative material from Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, and others.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Bryant Park’s Winter Carnival
There will be an ice castle and so much more at Bryant Park’s Winter Carnival
Rooftop igloos are pretty cool, but an ice castle is way cooler (pun intended). And guess what? You can scope out the frozen fortress at Bryant Park Winter Village’s upcoming Winter Carnival on January 27. Better yet, the formally weekend-only festival has been extended!

That’s right. This year’s nine-day, frosty celebration is jam-packed with entertainment including free curling lessons, a silent disco, a cozy sweater pup meet-up, an outdoor winter brew house and more. And, like last year, there’s an “Ice Ball” where folks can don their fanciest attire and waltz (or, er, try to) on the park’s ice-skating rink. For more of the very ~chill~ activities you can do while you’re there. see the Bryant Park Winter Village Guide.” (TONY)

Winter Antiques Show (Jan.20-29)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 12-8PM, $25
“History buffs can riffle through 70-plus booths of decorative housewares, furniture and tableaux at this vintage art and antiques fair, where you’ll find some luxurious and incredibly detailed paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.” (TONY)

Lunar New Year
Various locations. Jan. 26-31
imgres“There are several ways to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, and most involve lavish displays of fireworks. Red and gold, the traditional shades of good luck, burst over the Hudson River and color the Empire State Building on Jan. 26; in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, on Jan. 28, more than six hundred thousand firecrackers will be set off to ward away evil spirits. The park will also host lion dances (distinct from the more famous dragon dance in its use of just two performers), decorations giveaways, craft venders, and food booths. Organizers suggest that the more dumplings attendees eat, the more money they’ll earn that year, an easy enough proposition. The New York Philharmonic welcomes the Year of the Rooster with a concert and gala at Lincoln Center on Jan. 31.” (NewYorker)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 9 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

New York Boat Show (thru Jan.29)
Javits Center, 655 W34th St./ 12PM TH+FR; 10AM SA +SU, $16
“If your life, your love and your lady is the sea, then you’ll be more than satisfied by this five-day nautical convention, which features a vast variety of yachts, sailboats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to sharpen your boating skills with interactive workshops, test the waters on land through a boating simulator and more.” (TONY)

================================================
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. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

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.
See Below.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
=================================================================================

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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.

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.
==============================================================
“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.
========================================================

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.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
========================================================
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 Spring 2017).
◊ Order before Mar.31, 2017 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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Selected NYC Events (01/26) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/26/2017 by GregD

Today’s Elite8 NYC Events>THURSDAY/JAN.26, 2017

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

Nellie McKay: A Girl Named Bill
Feinstein’s/54 Below, / 7PM, $55-$65
“Fearless singer-songwriter McKay is always guaranteed to flabber your gast with her witty, unwieldy and beguiling performances. Her themed sets are especially bonkers (in a wonderful way); this one, first performed in 2014, employs original songs and a wide range of covers to explore the life of jazz bandleader Billy Tipton, who was discovered at his death to have been born female.” (TONY)

7  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
Paulina Olowska
Butler, Bernstein, and the Hot 9
Forro in the Dark
New York/Los Angeles, Photographs: 1967-2015
Faculty Research Talk: The Brain Is a Time Machine
Lunar New Year
New York Boat Show

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Paulina Olowska (thru Jan.28)
at the Kitchen, 512 W19th St./ 8PM, $20
At Nearly 100, Painting That Can Inspire Fresh Motion
“In her new work “Slavic Goddesses — A Wreath of Ceremonies,” Ms. Olowska, a Polish artist, teams up with Katy Pyle, an American choreographer who smartly interrogates the gender codes of classical ballet. Invoking Slavic and pagan folklore, Ms. Olowska draws from the little-known work of Zofia Stryjenska, whose 1918 series of paintings, “Bozki Slowianskie” (“Slavic Deities”), provides the inspiration for the evening’s fantastical costumes and visual landscape. Ms. Pyle’s choreography, which reimagines folk steps integral to ballet — and considers how they’ve been appropriated over time — will be danced by members of her company, Ballez. “ (NYT-SIOBHAN BURKE)

Butler, Bernstein, and the Hot 9
Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th St./
“The stylistically omnivorous brass man Steven Bernstein has a soft spot for early jazz, so his fertile hookup with the New Orleans pianist and singer Henry Butler, a virtuosic performer who honors tradition while remaining unbound to it, always delivers big fun. The fruits of their collaboration—fortified by the spirited Hot 9 unit—were first heard on “Viper’s Drag,” from 2014, a recording that gave a joyous dusting-off to formative material from Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, and others.” (NewYorker)

Forro in the Dark
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE,
but get there early to get a seat.
“Rural party music of Northeastern Brazil meets jazz, psychedelia, and folk in one of the most exciting bands to come out of NYC’s East Village Nublu scene.”

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

New York/Los Angeles, Photographs: 1967-2015
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
With Lloyd Ziff, photographer, art director and award-winning designer.
“This illustrated lecture features the exciting collection of new images of America’s two most interesting cities taken over some 40 years, captured in black and white and color photography.”

Faculty Research Talk: The Brain Is a Time Machine
Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, James Room, 4th Floor Barnard Hall/ 6:15PM, FREE
A lecture with Peter D. Balsam
“All thought and behavior is organized in time. Everything we do—from picking up a glass of water to the daily rhythms of eating and sleeping—relies on timed signals from the body and brain that convey information about the right time to do it. The mechanisms of our brains allow us to organize the temporal structure of our actions and physiology on scales ranging from milliseconds to days. Like the air we breathe, we are not often aware of time, but it is the infrastructure for all our everyday functions. When these mechanisms become disordered or fail to offer temporal information to guide our behavior, it can contribute to the symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, and substance abuse. Professor Balsam’s recent work focuses on how anticipation underlies motivated action, research that can be harnessed to suggest new treatment strategies.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Lunar New Year
Various locations. Jan. 26-31
imgres “There are several ways to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, and most involve lavish displays of fireworks. Red and gold, the traditional shades of good luck, burst over the Hudson River and color the Empire State Building on Jan. 26; in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, on Jan. 28, more than six hundred thousand firecrackers will be set off to ward away evil spirits. The park will also host lion dances (distinct from the more famous dragon dance in its use of just two performers), decorations giveaways, craft venders, and food booths. Organizers suggest that the more dumplings attendees eat, the more money they’ll earn that year, an easy enough proposition. The New York Philharmonic welcomes the Year of the Rooster with a concert and gala at Lincoln Center on Jan. 31.” (NewYorker)

New York Boat Show (thru Jan.29)
Javits Center, 655 W34th St./ 12PM TH+FR; 10AM SA +SU, $16
“If your life, your love and your lady is the sea, then you’ll be more than satisfied by this five-day nautical convention, which features a vast variety of yachts, sailboats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to sharpen your boating skills with interactive workshops, test the waters on land through a boating simulator and more.” (TONY)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 8 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

=======================================================
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. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

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.

=======================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=======================================================================

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:
‘FROM THE COLLECTION: 1960-1969’ (through March 12, 2017)
“MoMA shakes up its sanctum sanctorum, installing half of its permanent collection galleries with works chosen by 17 curators from a single decade: the tumultuous 1960s. The limited time frame is balanced by unprecedented breadth and variety. As never before, the presentation mixes together objects and artworks from all six of the museum’s curatorial departments. The blend is alternately stimulating and bewildering, revelatory and infuriating: yet another symptom of the museum’s limited curatorial mind-set. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)
 ‘TONY OURSLER: IMPONDERABLE’ (through April 16, 2017)
“This small exhibition is centered on a 90-minute film in which episodes from the history of spiritualist frauds and hoaxes are re-enacted by people in fanciful costumes while mystic flames, smoke and ectoplasmic phenomena come and go. At certain moments during “Imponderable,” you feel breezes wafting over you and hear loud thumping under the theater’s risers. The crudeness of these effects is part of the generally comical spirit. It’s all about the confusion between illusion and reality to which human beings seem to be congenitally susceptible. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Johnson)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘HUMAN INTEREST: PORTRAITS FROM THE WHITNEY’S COLLECTION’ (through Feb.12, 2017)
“A year ago, the Whitney inaugurated its new downtown home with a permanent collection showcase called “America Is Hard to See.” Its even more immediately engaging successor, devoted entirely to portraiture, is now on view and might well have been subtitled “Americans Are Strange to Look At,” which, in the 250 images here, we sure are: funny-strange, beautiful-strange, crazy-strange, dangerous-strange, inscrutable-strange. The work is arranged by theme and spread over two floors. There are magnetic images everywhere. 99 Gansevoort Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter)

“DREAMLANDS: IMMERSIVE CINEMA AND ART’, 1905-2016′ (thru Feb.05, 2017)
“The Whitney’s new exhibit offers visitors a chance to explore more than a century of experimentation in cinema, mostly by American artists. See works that question and play with elements such as color, touch, music, spectacle, light and darkness, animation and dimension. There will be a film series in addition to the 18,000 square feet of gallery space devoted to the show.” (Newsday)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 01/24 and 01/22.
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Selected NYC Events (01/25) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 01/25/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

Roméo et Juliette
Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center/ 7:30PM, $30+
“When Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo starred opposite each other in Manon at the Met in 2015, the New York Times said, “the temperature rises nearly to boiling every time Damrau and Grigolo are on stage together.” Now they’re back as opera’s classic lovers, in Gounod’s lush Shakespeare adaptation. The production, by director Bartlett Sher, has already won acclaim for its vivid 18th-century milieu and stunning costumes during runs at Salzburg and La Scala. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the sumptuous score.”

7  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
MIHO HAZAMA AND M-UNIT
SAN FERMIN AND NOW ENSEMBLE
STAND-UP LIVE!
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Noche Flamenca: Antigona
Winter Antiques Show
‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

MIHO HAZAMA AND M-UNIT
at Dizzy’s Club, / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“In 2015, the Toyko-born composer Miho Hazama released “Time River,” a bustling, confident album that was inspired by both natural and urban landscapes and made intriguing use of strings and accordion. She’ll squeeze her 13-piece jazz chamber orchestra, M-Unit, onto the cozy Dizzy’s stage, armed with whirlwind arrangements and some new material.” (NYT-ANDREW R. CHOW)

SAN FERMIN AND NOW ENSEMBLE
at Merkin Concert Hall / 7:30PM, $25
“Led by the classically trained songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone, the eight-piece band San Fermin creates dazzling orchestral tapestries; the guitarist Mark Dancigers explores similarly gorgeous terrain with his pop-informed classical quintet, the NOW Ensemble. Those two acts are coming together for this performance, which will also feature the debuts of new songs from San Fermin’s coming third album, “Belong.” (NYT-KEVIN O’DONNELL)

STAND-UP LIVE!
at Carolines on Broadway / 7:30PM, $16.50
“Organized in collaboration with CNN’s coming documentary series “The History of Comedy” and the soon-to-open National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y., this show is part of a tour of “some of the most iconic comedy clubs across the country.” Performers at this show include Judy Gold (“The Judy Show: My Life as a Sitcom”), Marina Franklin (“Trainwreck”), Michelle Buteau (“Key & Peele”), Emma Willmann (“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”) and Tony Deyo (“Conan”).” (NYT-ELISE CZAJKOWSKI)

Complexions Contemporary Ballet (thru Feb.05)
Joyce Theater, / 7:30PM, $51+
“Overflowing with virtuosity and technique, Complexions, “a matchless American dance company” (The Philadelphia Enquirer), is the future of contemporary ballet. Embracing diversity with 15 dancers of different ethnic and dance backgrounds and founded by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, two former stars with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, this company is pure dance, pure excitement. The engagement features repertory classics and new works with stunning, complex, and rich choreography.”
Program A: Week 1 performances (Tue, Jan 24–Sun, Jan 29, except gala on Thu, Jan 26)
GUTTER GLITTER (World Premiere)
SO NOT A… (An Epilogue to GUTTER GLITTER)
STAR DUST (A Ballet Tribute To David Bowie, with choreography to his music)

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Winter Antiques Show (Jan.20-29)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 12-8PM, $25
“History buffs can riffle through 70-plus booths of decorative housewares, furniture and tableaux at this vintage art and antiques fair, where you’ll find some luxurious and incredibly detailed paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.” (TONY)

‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’
“The 1926 film “Honest Injun,” starring Johnny Arthur, pictured, will be among the films featured at MoMA on Saturday, Jan. 14, as part of the series “Cruel and Unusual Comedy: Astonishing Shorts From the Slapstick Era.” This series features dozens of silent-era short films that find humor in the darker corners of the American psyche. Themes include domestic abuse, ethnic stereotypes, political anarchists and violence. Screenings generally comprise several films with a total running time of 90 minutes.

TODAY: 4PM- Family Jewels: Child Progeny
7PM- Scared Silent
WHEN | WHERE Friday, Jan. 13, through Jan. 26 at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. ADMISSION $12 or free with museum admission
INFO 212-708-9400, moma.org — (STAV ZIV, Newwday)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 7 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

==================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance at these top NYC events, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
================================================================================

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

HarlHostStandNo food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
========================================================
“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. 
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (01/24) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 01/24/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

5  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Conversations in Latin Music: Rubén Blades
Winter Antiques Show
‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Complexions Contemporary Ballet (thru Feb.05)
Joyce Theater, / 7:30PM, $51+
“Overflowing with virtuosity and technique, Complexions, “a matchless American dance company” (The Philadelphia Enquirer), is the future of contemporary ballet. Embracing diversity with 15 dancers of different ethnic and dance backgrounds and founded by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, two former stars with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, this company is pure dance, pure excitement. The engagement features repertory classics and new works with stunning, complex, and rich choreography.”
Program A: Week 1 performances (Tue, Jan 24–Sun, Jan 29, except gala on Thu, Jan 26)
GUTTER GLITTER (World Premiere)
SO NOT A… (An Epilogue to GUTTER GLITTER)
STAR DUST (A Ballet Tribute To David Bowie, with choreography to his music)

Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $25+
“Peter Mattei reprises one of his most compelling portrayals, that of the wily barber Figaro. The Met’s popular production of Rossini’s comedic jewel—performed in the full-length Italian version—also pairs bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena as the lovers Rosina and Count Almaviva, with Maurizio Benini conducting.”

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Conversations in Latin Music: Rubén Blades
Atrium 360° David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, but get there early, no later than 7pm for a seat.
“Rubén Blades, the iconic award-winning Panamanian singer, songwriter, actor, musician, activist, and politician will be in conversation with NYU Professor Carlos Chirinos about how he has used his music to advocate for social change and the future of Latin music.”
This conversation will be livestreamed. Presented in collaboration with the NYU Music and Social Change Lab and NYU Steinhardt

Winter Antiques Show (Jan.20-29)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 12-8PM, $25
“History buffs can riffle through 70-plus booths of decorative housewares, furniture and tableaux at this vintage art and antiques fair, where you’ll find some luxurious and incredibly detailed paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.” (TONY)

‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’
“The 1926 film “Honest Injun,” starring Johnny Arthur, pictured, will be among the films featured at MoMA on Saturday, Jan. 14, as part of the series “Cruel and Unusual Comedy: Astonishing Shorts From the Slapstick Era.” This series features dozens of silent-era short films that find humor in the darker corners of the American psyche. Themes include domestic abuse, ethnic stereotypes, political anarchists and violence. Screenings generally comprise several films with a total running time of 90 minutes.

TODAY: 4PM- Westward Whoa
7PM-Love and War: Romantic Skirmishes
WHEN | WHERE Friday, Jan. 13, through Jan. 26 at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. ADMISSION $12 or free with museum admission
INFO 212-708-9400, moma.org — (STAV ZIV, Newwday)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 6 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

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.

Time Out New York highlights this current exhibition:
“Sergei Eisenstein: Drawings 1931–1948” (thru Feb.11)
Alexander Gray Associates, 510 W26th St.
“Did you know that the director of Battleship Potemkin drew pornographic pictures in his downtime? Us neither, but as this roundup of his explicit exertions on paper clearly demonstrate, it’s true. The show spans the period from 1931 until his death in 1948.”

===================

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).

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 01/22 and 01/20.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (01/23) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 01/23/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

Roy Hargrove
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8, +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Fiery trumpeter Roy Hargrove has been doing double duty for years now, spending half his time as a funkster with his slick combo RH Factor and the other half as a soulful neobopper. You’ll be hearing him in the former mode tonight, so wear your dancing shoes.” (TONY)

5  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
BROADWAY GOES A CAPPELLA
Directing Shakespeare
New York Jewish Film Festival 
Winter Antiques Show
‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

BROADWAY GOES A CAPPELLA
at Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $35-$45
“Broadway and A Cappella stars come together for a special performance of classic and Contemporary Theatre songs, The show features Sara Wordsworth (Writer/Creator In Transit), Barry Carl (Rockapella; Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego), Harrison Chad (Caroline, Or Change; Beauty and the Beast), Katrina Rose Dideriksen (Hairspray; A Night with Janis Joplin), Adam Roberts (Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark; Pippin), Brian Charles Rooney (The Threepenny Opera, Bedbugs!!!), Adam Bashian (In Transit; The Phantom of the Opera), and the cast of In Transit.”

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Directing Shakespeare – The Shakespeare Society
The Pearl Theatre, 555 W42nd St./ 7:30PM, $20
“Daniel Sullivan, whose compelling and expertly performed productions have graced the Delacorte Theater in Central Park for more than a decade, will discuss with younger colleagues the ongoing project of bringing Shakespeare’s language, characters, worlds and ideas to life for an ever-changing contemporary audience. Dan will be joined by Sam Gold, whose productions of Othello and Hamlet promise to be among the highlights of the 16-17 season, and Patricia McGregor, Artistic Director of Baltimore’s Center Stage.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

New York Jewish Film Festival (Jan.11-24)
Walter Reade Theater (at Lincoln Center), 165 W65th St./ 1:30PM -8:30PM, $14
“For its 26th year, the wide-ranging festival takes over Lincoln Center for two weeks of documentary and narrative film screenings. This edition features Bette Midler: The Divine Miss M, a doc that chronicles the singer’s five-decade career; Mr. Gaga, which documents the work of Ohad Naharin and Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company; and a special screening of Mel Brooks’s classic The Producers, starring the late greats Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.” (TONY)

Winter Antiques Show (Jan.20-29)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 12-8PM, $25
“History buffs can riffle through 70-plus booths of decorative housewares, furniture and tableaux at this vintage art and antiques fair, where you’ll find some luxurious and incredibly detailed paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.” (TONY)

‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’
“The 1926 film “Honest Injun,” starring Johnny Arthur, pictured, will be among the films featured at MoMA on Saturday, Jan. 14, as part of the series “Cruel and Unusual Comedy: Astonishing Shorts From the Slapstick Era.” This series features dozens of silent-era short films that find humor in the darker corners of the American psyche. Themes include domestic abuse, ethnic stereotypes, political anarchists and violence. Screenings generally comprise several films with a total running time of 90 minutes.

TODAY: 4:30PM-Arts Depreciation
7PM-Ethnic Profiling: Stereotypically Speaking
WHEN | WHERE Friday, Jan. 13, through Jan. 26 at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. ADMISSION $12 or free with museum admission
INFO 212-708-9400, moma.org — (STAV ZIV, Newwday)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 5 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

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.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In 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 50th 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 $6.75, 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 2 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.
===========================================================================
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (01/22) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 01/22/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

New York City Ballet
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center/ 3PM, $30+
Today: STRAVINSKY x FIVE
eight-easy-pieces-thmb “Igor Stravinsky’s colorful compositions and dynamic rhythms set the senses ablaze, igniting myriad emotions and inspiring generations of choreographers, including this quintet of NYCB’s most essential creators whose choreography ranges from animalistic instincts to cheerful camaraderie.
Scènes de Ballet
The Cage
Eight Easy Pieces
Scherzo Fantastique (New Peck, NYC Premiere)
Stravinsky Violin Concerto”

5  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
Jimmy Cobb
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
New York Jewish Film Festival 
OUTSIDER ART FAIR
‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Jimmy Cobb
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, (btw105th/106th Sts.)/ 7, 9,10:30PM, $40
Cobb isn’t the oldest classic drummer still performing (Roy Haynes, at ninety, has a few years on him), but the last surviving member of the band on Miles Davis’s groundbreaking 1959 album, “Kind of Blue,” is still going strong, at eighty-eight. Celebrating his longevity in style, Cobb gathers a multigenerational cluster of players, including the pianist Larry Willis, the bassist John Webber, and the saxophonist Vincent Herring, each well versed in hard bop—a genre that Cobb exemplifies with his judicious balance of elegance and aggressiveness.” (NewYorker)

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE (LAST DAY)
at the Village Vanguard, / 8 and 10PM, $30.
“Mr. McBride, the bassist, bandleader and composer, holds fast to a mood of generous bonhomie with his trio, which recently released a live album recorded in this room. That group, now with Christian Sands on piano and Jerome Jennings on drums, performs the first week of his engagement, Jan. 10 through 15. From Jan. 17 through 22, Mr. McBride will lead a groove-minded quartet, informally called New Jawn McBride, featuring the trumpeter Josh Evans, the saxophonist Marcus Strickland and the drummer Nasheet Waits.” (NYT-Chinen)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

New York Jewish Film Festival (Jan.11-24)
Walter Reade Theater (at Lincoln Center), 165 W65th St./ 1PM -8:30PM, $14
“For its 26th year, the wide-ranging festival takes over Lincoln Center for two weeks of documentary and narrative film screenings. This edition features Bette Midler: The Divine Miss M, a doc that chronicles the singer’s five-decade career; Mr. Gaga, which documents the work of Ohad Naharin and Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company; and a special screening of Mel Brooks’s classic The Producers, starring the late greats Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.” (TONY)

OUTSIDER ART FAIR
“It’s the 25th anniversary of the Outsider Art Fair, which is dedicated to Art Brut, Folk and Outsider Art, defined as “art produced by self-taught artists who are not part of the artistic establishment.” This year’s event will include more than five dozen galleries from all over the United States as well as Canada, France, Austria, Japan, Haiti and more.” (STAV ZIV-Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Thursday, Jan. 19, through Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St.
INFO $20-$50; 212-337-3338, outsiderartfair.com

‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL COMEDY’
“The 1926 film “Honest Injun,” starring Johnny Arthur, pictured, will be among the films featured at MoMA on Saturday, Jan. 14, as part of the series “Cruel and Unusual Comedy: Astonishing Shorts From the Slapstick Era.” This series features dozens of silent-era short films that find humor in the darker corners of the American psyche. Themes include domestic abuse, ethnic stereotypes, political anarchists and violence. Screenings generally comprise several films with a total running time of 90 minutes.

TODAY: 2PM-Sports Injuries: Fits in Fitness
5PM-Loco-Motives: On the Wrong Track
WHEN | WHERE Friday, Jan. 13, through Jan. 26 at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St. ADMISSION $12 or free with museum admission
INFO 212-708-9400, moma.org — (STAV ZIV, Newwday)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 5 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

===========================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues, almost all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

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)

MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM:
‘HANS MEMLING: PORTRAITURE, PIETY AND A REUNITED ALTARPIECE’ (through January 2017)
“When it comes to jewels, there are Taylor-Burton rocks and discreetly cut heirloom stones. With museum shows, it’s the same. This one, at the Morgan Library, is a minute but invaluable gem. Set in a 20-by-20-by-20-foot gallery known as the Cube, it reunites, for the first time in the United States, dispersed sections of an altarpiece by the 15th-century German-born, Flanders-based Memling and adds some of his exquisite portrait paintings. 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, 212-685-0008, themorgan.org.” (Cotter)

and you should be sure to check out the special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish)

at the very least you will want to see these two:
‘CELEBRATING THE ARTS OF JAPAN: THE MARY GRIGGS BURKE COLLECTION’ (through May 2017)
“This lavish collection of 160 objects came to the Met from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation in early 2015. The Burkes loved Japanese art — all of it — and the exhibition is close to compendious in terms of media, from wood-carved Buddhas to bamboo baskets, with a particular strength in painting, early and late. The quality of the work? Japan thinks highly enough of it to have made the Burke holdings the first Japanese collection from abroad ever to show at Tokyo National Museum. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

‘MAX BECKMANN IN NEW YORK’ (through Feb. 20).
“In the last two years of his life, the great German Expressionist Max Beckmann lived in New York. This terrific exhibition gathers paintings that he created during his time here as well as paintings now owned by museums and private collectors in New York, regardless of when they were made. If this sounds like a recipe for mishmash, it’s not: There’s not a single dud among the 39 works in the show. Including portraits, still lifes, cityscapes and several of his most ambitious allegorical visions, it will warm the hearts of Beckmann’s fans and serve as an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with his vigorously humane art. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org” (Ken Johnson)

===========================================================
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)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) 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 01/20 and 01/18.
=============================================================

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Selected NYC Events (01/21) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 01/21/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

Roméo et Juliette
Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center/ 1PM, $20+
“When Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo starred opposite each other in Manon at the Met in 2015, the New York Times said, “the temperature rises nearly to boiling every time Damrau and Grigolo are on stage together.” Now they’re back as opera’s classic lovers, in Gounod’s lush Shakespeare adaptation. The production, by director Bartlett Sher, has already won acclaim for its vivid 18th-century milieu and stunning costumes during runs at Salzburg and La Scala. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the sumptuous score.”

5  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
Jimmy Cobb
BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET WITH KURT ELLING
Noche Flamenca: Antigona
Marilyn Maye: By Request
Alejandro Escovedo
OUTSIDER ART FAIR

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Jimmy Cobb (Jan. 20-22)
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, (btw105th/106th Sts.)/ 7, 9,10:30PM, $40
Cobb isn’t the oldest classic drummer still performing (Roy Haynes, at ninety, has a few years on him), but the last surviving member of the band on Miles Davis’s groundbreaking 1959 album, “Kind of Blue,” is still going strong, at eighty-eight. Celebrating his longevity in style, Cobb gathers a multigenerational cluster of players, including the pianist Larry Willis, the bassist John Webber, and the saxophonist Vincent Herring, each well versed in hard bop—a genre that Cobb exemplifies with his judicious balance of elegance and aggressiveness.” (NewYorker)

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET WITH KURT ELLING
at Rose Theater, Jazz@Lincoln Center / 8PM, $
“Mr. Marsalis and his ever-inventive quartet released an album last year with the singer Kurt Elling titled “Upward Spiral.” The elegant, playful album shows the high-profile pair operating in their wheelhouse, exploring standards by the Gershwins and Sonny Rollins; it was unsurprisingly nominated for a Grammy for best jazz vocal album. The group will appear here during a global tour.” (NYT-Chow)

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

Marilyn Maye: By Request
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St./ 7PM, $45
“Marilyn Maye’s stellar past includes a string of classy RCA albums in the ’60s and a nearly unequaled number of Tonight Show appearances, but this husky-voiced, earthy belter has never sounded better than she does now (at 88). Astonishingly active lately, she now returns to the Met Room with a set of tunes suggested by audience members when they buy their tickets.” (TONY)

Tough ticket , may need to wait list this one.
Alejandro Escovedo
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ 8PM, $35-$50
“Late-blooming roots-rock auteur Alejandro Escovedo, who spent the ’70s and ’80s playing punk and hard-edged country-rock with Rank and File, the Nuns and True Believers, is making some of the darkest, most personally charged music of his career. Here, the Austin songsmith plays behind his newest LP, last year’s Burn Something Beautiful.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

OUTSIDER ART FAIR
“It’s the 25th anniversary of the Outsider Art Fair, which is dedicated to Art Brut, Folk and Outsider Art, defined as “art produced by self-taught artists who are not part of the artistic establishment.” This year’s event will include more than five dozen galleries from all over the United States as well as Canada, France, Austria, Japan, Haiti and more.” (STAV ZIV-Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE Thursday, Jan. 19, through Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St.
INFO $20-$50; 212-337-3338, outsiderartfair.com

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 4 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

================================================
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. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

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.
See Below.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
=================================================================================

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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.

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.
==============================================================
“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.
========================================================

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.
========================================================
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 Spring 2017).
◊ Order before Mar.31, 2017 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected NYC Events (01/20) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/20/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

The Apocalypse is upon us.
Today that crude and rude man, woefully ignorant of world affairs, host of a mediocre reality show; a bully and buffoon who never cared about anyone but himself, and who, BTW, lost the popular vote by 3 million votes, will somehow be inaugurated president.
God help us!

If the thought of watching the inaugural makes you sick to your stomach, Time Out New York has put together some good alternative activities. Please go to the Tab above:  “Anti-Inaugural Activities”

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

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET WITH KURT ELLING (also Jan.21)
at Rose Theater, Jazz@Lincoln Center / 8PM, $
“Mr. Marsalis and his ever-inventive quartet released an album last year with the singer Kurt Elling titled “Upward Spiral.” The elegant, playful album shows the high-profile pair operating in their wheelhouse, exploring standards by the Gershwins and Sonny Rollins; it was unsurprisingly nominated for a Grammy for best jazz vocal album. The group will appear here during a global tour.” (NYT-Chow)

6  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
Ola Fresca, a Trombone-Driven Power Salsa Octet
2017 Focus! Festival Opening Night: Music of Latin America
The Return of the Great American Protest Song
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
Noche Flamenca: Antigona
Alejandro Escovedo

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ola Fresca, a Trombone-Driven Power Salsa Octet
Lincoln Center, David Rubenstein Atrium / 7:30PM, FREE
but better get there early, no later than 7 PM for a seat.
“With Cuban soul and a swinging, fearless tropical sound, this trombone-driven power salsa octet presides over our signature Latin dance party. At the helm is Cuban-American singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer Jose Conde, who conjures “a state of harmonic coexistence across conventions” (Time Out New York) spiking Cuban son with New Orleans funk, Nigerian Afrobeat, James Brown rhythms, Haitian compas, New York City boogaloo, and jam-band flights.”

2017 Focus! Festival Opening Night: Music of Latin America
Juilliard School, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza/ 7:30PM, FREE, tickets required – events.juilliard.edu
Program:
Alejandro García Caturla (Cuba): Primera Suite Cubana (1931)
Alejandro Iglesias Rossi (Argentina): Amoxtli Yoalli Ehecatl (Book of the Prophetic Theophanies in the Order of the Earth) for ensemble and prerecorded indigenous sounds (2016, world premiere, composed for N.J.E.)
Alejandro Castaños (Mexico): Détours (2015, first performance outside Mexico)
Alberto Villalpando (Bolivia): Mística No. 5 (1976, U.S. premiere)
Roberto Sierra (Puerto Rico/U.S.): Concierto Virtual (2016, world premiere, composed for N.J.E.)

The Return of the Great American Protest Song
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St./ 7PM, $24
“Can’t make it down to Washington to protest Trump on Inauguration Day? Mark the occasion instead at this show devoted to disestablishmentarian music, ranging from Broadway musicals to Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and U2. Performers include Chuck Cooper, Brian Charles Rooney, Maxine Linehan, Douglas Ladnier, Ashton Corey and Michael Romeo Ruocco.” (TONY)

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE (also thru Jan.22)
at the Village Vanguard, / 8 and 10PM, $30.
“Mr. McBride, the bassist, bandleader and composer, holds fast to a mood of generous bonhomie with his trio, which recently released a live album recorded in this room. That group, now with Christian Sands on piano and Jerome Jennings on drums, performs the first week of his engagement, Jan. 10 through 15. From Jan. 17 through 22, Mr. McBride will lead a groove-minded quartet, informally called New Jawn McBride, featuring the trumpeter Josh Evans, the saxophonist Marcus Strickland and the drummer Nasheet Waits.” (NYT-Chinen)

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

Alejandro Escovedo (also Jan.21)
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ 8PM, $35-$50 (tough ticket , may need to wait list this one)
“Late-blooming roots-rock auteur Alejandro Escovedo, who spent the ’70s and ’80s playing punk and hard-edged country-rock with Rank and File, the Nuns and True Believers, is making some of the darkest, most personally charged music of his career. Here, the Austin songsmith plays behind his newest LP, last year’s Burn Something Beautiful.” (TONY)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 3 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

=======================================================
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. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com,
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474

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.

=======================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

=======================================================================

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:
‘FROM THE COLLECTION: 1960-1969’ (through March 12, 2017)
“MoMA shakes up its sanctum sanctorum, installing half of its permanent collection galleries with works chosen by 17 curators from a single decade: the tumultuous 1960s. The limited time frame is balanced by unprecedented breadth and variety. As never before, the presentation mixes together objects and artworks from all six of the museum’s curatorial departments. The blend is alternately stimulating and bewildering, revelatory and infuriating: yet another symptom of the museum’s limited curatorial mind-set. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)
 ‘TONY OURSLER: IMPONDERABLE’ (through April 16, 2017)
“This small exhibition is centered on a 90-minute film in which episodes from the history of spiritualist frauds and hoaxes are re-enacted by people in fanciful costumes while mystic flames, smoke and ectoplasmic phenomena come and go. At certain moments during “Imponderable,” you feel breezes wafting over you and hear loud thumping under the theater’s risers. The crudeness of these effects is part of the generally comical spirit. It’s all about the confusion between illusion and reality to which human beings seem to be congenitally susceptible. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Johnson)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘HUMAN INTEREST: PORTRAITS FROM THE WHITNEY’S COLLECTION’ (through Feb.12, 2017)
“A year ago, the Whitney inaugurated its new downtown home with a permanent collection showcase called “America Is Hard to See.” Its even more immediately engaging successor, devoted entirely to portraiture, is now on view and might well have been subtitled “Americans Are Strange to Look At,” which, in the 250 images here, we sure are: funny-strange, beautiful-strange, crazy-strange, dangerous-strange, inscrutable-strange. The work is arranged by theme and spread over two floors. There are magnetic images everywhere. 99 Gansevoort Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter)

“DREAMLANDS: IMMERSIVE CINEMA AND ART’, 1905-2016′ (thru Feb.05, 2017)
“The Whitney’s new exhibit offers visitors a chance to explore more than a century of experimentation in cinema, mostly by American artists. See works that question and play with elements such as color, touch, music, spectacle, light and darkness, animation and dimension. There will be a film series in addition to the 18,000 square feet of gallery space devoted to the show.” (Newsday)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 01/18 and 01/16.
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Selected NYC Events (01/19) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 01/19/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

The Apocalypse is upon us.
Tomorrow that crude and rude man, ignorant of world affairs, host of a mediocre reality show; a bully and buffoon who never cared about anyone but himself, and who, BTW, lost the popular vote by 3 million votes, will somehow be inaugurated president.
God help us!

If the thought of watching the inaugural makes you sick to your stomach, Time Out New York has put together some good alternative activities. Please go to the Tab above:  “Anti-Inaugural Activities”

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

J. P. Morgan Tournament of Champions (LAST DAY CHAMPIONSHIP)
at Grand Central Terminal, 7PM, +8PM
“As the only top-level sporting event to be held annually in Grand Central Terminal, the J. P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is considered one of the squash world’s most coveted titles. More than 100 of the game’s best men and women will compete in this weeklong event, beginning on Jan. 12, which takes place in a specially constructed court inside Vanderbilt Hall. Fans of the sport can opt for free, standing-room viewing — an option that also attracts curious passers-by and commuters — or purchase seated tickets.” (JACK WILLIAMS, NYT)
Today: Men’s Finals, 8PM & Women’s Finals, 7PM

4  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
Noche Flamenca: Antigona
Hollywood in the White House
Book Launch: Insane Clown President by Matt Taibbi

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE (also Jan. 17-22)
at the Village Vanguard, / 8 and 10PM, $30.
“Mr. McBride, the bassist, bandleader and composer, holds fast to a mood of generous bonhomie with his trio, which recently released a live album recorded in this room. That group, now with Christian Sands on piano and Jerome Jennings on drums, performs the first week of his engagement, Jan. 10 through 15. From Jan. 17 through 22, Mr. McBride will lead a groove-minded quartet, informally called New Jawn McBride, featuring the trumpeter Josh Evans, the saxophonist Marcus Strickland and the drummer Nasheet Waits.” (NYT-Chinen)

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Hollywood in the White House
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
With Max Alvarez, an author and public speaker with over 20 years of experience in the areas of journalism, media criticism, archival research, teaching, and cultural programming.
“This illustrated talk explores how U.S. presidents have been portrayed in major movies over the decades: flattering (The American President and West Wing) or not (Absolute Power and the current series House of Cards).”

Elsewhere, but this looks absolutely worth an essential detour:

Book Launch: Insane Clown President by Matt Taibbi
powerHouse Arena, 28 Adams St. Bklyn./ 7PM, Free, RSVP requested
Process all your feelings surrounding a Trump presidency on the eve of the inauguration with one of America’s most essential political journalists. Matt Taibbi will be here reading from his collection of dispatches on the 2016 election—from the ominous clownshow of the 2015 run-up to the primaries to the darkly comic twists and turns of the general campaign to the astonishing, world-shaking finish.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week now open
Day 2 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

==============================================================
Bonus NYC Events – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” closed Jan.15)

lThose in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
========================================================
Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.
Update#2: Rumor that “Tiny” is back playing only on Friday nights – need to check it out.

==================================================================================
“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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Selected NYC Events (01/18) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 01/18/2017 by GregD

“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 be sure to check the tab above: “Notable NYC Events-Jan.”

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

J. P. Morgan Tournament of Champions (Jan.12-19)
at Grand Central Terminal, 5PM, +8PM
“As the only top-level sporting event to be held annually in Grand Central Terminal, the J. P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is considered one of the squash world’s most coveted titles. More than 100 of the game’s best men and women will compete in this weeklong event, beginning on Jan. 12, which takes place in a specially constructed court inside Vanderbilt Hall. Fans of the sport can opt for free, standing-room viewing — an option that also attracts curious passers-by and commuters — or purchase seated tickets.” (JACK WILLIAMS, NYT)
Today: Men’s Semi-Finals, 8PM & Women’s Semi-Finals, 5PM

6  OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY
Molly Pope in A Star is Born
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
Ehud Asherie with Rebecca Kilgore
CHERRY GLAZERR
Noche Flamenca: Antigona
Visual Art and Humor: a Discussion

PLUS 
NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
Broadway Week and Attractions Week opens

==============================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Molly Pope in A Star is Born
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 9:30PM, $35-$45
“Pope’s viscerally thrilling alto is a rich gusher of sound that emerges like a full-on blast from the past. In her latest venture, the downtown darling boldly essays the score from the 1954 Judy Garland version of A Star Is Born, including “The Man That Got Away,” “Swanee” and “You Took Advantage of Me.” The wizardly Brian Nash mans the piano.” (TONY)

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE (also Jan. 17-22)
at the Village Vanguard, / 8 and 10PM, $30.
“Mr. McBride, the bassist, bandleader and composer, holds fast to a mood of generous bonhomie with his trio, which recently released a live album recorded in this room. That group, now with Christian Sands on piano and Jerome Jennings on drums, performs the first week of his engagement, Jan. 10 through 15. From Jan. 17 through 22, Mr. McBride will lead a groove-minded quartet, informally called New Jawn McBride, featuring the trumpeter Josh Evans, the saxophonist Marcus Strickland and the drummer Nasheet Waits.” (NYT-Chinen)

Ehud Asherie with Rebecca Kilgore
Mezzrow, 163 W10th St./ 8PM, +9:30PM, $20
“The Great American Songbook can unite keen interpreters of different generations. The pianist Asherie, an Israeli expatriate who has drawn attention in the past decade with his assured mainstream piano stylings, joins forces with the highly regarded West Coast-based singer Kilgore, whose recordings since the eighties include prized co-efforts with the eminent pianist and songwriter Dave Frishberg. Between the two of them, few valued standards will slip through the cracks.” (NewYorker)

CHERRY GLAZERR
at the Bowery Ballroom / 9PM, $15
“Fuzz-bomb guitar riffs, thrumming bass grooves, shambolic drum beats: On the surface, Cherry Glazerr might appear to be your average indie-rock band. But the group’s secret weapon is its singer and guitarist, Clementine Creevy. With vocals that can shift from an angelic coo to a shrieking wail, she is as deft at spinning tales about Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” as she is at dissing Rob Kardashian. Listen for more yarns at this performance.” (NYT)

Noche Flamenca: Antigona (through Jan. 28)
West Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W86th St./ 8PM, $25-$60
“Traditional Spanish dance and ancient Greek theater are an unlikely but well-suited pair in Noche Flamenca’s sharp production “Antigona,” based on Sophocles’s famous tragedy. The dance lights a fire under the play while discovering in itself a knack for narrative drama. In the title role, the powerhouse Soledad Barrio is both fierce and fragile. The century-old church where the performance takes place is filled with striking sets, darkly amorous music played by a live band and a ferocious Greek chorus of dancers.” (NYT-Schaefer)

My Take: Noche Flamenca is Spain’s most successful touring company and its greatest exponent of the art of flamenco. Soledad Barrio is a goddess of dance and brings so much passion to her role as Antigona. Two wonderful Spanish guitarists and two vocalists do not get the credit they deserve. Every piece of this performance is outstanding. Go See It!

Smart Stuff / Other NYC Events
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Visual Art and Humor: a Discussion
New York Academy of Art, 111 Franklin St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Join former New York Times art critic Ken Johnson and the New Yorker’s cartoon editor Bob Mankoff for a discussion on what makes humor cartoons and comics work.” (TONY)

PLUS 

NYC Restaurant Week reservations now open
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, have your pick from 375 participating restaurants, with a three-course prix fixe lunch or dinner; lunches are $29, and dinners are $42, not including beverages, gratuities and taxes, a great deal for some of the city’s most popular spots…

This year there are 32 new restaurants participating, joining the array of restaurants that span 41 neighborhoods and four boroughs.
To see the full list, go to nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Broadway Week and Attractions Week opens
Day 1 of Broadway Week and Attractions Week, through Feb. 5, where you can receive deals like two-for-one tickets at performances and cultural events around the city.

=====================================================
Bonus NYC events– Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village (all six are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346
Cornelia Street Cafe – 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

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.

==================================================================================
♦ 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 60 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2016.  Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just on day of performance.
NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

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.

Time Out New York highlights this current exhibition:
“Sergei Eisenstein: Drawings 1931–1948” (thru Feb.11)
Alexander Gray Associates, 510 W26th St.
“Did you know that the director of Battleship Potemkin drew pornographic pictures in his downtime? Us neither, but as this roundup of his explicit exertions on paper clearly demonstrate, it’s true. The show spans the period from 1931 until his death in 1948.”

===================

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).

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 01/16 and 01/14.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment