Selected Events (06/24) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 06/24/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5 > FRIDAY / JUNE 24, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1 / 7PM, FREE
“If you haven’t been to the opera, you owe yourself the experience of seeing some of the world’s finest belt it out onstage. Check out some of the Met’s most powerful vocalists, soprano Angel Blue and tenor Ben Bliss, as they perform as part of Central Park’s Summer Stage.” (TONY)

Even if you don’t love opera, you want to give this a try because of it’s location. The hillside setting overlooks the East River and the downtown skyline. Just a fabulous picnic spot.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Freddy Cole (thru Jun 25)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $40
“Old-school suave and still in hale voice at eighty-four years old, Cole has yet to encounter a ballad or swinging blues number that he couldn’t finesse to a shine. It took him decades to step outside the shadow of his brother Nat, but Freddy now commands from a throne of his own.” (NewYorker)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2) /
tonight: Romeo and Juliet (thru Jun 25)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $20+
“Kenneth MacMillan’s masterful interpretation of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. Against a sumptuous setting in Renaissance Italy, MacMillan weaves a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality, and Sergei Prokofiev’s instantly recognizable music underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet’s star-crossed lovers.”

Jazztopad Festival (Tuesday through July 1)
Dizzy’s Club, Columbus Circle/ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
“The Jazztopad Festival, a leading event of its kind in Poland, has organized a satellite edition here next week, in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York. Among the prime offerings are the Obara International Quartet, led by the saxophonist Maciej Obara, at the Jazz Standard on Tuesday; a subtle and sophisticated trio led by the pianist Marcin Wasilewski, at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on Wednesday; and a quintet led by the trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz, at Dizzy’s on Thursday. More information is at polishculture-nyc.org.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Elsewhere but this looks worth the detour:
Dylan Goes Electric
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 12PM, $25
“On the evening of July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan 
took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival, backed by an electric band, and roared into his new rock hit, “Like a Rolling Stone.”

The audience of committed folk purists and political activists who had hailed him as their acoustic prophet reacted with a mix of shock, booing and scattered cheers. It was the shot heard round the world — Dylan’s declaration of musical independence, the end of the folk revival and the birth of rock as the voice of a generation — and one of the defining moments in twentieth-century music. Join author Elijah Wald as he explores the context of this seminal event.”

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.” (Schaefer-NYT)

=======================================================
Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
=======================================================================

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:

‘Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty’ (through July 24)
“Among the greats of late 19th-century French painting, Degas remained closest to tradition and its focus on the human body, which may explain why this large but thrillingly intimate show is his first solo at the Modern. It focuses his monotypes — the most seductive of all print mediums — and their modernizing effect on his art, revealing with exceptional clarity a radical merging of subject and process that brought new liveliness to depictions of the body and to art itself. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)

‘From the Collection: 1960-1969’ (through March 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)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:

‘Human Interest: Portraits From the Whitney’s Collection’ (through Feb. 12)
“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)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 06/22 and 06/20.
=======================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Train and Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

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Selected Events (06/23) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 06/23/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > THURSDAY / JUNE 23, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Jazztopad Festival (Tuesday through July 1)
Dizzy’s Club, Columbus Circle/ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
“The Jazztopad Festival, a leading event of its kind in Poland, has organized a satellite edition here next week, in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York. Among the prime offerings are the Obara International Quartet, led by the saxophonist Maciej Obara, at the Jazz Standard on Tuesday; a subtle and sophisticated trio led by the pianist Marcin Wasilewski, at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on Wednesday; and a quintet led by the trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz, at Dizzy’s on Thursday. More information is at polishculture-nyc.org.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

France Rocks Festival: Ayo
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center/ 7:30PM, FREE
“Accenting folk rock with deep soul grooves and African rhythms, the German-born singer-songwriter of Romani and Nigerian descent won the 2008 European Border Breakers Award for her debut album Gravity At Last. This year, she crowned her success with Europe’s prestigious Crystal Globes Award for Best Female Singer given by the French Press Association. Ayo, who usually splits her time between Paris and New York, stops by Lincoln Center during an extensive world tour promoting her latest album, Ticket to the World.”

Victor Gould Sextet
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St./ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $
“A dynamic young pianist with strong history as a sideman, Mr. Gould has a new album, “Clockwork,” which puts him forward as a bandleader. He celebrates its release with one of two assertive trumpeters — Jeremy Pelt (on Wednesday) or Freddie Hendrix (Thursday) — as well as the saxophonists Godwin Louis and Myron Walden, the bassist Ben Williams and the drummer E.J. Strickland.” (Chinen-NYT)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2) /
tonight: Romeo and Juliet (thru Jun 25)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $20+
“Kenneth MacMillan’s masterful interpretation of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. Against a sumptuous setting in Renaissance Italy, MacMillan weaves a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality, and Sergei Prokofiev’s instantly recognizable music underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet’s star-crossed lovers.”

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

City Squares: A Conversation
Rizzoli Bookstore, 31 W57th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Rizzoli Bookstore, HarperCollins, and The Architectural League of New York invite you to celebrate the publication of City Squares: Eighteen Writers on the Spirit and Significance of Squares Around the Word with a conversation between Catie Marron, Michael Kimmelman, and Reed Kroloff. A book signing and reception will follow.

This collection includes essays from eighteen renowned writers, including David Remnick, Zadie Smith, Rebecca Skloot, Rory Stewart, and Adam Gopnik, who evoke the spirit and history of some of the world’s most recognized and significant city squares, accompanied by illustrations from equally distinguished photographers.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Beyond Momos: Himalayan Food in Jackson Heights
Sherpa Kyidug House, Queens, 41-01 75th St., Basement/ 6:30PM, $16
“Jackson Heights, Queens is one of the country’s most diverse neighborhoods. Today, the neighborhood’s diversity is reflected in its dizzying array of food businesses, from Indian mega-grocers to taco trucks. Since the 2000s, Jackson Heights has also become home to a large Himalayan population—and many restaurants that serve that community. Now, it’s possible to savor Tibetan momo dumplings and milk tea, as well as Nepali sukuti (meat jerky) and thali platters, all within a few blocks of the subway.

Join us for a panel discussion moderated by Yanki Tshering of the Business Center for New Americans and including Tashi Chodron of the Rubin Museum, Himalayan culinary expert Sandy Garson, Pema Yangzom and Tenzing Ukyab of Himalayan Yak, and other local business owners. Learn about the culinary and cultural diversity of Himalayan (Nepali, Tibetan, and Bhutanese) cuisines, and hear the personal stories of Himalayan food entrepreneurs in New York. Afterward, stick around for tastings from the neighborhood.”

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.” (Schaefer-NYT)

====================================================
Hot Tickets – Tomorrow

Stanley Cowell Quartet (through June 26)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $30
“A pianist of deep authority and resolute purpose — less widely heard now than he was in the 1970s, but still a force — Mr. Cowell made a much-talked-about appearance at the Village Vanguard last year, on the heels of a solo album, “Juneteenth.” He returns next week with his quartet, featuring the alto saxophonist Bruce Williams, the bassist Jay Anderson and the drummer Billy Drummond.” (Chinen-NYT)

Dylan Goes Electric
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 12PM, $25
“On the evening of July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan 
took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival, backed by an electric band, and roared into his new rock hit, “Like a Rolling Stone.”

The audience of committed folk purists and political activists who had hailed him as their acoustic prophet reacted with a mix of shock, booing and scattered cheers. It was the shot heard round the world — Dylan’s declaration of musical independence, the end of the folk revival and the birth of rock as the voice of a generation — and one of the defining moments in twentieth-century music. Join author Elijah Wald as he explores the context of this seminal event.”

==============================================================
Bonus – 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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

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.

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 sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.

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

============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
============================================================

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

Selected Events (06/22) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 06/22/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / JUNE 22, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

American Ballet Theater (through July 2) /
tonight: Romeo and Juliet (thru Jun 25)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 2PM, +7:30PM, $20+
“Kenneth MacMillan’s masterful interpretation of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. Against a sumptuous setting in Renaissance Italy, MacMillan weaves a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality, and Sergei Prokofiev’s instantly recognizable music underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet’s star-crossed lovers.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Freddy Cole (thru Jun 25)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $40
“Old-school suave and still in hale voice at eighty-four years old, Cole has yet to encounter a ballad or swinging blues number that he couldn’t finesse to a shine. It took him decades to step outside the shadow of his brother Nat, but Freddy now commands from a throne of his own.” (NewYorker)

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This month long event rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. Highlights in the coming week include the world-beating tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in a free concert on Saturday at Central Park SummerStage; the Rebirth Brass Band at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday and at the Blue Note on Monday; and the pianist Robert Glasper at the Blue Note, appearing first with his trio (Tuesday and Wednesday) and then in a duo with another leading pianist, Jason Moran (Thursday and June 24). A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

>>TONIGHT: Robert Glasper (Jun 21-26)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM; $30, $45
“Even if his name’s not familiar, you’ve probably heard Robert Glasper’s playing featured most recently on Kendrick Lamar’s gritty masterpiece, To Pimp A Butterfly. The latest studio work from the jazz–hip-hop crossover star, Everything’s Beautiful, pays tribute to the legend whose timeless work he constantly mines, Miles Davis, with contributions from an impressive roster of musicians: Erykah Badu, Bilal, Hiatus Kaiyote and tons more. Glasper’s Rolodex is world-class—recall that Kanye West sat in with the band at the Blue Note in 2011—so you never know who might turn up as he settles into this five-day residency.” (TONY)

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

Kim Addonizio on “Bukowski in a Sundress”
Book Culture on Columbus, 450 Columbus Ave./7PM, FREE
“A dazzling, edgy, laugh-out-loud memoir from the award-winning poet and novelist that reflects on writing, drinking, dating, and more. Kim Addonizio is used to being exposed. As a writer of provocative poems and stories, she has encountered success along with snark: one critic dismissed her as Charles Bukowski in a sundress. (Why not Walt Whitman in a sparkly tutu? she muses.)

Now, in this utterly original memoir in essays, she opens up to chronicle the joys and indignities in the life of a writer wandering through middle age. At once intimate and outrageous, Addonizio’s memoir radiates all the wit and heartbreak and ever-sexy grittiness that her fans have come to love and that new readers will not soon forget.”

Moholy-Nagy: Art for a New Century
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th St.)/6:30PM, $15
“Bringing together scholars, curators, and an artist, this program explores how László Moholy-Nagy’s experimental and multifaceted practice resonates today more than ever. Presentations by Oliver Botar (University of Manitoba), Carol S. Eliel (LACMA and co-curator of the exhibition), and artist Barbara Kasten are followed by a panel discussion. Organized by Karole P.B. Vail, Guggenheim exhibition curator.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
The Food and Wine of France
92nd St. Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St./ 7PM, $32
“Food writer Edward Behr brings us inside the sensuousness of French cuisine through stories of French artisans and chefs who continue to work at the highest level.

He shows us how French cooking is both obvious and subtle, simple and complex, rustic and utterly refined, and even wildly abstract and austere. He looks at French ingredients, culinary techniques and training, and digs into what “the best” means to chefs and artisanal produces.”

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.” (Schaefer-NYT)

====================================================
Hot Tickets – Tomorrow

Jazztopad Festival (Tuesday through July 1)
Dizzy’s Club, Columbus Circle/ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
“The Jazztopad Festival, a leading event of its kind in Poland, has organized a satellite edition here next week, in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York. Among the prime offerings are the Obara International Quartet, led by the saxophonist Maciej Obara, at the Jazz Standard on Tuesday; a subtle and sophisticated trio led by the pianist Marcin Wasilewski, at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on Wednesday; and a quintet led by the trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz, at Dizzy’s on Thursday. More information is at polishculture-nyc.org.” (Chinen-NYT)

Beyond Momos: Himalayan Food in Jackson Heights
Sherpa Kyidug House, Queens, 41-01 75th St., Basement/ 6:30PM, $16
“Jackson Heights, Queens is one of the country’s most diverse neighborhoods. Today, the neighborhood’s diversity is reflected in its dizzying array of food businesses, from Indian mega-grocers to taco trucks. Since the 2000s, Jackson Heights has also become home to a large Himalayan population—and many restaurants that serve that community. Now, it’s possible to savor Tibetan momo dumplings and milk tea, as well as Nepali sukuti (meat jerky) and thali platters, all within a few blocks of the subway.

Join us for a panel discussion moderated by Yanki Tshering of the Business Center for New Americans and including Tashi Chodron of the Rubin Museum, Himalayan culinary expert Sandy Garson, Pema Yangzom and Tenzing Ukyab of Himalayan Yak, and other local business owners. Learn about the culinary and cultural diversity of Himalayan (Nepali, Tibetan, and Bhutanese) cuisines, and hear the personal stories of Himalayan food entrepreneurs in New York. Afterward, stick around for tastings from the neighborhood.”

=====================================================
Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 58 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, even if it’s  just on the day of performance.
==============================================================================

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.

Two exhibitions the NewYorkTimes likes:

 Robert Ryman (through July 31)
“For nearly 60s years, the Minimalist painter Robert Ryman has had few equals when it comes to doing more with less. White has been his primary, if not quite his only, color, the square his typical format. And yet within these seeming limitations a remarkably fecund and resonant body of work has evolved as demonstrated with unusual clarity (and in natural light) by this small but comprehensive exhibition.
Dia: Chelsea, 535 West 22nd Street, 212-989-5566, diaart.org.” (Smith)

Richard Serra (through July 29)
“New works occupying Gagosian Gallery’s two Chelsea display spaces find Mr. Serra, at 76, still wrangling sculptural fundamentals into objects and installations of thrilling severity. At West 21st Street is a single, grand example of his mazes made from immense ribbons of rolled steel; West 24th Street hosts three works made of solid steel slabs as well as a drawing installation. In certain respects, the two exhibitions represent formal opposites. While the maze subordinates material to gravity-defying form, the slabs favor weighty raw material. What the two have in common is their awesomely expansive effects on consciousness.
Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21st Street, 212-741-1717; and at 555 West 24th Street, Chelsea, 212-741-1111, gagosian.com.” (Johnson)

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 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 06/14 and 06/12.
======================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

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Selected Events (06/21) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 06/21/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > TUESDAY / JUNE 21, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Night at the Museums 2016
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
“Lower Manhattan offers a wide range of rich cultural experiences, and on June 21st visitors can discover the best of Lower Manhattan’s cultural landscape for free. Fifteen dynamic museums, historic sites and tours will be participating in the River to River Festival’s Night at the Museums by offering free admission as well as an array of special programming.

Participating museums and historic sites include the African Burial Ground National Monument, The Anne Frank Center USA, Federal Hall National Memorial, Fraunces Tavern Museum, Museum of American Finance, Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, National Archives at New York City, National Museum of the American Indian – Smithsonian Institution, National September 11 Memorial Museum, NYC Municipal Archives Visitor Center, 9/11 Tribute Center, The Skyscraper Museum, South Street Seaport Museum, and Wall Street Walks.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Freddy Cole (thru Jun 25)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, +11PM, $40
“Old-school suave and still in hale voice at eighty-four years old, Cole has yet to encounter a ballad or swinging blues number that he couldn’t finesse to a shine. It took him decades to step outside the shadow of his brother Nat, but Freddy now commands from a throne of his own.” (NewYorker)

Make Music
a free celebration of music around the world on June 21st
“The streets and parks are alive …
For a decade now, every summer solstice has resounded with a citywide burst of outdoor music: hundreds of concerts, thousands of musicians, millions of sounds permeating the humid air. This year, the festival includes a complete performance of Philip Glass’s Piano Etudes on Pier 1; Shimmer, for 16 cymbal players in Madison Square; and Sxip Shirey’s The Gauntlet, which the audience will experience by filing between rows of singers on the High Line.” (J.D.-NYMag)

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This month long event rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. Highlights in the coming week include the world-beating tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in a free concert on Saturday at Central Park SummerStage; the Rebirth Brass Band at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday and at the Blue Note on Monday; and the pianist Robert Glasper at the Blue Note, appearing first with his trio (Tuesday and Wednesday) and then in a duo with another leading pianist, Jason Moran (Thursday and June 24). A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2) / tonight: Romeo and Juliet
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $20+
“Kenneth MacMillan’s masterful interpretation of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. Against a sumptuous setting in Renaissance Italy, MacMillan weaves a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality, and Sergei Prokofiev’s instantly recognizable music underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet’s star-crossed lovers.”

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

‘The World in Words’
NYPL, Main Building, 5th ave @ 42nd St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Join the studio audience for this live podcast recording, subtitled “From Ainu to Zaza,” focusing on endangered languages from around the globe. Hosted by Patrick Cox and Nina Porzucki, the podcast series examines all manner of linguistic topics; this specific episode explores why languages fall out of use and how to protect them from going totally silent.” (NYT-AroundTown)

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.” (Schaefer-NYT)

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

Hot Tickets – Tomorrow

Robert Glasper (Jun 21-26)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM; $30, $45
“Even if his name’s not familiar, you’ve probably heard Robert Glasper’s playing featured most recently on Kendrick Lamar’s gritty masterpiece, To Pimp A Butterfly. The latest studio work from the jazz–hip-hop crossover star, Everything’s Beautiful, pays tribute to the legend whose timeless work he constantly mines, Miles Davis, with contributions from an impressive roster of musicians: Erykah Badu, Bilal, Hiatus Kaiyote and tons more. Glasper’s Rolodex is world-class—recall that Kanye West sat in with the band at the Blue Note in 2011—so you never know who might turn up as he settles into this five-day residency.” (TONY)

The Food and Wine of France
92nd St. Y, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St./ 7PM, $32
“Food writer Edward Behr brings us inside the sensuousness of French cuisine through stories of French artisans and chefs who continue to work at the highest level.

He shows us how French cooking is both obvious and subtle, simple and complex, rustic and utterly refined, and even wildly abstract and austere. He looks at French ingredients, culinary techniques and training, and digs into what “the best” means to chefs and artisanal produces.”

=====================================================
Bonus – 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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

IMG_2083Jimmy’s Corner is right in the heart of Times Square, but you won’t find it on the corner, it’s mid-block. Enter this long narrow bar and you are struck by the walls covered with mostly black-and-white boxing photographs, and memorabilia. Soon enough you learn that “Corner” refers to proprietor Jimmy Glenn’s long career as a corner man for some of boxing greats – Liston, Tyson, even “the greatest”, Ali.

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

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

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

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

3 Good Eating Places

It’s not difficult finding 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:

Patzeria Perfect Pizza – 231 W46 St. (Btw 7th/8th ave)
Perfect name for a pizza joint. On a street filled with Broadway theaters, this is a real hole in the wall, but don’t let the dive look scare you away. You can never go wrong with a slice of NYCity pizza, and this one is a classic thin crust. Only a few seats here, but pizza was made to eat standing up.

Shake Shack – 691 8th Ave. (Btw 43rd/44th st)
Danny Meyer has revolutionized the high quality burger in this town. Now he has a branch on the West Side that was desperately needed, with a bit less of the insane lines that you find at the Madison Sq. Park location. Worth the wait.

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
==============================================================
“3 Good Eating Places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 Premier Pubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Fall 2016).
◊ Order before Sept. 30, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
==============================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station.
===========================================================

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

Selected Events (06/20) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 06/20/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > MONDAY / JUNE 20, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
the Rebirth Brass Band at the Blue Note on Monday
You do not want to miss tonight’s Rebirth Brass Band. I saw these guys at the Howling Wolf in New Orleans and their rousing sound will raise the dead.

“This month long event rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. Highlights in the coming week include the world-beating tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in a free concert on Saturday at Central Park SummerStage; the Rebirth Brass Band at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday and at the Blue Note on Monday; and the pianist Robert Glasper at the Blue Note, appearing first with his trio (Tuesday and Wednesday) and then in a duo with another leading pianist, Jason Moran (Thursday and June 24). A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

American Ballet Theater (through July 2) / tonight: Romeo and Juliet
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $20+
“Kenneth MacMillan’s masterful interpretation of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. Against a sumptuous setting in Renaissance Italy, MacMillan weaves a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality, and Sergei Prokofiev’s instantly recognizable music underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet’s star-crossed lovers.”

Jackson Browne
Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway/ 8PM, $56+
“Eloquent, philosophizing old soul Jackson Browne brings his tunes to Brooklyn. The bleeding-heart singer-songwriter’s last release was his 2014 studio album, Standing in the Breach, so expect to hear from that, as well his ’70s hits like “The Pretender” and “Running on Empty.” (TONY)

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

Gone With The Mind: A Novel
The Half King, 505 W23rd St./ 7PM, FREE
“The blazingly inventive fictional autobiography of Mark Leyner, one of America’s “rare, true original voices” (Gary Shteyngart)

A joyride of autobiography, cultural critique, DIY philosophy, biopolitics, video games, demagoguery, and the most intimate confessions, GONE WITH THE MIND is both a soulful reckoning with mortality and the tender story of the relationship between a complicated mother and an even more complicated son.”

Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island
NYPL – Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE”
“With Deborah Rivel, an award-winning wildlife film producer/director and owner of WildTones.com, and Kellye Rosenheim, Director of Development at New York City Audubon Society and avid leader of bird walks.

This illustrated lecture enables birdwatchers to efficiently explore urban and wild birding hotspots. It gives seasonal information for both popular birding sites and those off the beaten path, with precise directions to the best viewing locations within the region’s diverse habitats.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Chef’s Choice: Culinary Masters on Their Japanese Influences
Japan Society, 333 E47th St./ 6:30PM, $13
“Just as New Yorkers have developed a deep appreciation for Japanese cuisine, from hearty noodle dishes like ramen and udon to multi-course kaiseki dinners, New York chefs have found inspiration in Japan’s culinary traditions. Saori Kawano, author of Chef’s Choice and founder of the Tribeca-based Korin Japanese Trading Corp, talks with culinary masters Michael Anthony, Chef and Partner at Gramercy Tavern and Executive Chef and Managing Director of Untitled and Studio Cafe at the Whitney Museum, and Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Owner of Red Rooster and Streetbird, about how Japanese ingredients, concepts and flavors have shaped their cooking styles. Followed by a reception and book-signing for Chef’s Choice.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.” (Schaefer-NYT)

===========================================================
Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

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)

 Solomon R Guggenheim Museum:
“Moholy-Nagy: Future Present,”  (through Sept. 7)
“A key innovator in the fields of kinetic sculpture and cameraless photography, Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) was one of the giants of 20th-century modernism, who pioneered the use of ephemeral materials like plastics. The Hungarian-born artist was an instructor at the legendary Bauhaus in Germany before he eventually moved to Chicago to continue his teaching. This retrospective is his first in 50 years.” (TONY)

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum:
‘Beauty — Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial’ (through Aug. 21)
“This year’s version of the Cooper Hewitt’s always interesting Design Triennial boldly ventures to tackle one of the most controversial topics in today’s visual culture. With more than 250 works by 63 designers from around the world in a jam-packed two-floor show, it’s a mixed bag in terms of quality. But whether or not everything in it qualifies as incontrovertibly beautiful, it offers an exciting opportunity to meditate on two perennially confounding questions: What is beauty? And what is it good for? 2 East 91st Street, 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.org.” (Ken Johnson-NYT)

Morgan Library & Museum:
‘Dreams in Dust: The Pastels of Lucas Samaras’ (through Aug. 21)
“In the late 1950s, when ambitious painters were obliged to produce big, bold abstractions, Lucas Samaras took up the fragile, intimate medium of pastel. He went on to forge a singular, nearly 60-year career of eccentric invention in painting, sculpture and photography, but he periodically returned to pastel to create small, vibrantly colorful and poetically captivating images. Of the hundreds of pastels Mr. Samaras has made, 48 are in this intensely absorbing exhibition. Dating from 1958-83, they range from offbeat abstractions to hallucinogenic allegories. 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, 212-685-0008, themorgan.org.” (Johnson-NYT)

‘Rembrandt’s First Masterpiece’ (through Sept. 18)
“In 1629, after some years of apprenticeship, the young Rembrandt finished what many experts consider his first painting in his resolved and distinctive style. Titled “Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver,” it is certainly powerful in ways that his great work will be, with its operatic, Verdian largeness of gesture, its sense for light as both specific and cosmic, and its piercing, unembarrassable instinct for human emotion. Now in a British private collection, the picture is visiting New York for the first time, and has been surrounded at the Morgan Library with a wealth of the artist’s prints and drawings. 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, 212-685-0008, themorgan.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

Jewish Museum:
‘Roberto Burle Marx: Brazilian Modernist’ (through Sept. 18)
“Working primarily in South America, Roberto Burle Marx, the great Brazilian landscape architect, designed some of the modern world’s most distinctive parks and gardens, from an immense, jazzy tattoo of a promenade on the beachfront of Rio de Janeiro to rooftop plantings in Brasilia, a city carved from jungle. In the process, he became invested, heart and mind, in preserving the Amazonian paradise that surrounded him, fought to halt its devastation and turned his home near Rio into a sanctuary for one of the largest collections of tropical plants anywhere. To appreciate his art fully, you have to go to the gardens themselves, but a visit to the compact Jewish Museum show gives you a full sense of his protean work as designer, painter, sculptor and collector. 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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

===========================================================
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 06/18 and 06/16.
=============================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
=========================================================

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

Selected Events (06/19) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 06/19/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / JUNE 19, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Elsewhere, but this looks too mouthwatering to miss:
Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas
Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St./ 12-4PM, FREE admission
“A block party celebrating the diverse ethnic communities of the Lower East Side. The Museum’s annual cross-cultural event paying homage to the Jewish and Chinese culture has expanded to include the food, music and folk arts of the neighborhood’s Puerto Rican community as well.

Enjoy kreplach, dumpling and empanada making demonstrations; Chinese opera, klezmer and salsa and plena music; Yiddish, Mandarin and Spanish lessons; Hebrew and Chinese scribal art, Puerto Rican mask making, mah jongg and, true to the festival’s name, egg rolls, classic New York–style egg creams and empanadas will also be in abundance.” (thechefsconnection.com)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong event rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. Highlights in the coming week include the world-beating tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in a free concert on Saturday at Central Park SummerStage; the Rebirth Brass Band at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday and at the Blue Note on Monday; and the pianist Robert Glasper at the Blue Note, appearing first with his trio (Tuesday and Wednesday) and then in a duo with another leading pianist, Jason Moran (Thursday and June 24). A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

You do not want to miss tonight’s Rebirth Brass Band. I saw these guys at the Howling Wolf in New Orleans and their rousing sound will raise the dead.

Tom Harrell Quintet: 70th Birthday Celebration (LAST DAY)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway at 60th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Life hasn’t been easy for this respected trumpeter and composer, who has spent a long career dealing with the uncertainties of the jazz life, compounded by a diagnosed case of paranoid schizophrenia. The night of his birthday finds the tough and talented Harrell leading a quintet featuring familiar cohorts, including the saxophonist Wayne Escoffery.” (NewYorker)

Vijay Iyer Trio (LAST DAY)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“Mr. Iyer, a pianist-composer of penetrating insight and flexible attack, recently created a monthlong residency at the Met Breuer, performing in a succession of interdisciplinary settings. But his primary outlet is still this superbly slippery trio, with Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums — a band conversant in multiple traditions, with a prevailing ethos of sturdy cohesion.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Elsewhere but for you Ramone fans this has got to be worth the detour:
Pop to Punk: Ramones and Visual Art
Two conversations hosted by Hey! Ho! Let’s Go! co-curator Marc H. Miller
Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park/ 1-4:30PM, FREE, with museum suggested admission
“The birth of Punk in New York City seems like ancient history now, but fortunately we have some key players from the era still around to pass down the legacy of the music—and the art that came along with it.
“Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Art” co-curator Marc H. Miller will be moderating two talks: one on the magazine that named the movement, Punk Magazine, will welcome the mag’s co-founder and cartoonist John Holmstrom and photographer Roberta Bayley, while the other will present artist Arturo Vega, who, in conjunction with the Ramones, created their now famous “presidential seal” logo that is being hawked on shirts in various forms all around the globe.
Punk Magazine talk: 1-2:30 p.m., Vega talk: 3-4:30 p.m.” (the Observer)

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.”(Schaefer-NYT)

===========================================================
Bonus – 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 – 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

==================================================================================
♦ 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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================================

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 thousand 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 Fall 2016).
◊ Order before Sept. 30, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
=============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
======================================================

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Selected Events (06/18) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 06/18/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SATURDAY / JUNE 18, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Duduka Da Fonseca Group featuring Anat Cohen
Kitano, 66 Park Ave @ 38th St./ 8PM +9:45PM, $32
Any chance to hear Anat Cohen, one of America’s great reed players, is a special treat not to be missed. Last night’s early set was sold out, maybe because Anat is backed by some awesome musicians, especially Helio Alves on piano.
“Tonight’s showcase of samba jazz features an outstanding small group of musicians, Duduka da Fonseca (of Trio da Paz), Helio Alves, and vocalist Maucha Adnet – each a native of Brazil – who share an expertise in this music, and each member is internationally recognized for expanding the worlds of jazz and Latin music.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Tom Harrell Quintet: 70th Birthday Celebration (thru June 19)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway at 60th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Life hasn’t been easy for this respected trumpeter and composer, who has spent a long career dealing with the uncertainties of the jazz life, compounded by a diagnosed case of paranoid schizophrenia. The night of his birthday finds the tough and talented Harrell leading a quintet featuring familiar cohorts, including the saxophonist Wayne Escoffery.” (NewYorker)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center /2PM +8PM, $20+
Swan Lake (LAST DAY) / Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
“Among the great classics, Swan Lake remains the quintessential ballet, the one that defines the standards of the company, tests its dancers, and ennobles the spirit of the audience. This romantic fable of ill-fated passion, dreamlike transformation, and ultimate forgiveness is set to Tchaikovsky’s glorious score and features breathtaking choreography, visually magnificent sets evoking a Renaissance court, and the awe-inspiring lake of the swans.”

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong event rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. Highlights in the coming week include the world-beating tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in a free concert on Saturday at Central Park SummerStage; the Rebirth Brass Band at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday and at the Blue Note on Monday; and the pianist Robert Glasper at the Blue Note, appearing first with his trio (Tuesday and Wednesday) and then in a duo with another leading pianist, Jason Moran (Thursday and June 24). A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen)

Vijay Iyer Trio (through June 19)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“Mr. Iyer, a pianist-composer of penetrating insight and flexible attack, recently created a monthlong residency at the Met Breuer, performing in a succession of interdisciplinary settings. But his primary outlet is still this superbly slippery trio, with Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums — a band conversant in multiple traditions, with a prevailing ethos of sturdy cohesion.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

21st Annual Summer Solstice Celebration
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave./ 4:30AM, $40
“Join Cathedral Artist-in-Residence Paul Winter for an epic sunrise concert as musicians and audience will share the experience of the journey from total darkness into the dawn of this longest day of the year. The full glory of sight and sound will come alive with the light of this first sunrise of the summer.”
OR if that’s bit early for you, try this:
Brilliant Walls of Light: Spotlight on Stained Glass
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave./ 10:30AM, $15
“Each window contains a unique style of stained glass drawn from the English, French, and German traditions. Explore the beautiful narrative and geometric windows by modern English and American firms and view the memorial to a stained glass artist. Ascend over 100 feet of spiral stairs for a closer look at windows dedicated to medical and communications achievements. Led by Senior Cathedral Guide John Simko.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Elsewhere, but this looks too mouthwatering and worth the detour:
“Little Big” BBQ with Battle of the Sides (daytime session)
and Ribs King of NYC Cookoff Competition (evening session)
Stuyvesant Cove Park (enter at 23rd and East River)/ starts 1PM, $45+
“Join some of the best meat chefs and pitmasters the city has to offer for cookoffs and BBQ (veggie options, too) on the Water! It may be one of the best days all summer to be on the water and celebrating the great American cookout. Our intimate version of a large BBQ event will feature two sessions (with evening VIP option) and VIP tents/tables for six.”

PLUS:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.”(Schaefer-NYT)

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

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
=======================================================================

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:

‘Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty’ (through July 24)
“Among the greats of late 19th-century French painting, Degas remained closest to tradition and its focus on the human body, which may explain why this large but thrillingly intimate show is his first solo at the Modern. It focuses his monotypes — the most seductive of all print mediums — and their modernizing effect on his art, revealing with exceptional clarity a radical merging of subject and process that brought new liveliness to depictions of the body and to art itself. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith)

‘From the Collection: 1960-1969’ (through March 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)

 Whitney Museum of American Art:

‘Human Interest: Portraits From the Whitney’s Collection’ (through Feb. 12)
“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)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 06/16 and 06/14.
=======================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Train and Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

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

Selected Events (06/17) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 06/17/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / JUNE 17, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Duduka Da Fonseca Group featuring Anat Cohen (also Sat)
Kitano, 66 Park Ave @ 38th St./ 8PM +10PM, $32
Any chance to hear Anat Cohen, one of America’s great clarinet players, is a special treat not to be missed.
“Tonight’s showcase of samba jazz features an outstanding small group of musicians, Duduka da Fonseca (of Trio da Paz), Helio Alves, and vocalist Maucha Adnet – each a native of Brazil – who share an expertise in this music, and each member is internationally recognized for expanding the worlds of jazz and Latin music.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (through Sunday)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center/ $50+
“One of America’s most popular dance companies concludes its spring season with five more performances. The “21st Century Voices” program includes works by Rennie Harris, Ronald K. Brown, Robert Battle and Kyle Abraham (Friday and Sunday afternoon). The “Bold Visions” program features a new work by Mauro Bigonzetti, one from Ulysses Dove, another by Mr. Battle and the Ailey staple “Revelations” (Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening). Saturday evening’s program comprises dances from Mr. Battle, Mr. Brown, the Ailey muse Judith Jamison and, again, “Revelations.” (Brian Schaefer-NYT)
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with an additional 2 p.m. performance on Saturday. Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m.

Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland
Isaac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall / 8PM, $
“In 1961, Judy Garland delivered a classic, bombastic run through the Great American Songbook at Carnegie Hall. Forty-five years later, Rufus Wainwright recreated the show note for note in the same building: “Not even Madonna, pop music’s ultimate provocateur, has attempted anything so ambitious,” Stephen Holden wrote in a 2006 review. On Friday, Mr. Wainwright brings his wit, poise and unflagging energy back to Carnegie for a revival of the revival. (His distinguished father, Loudon Wainwright III, performs at the Bell House on Monday.) (Chow-NYT)

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong event rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. Highlights in the coming week include the world-beating tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in a free concert on Saturday at Central Park SummerStage; the Rebirth Brass Band at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday and at the Blue Note on Monday; and the pianist Robert Glasper at the Blue Note, appearing first with his trio (Tuesday and Wednesday) and then in a duo with another leading pianist, Jason Moran (Thursday and June 24). A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen)

Ethan Iverson Quintet (thru June 19)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $30
“As a member of the Bad Plus, the pianist and composer Iverson keeps his eye trained to the future; as an obsessive jazz fan, he reveres his elders, seizing any chance to play with honored musicians. Here he tangles with the great tenor saxophonist Houston Person, a soulful stylist who, in old-school form, can grease a blues song or offer a warm-bath ballad.” (NewYorker)

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

Cabaret Cinema: Rashômon
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W17th St./ 9:30PM, $10
“Director Akira Kurosawa masterfully laces three different perspectives on the story of the murder of a Samurai warrior. Three men are forced to take refuge from the rain in the shell of a former gatehouse called Rashômon. After one of the men admits he knows more about the murder than he originally let on, Rashômon becomes a space of revelations and changes in perception.

This movie is often cited as the reason why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences created the “Best Foreign Film” category.”

The Supermodel Era
The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave./ 2PM, FREE with museum admission
“This talk focuses on the Supermodel era of the early nineties, and is led by Chris Gartrell, Senior Coordinator of Adult Programs, in conjunction with the exhibition Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History.”

Bonus:
River to River Festival (through June 26)
“This annual event is something of a performance-inspired scavenger hunt around Lower Manhattan, both confusing and delighting unsuspecting passers-by. This week, the witty Dance Heginbotham weaves through a harbor-side business complex; the captivating Eiko Otake continues her multiyear project “A Body in Places” on Governors Island; Okwui Okpokwasili takes inspiration from Nigerian women in the 1920s; the hip-hop dancer Ephrat Asherie collaborates with her jazz pianist brother, Ehud; and Will Rawls, left, nods to Balkan folklore. At various times and locations. lmcc.net/program/river-to-river.”(Schaefer-NYT)

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

Bonus – 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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

b_flat4There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat

==================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
================================================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.
OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.
Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
========================================================

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Selected Events (06/16) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 06/16/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > THURSDAY / JUNE 16, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Savor an Alfresco Symphony
New York Philharmonic in Central Park
“As a child, Alan Gilbert, whose parents were violinists with the New York Philharmonic, loved attending the orchestra’s popular, free outdoor concerts in the city’s parks. As he enters his final season as music director, Mr. Gilbert leads the Philharmonic in two programs in Central Park to start this summer’s tour. Wednesday’s features the superb clarinetist Anthony McGill in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and on Thursday, it’s Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony.” (NYT-ANTHONY TOMMASINI)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Tom Harrell Quintet: 70th Birthday Celebration (thru June 19)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway at 60th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Life hasn’t been easy for this respected trumpeter and composer, who has spent a long career dealing with the uncertainties of the jazz life, compounded by a diagnosed case of paranoid schizophrenia. The night of his birthday finds the tough and talented Harrell leading a quintet featuring familiar cohorts, including the saxophonist Wayne Escoffery.” (NewYorker)

American Ballet Theater (through July 2)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / $
“This weekend brings three more performances of “The Golden Cockerel,” Alexei Ratmansky’s sumptuous update of a popular comedic ballet by Michel Fokine for the Ballets Russes. Mr. Ratmansky tells the story of a magical rooster in czarist Russia with a heavy dose of mime and folk dance. Beginning Monday, it’s “Swan Lake” time as Ballet Theater’s stellar women take turns in the iconic dual role of the virtuous swan queen, Odette, and her devious doppelgänger, Odile.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Mondays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong fete rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. A special highlight in the coming week is Sangam, an intuitive, shape-shifting trio comprising the multi-reedist Charles Lloyd, the tabla player Zakir Hussain and the drummer Eric Harland, on Saturday at Town Hall. Among the other strong offerings are a quartet led by the bassist Christian McBride, at the Blue Note Jazz Club from Tuesday through June 19; and the organist Cory Henry with his band, the Funk Apostles, at the Highline on Thursday. A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Bloomsday on Broadway XXXV
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway/ 7PM, $26
“The 35th annual tribute to the life, language, and love of Jame Joyce’s timeless prose with wonderful actors and avid Joyceans. This year’s event features a celebration of the of the centennial of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, as well as The Art of Ulysses, a breathtaking whirlwind tour in 17 acts curated by Neil Hickey; a reading from the magnificent Molly Bloom soliloquy, and a special tribute to the writers and rebels behind the 1916 Easter Rising. Directed by Olivier Award winner Jim Culleton, with musical direction from Lisa Flanagan. In collaboration with Irish Arts Center.”

LIVE from the NYPL: Laurie Anderson | Paul Holdengräber
New York Public Library—Main Building, 476 Fifth Ave./ 7PM, $40
“To close the season, Paul Holdengräber welcomes creative powerhouse Laurie Anderson to discuss her work, her inspiration, and what’s next.

LAURIE ANDERSON is one of America’s most renowned – and daring – creative pioneers. She is best known for her multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As writer, director, visual artist and vocalist she has created groundbreaking works that span the worlds of art, theater, and experimental music. Her recording career, launched by O Superman in 1981, includes the soundtrack to her feature film Home of the Brave and Life on a String (2001). Anderson’s live shows range from simple spoken word to elaborate multi-media stage performances such as Songs and Stories for Moby Dick (1999). Anderson has published seven books and her visual work has been presented in major museums around the world.”

Elsewhere, but this looks (and tastes) so good, worth the detour.
Immigration in the Kitchen: A Generation of Food Entrepreneurs
Essex Street Market, 120 Essex St./ 6:30PM, FREE, RSVP requested.

This program is part of the Museum of Food and Drink’s MOFAD City series:
“We’re partnering with the Essex Street Market to bring together a panel of immigrant food entrepreneurs – those that have kept their cultures’ food traditions alive, while also adding their own flare. We’ll hear from Jake Dell of Katz’s Delicatessen, Jonathan Wu of Fung Tu, and market vendor Viva Fruits & Vegetables. Lisa Gross, Founder and CEO of The League of Kitchens, will moderate and share her perspective working with immigrant cooks in New York City.

Because, really, what would New York City be without the smoked fish of early Jewish immigrants, or the steaming hot noodle bowls of the city’s longstanding Chinese community? We’ll talk about the immigrants – and their appetites! – that made today’s world cooking possible. Plus, sample a tasting of food from neighborhood staple Kossar’s Bialys and Essex Street Market vendors, and complimentary Tiger Beer! The evening starts with a reception at 6:30 pm and then the discussion from 7-8 pm.”

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Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite 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
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 58 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, even if it’s  just on the day of performance.
==============================================================================

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.

Two exhibitions the NewYorkTimes likes:

 Robert Ryman (through July 31)
“For nearly 60s years, the Minimalist painter Robert Ryman has had few equals when it comes to doing more with less. White has been his primary, if not quite his only, color, the square his typical format. And yet within these seeming limitations a remarkably fecund and resonant body of work has evolved as demonstrated with unusual clarity (and in natural light) by this small but comprehensive exhibition.
Dia: Chelsea, 535 West 22nd Street, 212-989-5566, diaart.org.” (Smith)

Richard Serra (through July 29)
“New works occupying Gagosian Gallery’s two Chelsea display spaces find Mr. Serra, at 76, still wrangling sculptural fundamentals into objects and installations of thrilling severity. At West 21st Street is a single, grand example of his mazes made from immense ribbons of rolled steel; West 24th Street hosts three works made of solid steel slabs as well as a drawing installation. In certain respects, the two exhibitions represent formal opposites. While the maze subordinates material to gravity-defying form, the slabs favor weighty raw material. What the two have in common is their awesomely expansive effects on consciousness.
Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21st Street, 212-741-1717; and at 555 West 24th Street, Chelsea, 212-741-1111, gagosian.com.” (Johnson)

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 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 06/14 and 06/12.
======================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
==========================================================

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Selected Events (06/15) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 06/15/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > WEDNESDAY / JUNE 15, 2016

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

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

Savor an Alfresco Symphony
New York Philharmonic in Central Park
“As a child, Alan Gilbert, whose parents were violinists with the New York Philharmonic, loved attending the orchestra’s popular, free outdoor concerts in the city’s parks. As he enters his final season as music director, Mr. Gilbert leads the Philharmonic in two programs in Central Park to start this summer’s tour. Wednesday’s features the superb clarinetist Anthony McGill in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and on Thursday, it’s Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony.” (NYT-ANTHONY TOMMASINI)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Blue Note Jazz Festival (through June 30)
“This monthlong fete rolls on with a mix of marquee names and crossover fare. A special highlight in the coming week is Sangam, an intuitive, shape-shifting trio comprising the multi-reedist Charles Lloyd, the tabla player Zakir Hussain and the drummer Eric Harland, on Saturday at Town Hall. Among the other strong offerings are a quartet led by the bassist Christian McBride, at the Blue Note Jazz Club from Tuesday through June 19; and the organist Cory Henry with his band, the Funk Apostles, at the Highline on Thursday. A full schedule is at bluenotejazzfestival.com.” (Chinen-NYT)

Ethan Iverson Quintet (thru June 19)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $30
“As a member of the Bad Plus, the pianist and composer Iverson keeps his eye trained to the future; as an obsessive jazz fan, he reveres his elders, seizing any chance to play with honored musicians. Here he tangles with the great tenor saxophonist Houston Person, a soulful stylist who, in old-school form, can grease a blues song or offer a warm-bath ballad.” (NewYorker)

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (through June 19)
NYS/DHK Theater, LincolnCenter, $
“One of America’s most popular dance companies presents five distinct programs for its spring season. “Twenty-First Century Voices” comprises works by Rennie Harris, Ronald K. Brown, Robert Battle and Kyle Abraham, who presents “Untitled America: Second Movement,” the next installment of his three-part look into incarceration in America (Saturday evening). “All Ailey” stars the stirring solo “Cry” and the Ailey staple “Revelations” (Sunday matinee and Thursday); “Dance Trailblazers” features a premiere by Mauro Bigonzetti and Paul Taylor’s ode to Argentine tango, “Piazzolla Caldera” (Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening).” (Brian Schaefer-NYT)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Vijay Iyer Trio (through June 19)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30
“Mr. Iyer, a pianist-composer of penetrating insight and flexible attack, recently created a monthlong residency at the Met Breuer, performing in a succession of interdisciplinary settings. But his primary outlet is still this superbly slippery trio, with Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums — a band conversant in multiple traditions, with a prevailing ethos of sturdy cohesion.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Elsewhere, but these look worth the detours:
Tenement Kitchens: Adaption in America
The Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard St./ 6:30PM; $25
“Take a tour through the many doors of the Tenement Museum, and view the cramped kitchen spaces where Greek and Lithuanian immigrants preserved their culture through food a century ago. After the tour, join historian Sarah Lohman for a baklava cooking class and learn a legendary recipe from an LES family.” (TONY)

Journey to the East: Video Time Capsules From Asia
Asia Society and Museum
PLEASE NOTE: This event will be held at WeWork Dumbo Heights at 81 Prospect Street in Brooklyn / 6PM, FREE with RSVP
“Asia Society and Jungles in Paris invite you to a fun and edifying evening that will take you to some of the most far-flung and fascinating locations in Asia. Short video and photo presentations will focus on griffon vultures and the Tibetan sky burial, marriage rituals of Southeast Asia’s semi-nomadic “Sea Gypsies,” a profile of a 150-year-old sake brewery in Japan, and more. Some of the filmmakers and photographers will be on hand to discuss their work. Mingling is encouraged — snacks and adult beverages will be served.”

==================================================
Bonus – 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 58 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, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

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.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a  comment. 
================================================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS: 
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.
OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.
Subway Time 
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
========================================================

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