NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide

Selected Events (04/25) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 04/25/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5 > MONDAY / APR. 25, 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:
Something Really Rotten: Cut Songs From the Show with the Original Cast
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM +9:30PM, $50+
“How ROTTEN does a song have to be to get cut from SOMETHING ROTTEN? Come find out as Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, along with the cast of Something Rotten, sing through the songs that got revamped, revised or rejected. They’re not bitter. Okay, maybe a little. And tonight is their night to vent. Featuring the writers Wayne & Karey Kirkpatrick and the original cast of Broadway’s Something Rotten!” (broadwayworld.com)
I loved this Broadway show, this should be fun.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
PEN World Voices Festival (through May 1)
“This free annual literary event, which brings about 150 writers from 30 countries to venues spread throughout the New York City, is back with a focus on Mexico — stories about migration, border control and national identity. Speakers include authors like Salman Rushdie, Yuri Herrera and Jamaica Kincaid; and events like “I Wish to Say” with Sheryl Oring, a prolific writer of postcards to presidents. She and other writers will be at Bryant Park on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. typing audience dictations of postcards to current presidential candidates. The full lineup for the event can be found at worldvoices.pen.org.”
(NYT-SpareTimes)

Everest, The First Ascent
The Explorers Club, 6 E70th St./ 6PM, $20
“Hear the untold side of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s climb from the daughter of physiologist Griffith Pugh, who came up with the groundbreaking techniques in acclimatization, hydration and equipment that cleared the way for the first ascent. The Explorers Club.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Artist to Artist: Jane Krakowski
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, 61 W62nd St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“The Tony- and Olivier Award-winning actor—known to television audiences for her roles in Ally McBeal and 30 Rock—talks about creativity, craft, and career with a rising actor.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Monday Night Magic
“one of our favorite magic shows” (NYT-Today)
Players Theatre in Greenwich Village / 8PM, $37.50

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:
‘Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934-1954’ (through May 1)
“The first exhibition devoted to the Modern’s unsurpassed Pollock holding gives a dazzling account of the evolution of his signature poured paintings. Its 58 works on canvas and paper also attest to the Modern’s laserlike focus on accounting fully for the achievements of artists it deems great. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘Marcel Broodthaers: A Retrospective’ (through May 15)
“The Belgian poet Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976) supported himself for 40 years as a bookseller before deciding on a new career as an artist. In 1964, he turned some unsold poetry books into a sculpture, and instantly had a debut solo show. Four years later, he appointed himself director of a fictional art museum — his own. Now comes a belated and woozily perplexing first New York survey of one of Europe’s most influential 20th-century trickster-artist-poets, along with a complementary showcase, “Marcel Broodthaers: Ecriture,” at Michael Werner Gallery on the Upper East Side. 212-708-9400, moma.org.”(Cotter-NYT)

‘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)

Neue Galerie:
‘Munch and Expressionism’ (through June 13)
“There’s no question that Munch was a product of his Norwegian homeland. But this show makes him part of a larger history too. It argues that his art significantly shaped, and was shaped by, European culture of the early 20th century, when an atmospheric clash of liberationist yearning and doomsday fear charged the air like lightning and sparked reality-fracturing art styles, including German Expressionism. Along with “The Scream,” in the 1895 pastel version that sold at Sotheby’s a few years back, you’ll find wonderful paintings by Munch’s younger contemporaries Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Beckmann and Egon Schiele glowing like lamps against midnight-blue walls. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org.” (Cotter)

Whitney Museum of American Art:
‘Laura Poitras: Astro Noise’ (through May 1)
“An engrossing first solo museum show by an artist-activist known for films documenting the United States government’s post-Sept. 11 “war on terror,” notably the Oscar-winning “Citizenfour.” Here she pursues her forensic mediation on global surveillance with a suite of dimly lit installations made up of photographs, videos and texts that take us from ground zero to Baghdad, Washington and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and that conclude with a chilling little real-time surprise. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 04/23 and 04/21.
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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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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Artist to Artist: Jane Krakowski, Everest, Monday Night Magic, PEN World Voices Festival, Something Really Rotten: Cut Songs From the Show with the Original Cast, The First Ascent | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/24) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 04/24/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / APR. 24, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
This is definitely not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Bklyn’s WestSide, and absolutely worth the detour. You just have to see these guys perform. Unforgettable!
Streb Extreme Action Company (LAST DAY!) / 3PM, $25
Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, 51 North First Street, Williamsburg,
“After a winter hiatus, superheroes are back in the multiplexes. More excitingly, they’re back in Brooklyn, where Elizabeth Streb’s gang of action heroes can be seen in “SEA (Singular Extreme Actions),” a new show that once again tests the boundaries of the human body as it navigates an army of complex, bespoke mechanical contraptions. The soundtrack shifts from show to show as audience members contribute to the playlist.”(Schaefer-NYT).

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Michel Camilo Trio Latino
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Camilo, a fastidiously percussive Dominican pianist, has often done his best work in a trio format, and with Trio Latino he has especially fine partners: the bassist Ricky Rodriguez and the drummer Dafnis Prieto.” (Chinen-NYT)

Jeremy Pelt
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, btw 105/106th Sts./ 7, 9, 10:30PM, $38
“A hard-swinging adherent of neo-hard bop, the trumpeter Pelt couldn’t ask for a more authentic rhythm section than this triumvirate of vigorous icons: the pianist George Cables, the bassist Buster Williams, and the drummer Louis Hayes.” (NewYorker)

Eric Reed Quartet
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South, at 11th St./ 8:30PM +10:30PM, $30
“Mr. Reed has a precise interface with the piano, and roughly the same inclinations as both an improviser and a bandleader: He favors syncopation and poise, spontaneity and control. Those are qualities well suited to his longtime quartet, with the alto saxophonist Tim Green, the bassist Reuben Rogers and the drummer McClenty Hunter.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Tribeca Film Festival 15th Edition (LAST DAY)
For details on today’s concluding events, visit tribecafilm.com.

“The festival, which originally set out to help revive the TriBeCa neighborhood post-9/11, has grown into an international celebration of cinema at venues throughout the City. Lasting nearly two weeks, the festival focuses this year on some unique documentaries, female directors and local stories. In addition, the Tribeca Talks series returns with conversations on movies and moviemaking that feature the likes of J.J. Abrams, Tina Fey, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Rock.” (nycgo.com)

Definitely elsewhere, but today’s beautiful weather makes this worth a springtime detour:
Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and Fordham Road, the Bronx / 12PM-5PM, $25+
“Now that we’re well into spring and the weather is warm, New York Botanical Garden presents two days of wine tasting, live music and about 150,000 daffodils in bloom. The wines come from New York state vintners, who will talk about their offerings and lead guided tastings. Tours of the garden are also available. More information at nybg.org/exhibitions/2016/weekends/daffodil-and-wine-weekend. (NYT-SpareTimes)

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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.

Those 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).
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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.

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

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

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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.

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 Blue Note, Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend, Eric Reed Quartet, Jeremy Pelt, Michel Camilo Trio Latino, New York Botanical Garden, Smoke Jazz Club, Streb Extreme Action Company, Tribeca Film Festival, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/23) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 04/23/2016 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 > SATURDAY / APR. 23, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Definitely elsewhere, but this looks worth a springtime detour:
Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend (also Sunday)
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and Fordham Road, the Bronx / 12PM-5PM, $
“Now that we’re well into spring and the weather is warm, New York Botanical Garden presents two days of wine tasting, live music and about 150,000 daffodils in bloom. The wines come from New York state vintners, who will talk about their offerings and lead guided tastings. Tours of the garden are also available. More information at nybg.org/exhibitions/2016/weekends/daffodil-and-wine-weekend. (NYT-SpareTimes)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th St./ 8PM, $35
“The Daptone Records mainstay Charles Bradley, 67, resurrects the electric communality of 1970s funk and, when performing live with his Extraordinaires, he becomes a crooning, celebratory force. He has received the embrace of hip-hop lately, with a sample of his burning “I Believe in Your Love” making its way into Jay Z’s “Open Letter.” His group’s new album, “Changes,” is a sprightly career best, delivering romantic doo-wop and soulful showboating.” (NYT-Anderson)

Yellowjackets (LAST DAY)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM +11PM, $40
“This pace car of contemporary fusion, anchored for more than 20 years by the keyboardist Russell Ferrante and the saxophonist Bob Mintzer, celebrates the release of “Cohearance.” That album introduces a new working lineup for the band, with Will Kennedy on drums and Dane Alderson on electric bass.” (Chinen-NYT)

Melissa Aldana Quartet
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 W10th St./ 10:30PM, $
“On “Back Home,” her fourth and finest album, the tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana pays homage to a formative influence, Sonny Rollins, without losing herself to emulation. The album finds her in open dialogue with the warmly assured bassist Pablo Menares and the agile, flowing drummer Jochen Rueckert, who rejoin her here in a quartet with Glenn Zaleski on piano.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

“It Takes Two”
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave./ 9PM-4AM, $30
“Held in conjunction with Swiss art collaborators Peter Fischli and David Weiss’s retrospective, this event brings together an assortment of speakers and performers to examine artistic teamwork by pairs. With nearly 40 participants, the overnight program features artist Matthew Barney and composer Jonathan Bepler, performance duo Dancenoise, Academy award-winning songwriters Kristen and Bobby Lopez, artists and fashion photographers Inez and Vinoodh and architects Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, among many others.” (the observer)

Baz Luhrmann and Nelson George
SVA Theater, 333 W23rd St./ 6PM, $43.50
“Mr. Luhrmann, the imaginative director of “Moulin Rouge” and “The Great Gatsby,” speaks with Mr. George, an author and director of the Misty Copeland documentary “A Ballerina’s Tale,” to discuss their coming Netflix series “The Get Down” as part of the Tribeca Film Festival’s discussion series.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Bacon and Beer Classic
Citi Field / 1-4PM; 7-10PM, $79
“Winter’s over and it’s time to break those resolutions—what better way than a no-holds-barred blowout featuring 30 bacon-stuffed dishes and more than 100 craft brews? For three hours, stuff your face with porcine plates from restaurants like Bareburger and Tres Carnes while guzzling beers and ciders from breweries both local (Gun Hill Brewing Co., Original Sin Hard Cider) and national (Anchor Brewing in California, Harpoon Brewery in Vermont).” (TONY)

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

==================================================================================
♦ 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:
‘Ellsworth Kelly Photographs’ (through April 30)
“This first exhibition of photographs by Mr. Kelly, who died in December, includes more than 30 gelatin silver prints made over four decades. His straightforward pictures of houses, barns, brick walls and winter branches yield the same distinctive observation of perceptual phenomena so characteristic of his hard-edge paintings, sculpture and prints: Rectangles float; shadows fall into hard-edge shapes; surfaces reveal evenly mottled patterns and unlikely grids. Matthew Marks Gallery, 523 West 24th Street, Chelsea, 212-243-0200, matthewmarks.com.” (Philip Gefter)

Robert Ryman (through July 29)
“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)

Here is one that The Observer likes:
“Steven Baldi: Branded Light” (through May 28)
Koenig & Clinton, 459 West 19 Street
“Steven Baldi is currently featured in an acclaimed group show about the use of stock photography in fine art, on view at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Here, he presents black-and-white photomontages of industry logos, such as those for Kodak and Nikon, abstracted with prismatic camera effects. The resulting Constructivist-inspired imagery is contrasted with the Los Angeles conceptualist’s monochromatic paintings that he makes by stretching green book cloth over aluminum panels.”

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).

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 04/21 and 04/19.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “It Takes Two”, Baz Luhrmann and Nelson George, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend, Jeremy Pelt, Melissa Aldana Quartet, Yellowjackets | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/22) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 04/22/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / APR. 22, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Bacon and Beer Classic (also Sat 1-4PM; 7-10PM)
Citi Field / 8-11PM, $79
“Winter’s over and it’s time to break those resolutions—what better way than a no-holds-barred blowout featuring 30 bacon-stuffed dishes and more than 100 craft brews? For three hours, stuff your face with porcine plates from restaurants like Bareburger and Tres Carnes while guzzling beers and ciders from breweries both local (Gun Hill Brewing Co., Original Sin Hard Cider) and national (Anchor Brewing in California, Harpoon Brewery in Vermont).” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Donna McKechnie: A Visit with Kander & Ebb (LAST DAY)
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $50+
“After a brilliant career as one of the all-time great Broadway dancers, Donna McKechnie has refocused her energies on singing. Her newest cabaret set focuses on songs by the classic Broadway team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, including tunes from such shows as Chicago, Cabaret, The Act and The Visit.” (TONY

Michel Camilo Trio Latino (through April 24)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $
“Mr. Camilo, a fastidiously percussive Dominican pianist, has often done his best work in a trio format, and with Trio Latino he has especially fine partners: the bassist Ricky Rodriguez and the drummer Dafnis Prieto.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Shakespeare Birthday Bash
Bryant Park/Bryant Park Reading Room / 12PM – 8:30PM, FREE
“Celebrate the 452nd anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, and the 400th anniversary of his death, with a full day of performances and music. There will be a monologue karaoke with spectators reading Shakespearean speeches, plus performances of great death scenes and a mock jazz funeral led by the Jambalaya Brass Band.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Tribeca Film Festival 15th Edition (April 13-24)
For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.
New and Cool: Virtual Arcade debuts at the 2016 Festival, helping to expand the immersive entertainment slate with thirteen additional VR experiences from some of the leading creators and emerging voices in this new medium. (April 18-23)
see also: The Tribeca Film Festival Diversifies (WSJ)

Wolcott Gibbs, E. B. White, James Thurber, and the Golden Age of The New Yorker with Author Thomas Vinciguerra
The New School, 55 W13th St./ 1PM, FREE, but RSVP
“Thomas Vinciguerra paints a portrait of The New Yorker’s legendary inner circle of charming, wisecracking, brilliant writers and editors in his recent publication Cast of Characters: Wolcott Gibbs, E. B. White, James Thurber, and the Golden Age of The New Yorker. He explains the way they transformed how life was perceived, interpreted, written about and published in America.”

“Artists on Art: Dustin Yellin”
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W17 St./ 6:15PM, FREE
“Part of the museum’s ongoing Artist on Art series, contemporary collage artist Dustin Yellin—also the founder of Pioneer Works, a massive multi-disciplinary art space in Red Hook, Brooklyn—sits down with Rubin Museum curator of Modern and Contemporary art Beth Citron to discuss his psychedelic practice in relation to the mystical artworks in the museum’s current show “Genesis Breyer P-Orridge: Try to Altar Everything,” on view through August 11.” (the Observer)
Tickets for the talk are free, but limited in availability and given away on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 5:45 p.m. Limit two tickets per person.

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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:

==================================================================================
♦ 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)

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

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

Times Square today is filled with neon glitz and wandering tourists from Dubuque, but not Jimmy’s. You’ll likely find some old timer’s at the bar nursing their drinks, some younger locals at tables in the back, and maybe 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

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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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 Summer 2016).
◊ Order before July 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
==============================================================

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.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “Artists on Art: Dustin Yellin”, Bacon and Beer Classic, Donna McKechnie: A Visit with Kander & Ebb, Michel Camilo Trio Latino, Shakespeare Birthday Bash, the Golden Age of The New Yorker, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/21) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 04/20/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > THURSDAY / APR. 21, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Techday
Pier 94, 711 Twelfth Ave./ 10AM-5PM, FREE
“Picture your local middle-school science fair, and swap out electrified potatoes and model cars for one-button pizza delivery and geo-targeted cab services. TechDay, now in its fifth year, is the largest startup event in the United States, and invites hundreds of innovators and budding companies to show off their wares to the press, investors, job seekers, and early adopters.

As the conference has grown, its organizers have added new elements: this year, the stars of the ABC reality show “Shark Tank” will be casting hopeful entrepreneurs, who will début their products for live audiences on two new demo stages.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Paul Shapiro’s Ribs & Brisket Revue
Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st St./ 8:30PM, $30
“The boundary between classic rhythm and blues and jazz was once porous territory, and this joyful ensemble, led by the exuberant saxophonist Shapiro, is always willing to do the time warp to revive that openhearted embrace of genres, even mixing in Jewish musical themes as well.” (NewYorker)

Not exactly Manhattan’s WestSide, but this looks too good to miss:
SFJazz Collective Plays the Music of Michael Jackson (also Thursday)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM +9:30PM, $35
“It’s probably a safe bet that you haven’t heard a take on “Thriller” with more improvisational flair than the version that appears on “SFJazz Collective Plays the Music of Michael Jackson & Original Compositions.” Next week the SFJazz Collective — featuring a powerful front line of Sean Jones on trumpet, David Sánchez and Miguel Zenón on saxophones, Robin Eubanks on trombone and Warren Wolf on marimba and vibraphone — draws from that album in a three-night run.” (Chinen-NYT)

There’s so much star power in this ambitious octet, including the saxophonists Miguel Zenon and David Sanchez, that it could supply tingle to practically any given repertoire. Still, a spotlight on the work of Michael Jackson is especially intriguing; songs from the King of Pop will be offset by shrewd group originals.” (NewYorker)

Donna McKechnie: A Visit with Kander & Ebb (thru Apr.22)
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $50+
“After a brilliant career as one of the all-time great Broadway dancers, Donna McKechnie has refocused her energies on singing. Her newest cabaret set focuses on songs by the classic Broadway team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, including tunes from such shows as Chicago, Cabaret, The Act and The Visit.” (TONY)

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

Footprints in New York: Tracing The Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers
with James and Michelle Nevius, New York City experts.
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture explores the lives of two dozen iconic New Yorkers, including Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, Central Park architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, business titan JP Morgan, and music legend Bob Dylan. Using illustrations, maps, and photos from the NYPL’s collection, we’ll share some of our favorite stories from our book “Footprints in New York”, tracing the city’s history from the days of Peter Stuyvesant to Edith Wharton’s Gided Age to Jane Jacobs’s battles to save her downtown neighborhoods.”

In addition to screening new films, the Beacon Theatre will host a special 40th anniversary showing of director Martin Scorsese’s NYC classic, Taxi Driver. Afterward, there will be an onstage conversation headed up by festival co-founder Robert De Niro—who also happens to be the film’s star—along with the director and co-stars Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd. In addition, the Tribeca Talks series returns with conversations on movies and moviemaking that feature the likes of J.J. Abrams, Tina Fey, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Rock.” (nycgo.com)

The Universe in Your Hand
Albertine, 972 Fifth Ave./ 7PM, FREE
“Christophe Galfard and Janna Levin will takes us on a wonder-filled journey to the surface of our dying Sun, shrinks us to the size of an atom and puts us in the deathly grip of distant Black Holes. Our speakers will make us understand the mind-bending science that underpins modern life, from Quantum Mechanics to Einstein’s theory of General Relativity.” (ThoughtGallery.org)
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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

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 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.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW
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)

Frick Collection:
‘Van Dyck: The Anatomy of Portraiture’ (through June 5)
“A rare exhibition devoted exclusively to the artist’s portraiture, which helped give the genre a new prominence. With their fluid brushwork and relaxed elegance, his subjects exude a sense of modern life and ease, despite the extravagant dress. The drawings are breathtaking. 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, 212-288-0700, frick.org.” (Smith)

Guggenheim Museum:
‘Peter Fischli David Weiss: How to Work Better’ (through April 27)
“Presenting more than 300 sculptures, photographs and videos, this marvelously entertaining exhibition demonstrates the power of creative play to invigorate hearts and minds. It includes photographs of doll-scale tableaus made mainly of processed meats; films starring the artists as Rat and Bear in frowzy costumes; more than 160 small, comical clay sculptures representing a harebrained history of the world; and myriad trompe l’oeil sculptures of ordinary objects. Most importantly, there’s the team’s classic movie “The Way Things Go” (1987), the landmark film documenting an apparently continuous series of chain reactions of a Rube Goldberg-type construction. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.” (Ken Johnson)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France’ (through May 15)
“This outstanding late-17th-century painter finally receives a ravishing survey. A prodigy and portraitist to Marie Antoinette and her court, Vigée Le Brun orchestrated an equally successful career among the royals of Italy, Prussia and especially Russia after the French Revolution. Her best efforts are distinguished by exquisite technique (ears sometimes excepted), inventive colors and immensely sympathetic portrayals of men and women alike. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Smith)

‘Celebrating the Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection’ (continuing)
“This lavish roll out of 160 objects came to the Met from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation last spring. The Burkes loved Japanese art — all of it — and the collection is close to compendious in terms of media, from wood-carved Buddhas to bamboo baskets, with a particular strength in painting, early and late. The quality of the work? Japan thinks highly enough of it to have made the Burke holdings the first Japanese collection from abroad ever to show at Tokyo National Museum. Some pieces on view now will be rotated out and replaced in February, making this an exhibition to visit at least twice. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

‘Reimagining Modernism: 1900-1950’ (continuing)
“One of the greatest encyclopedic museums in the world fulfills its mission a little more with an ambitious reinstallation of works of early European modernism with their American counterparts for the first time in nearly 30 years. Objects of design and paintings by a few self-taught artists further the integration. It is quite a sight, with interesting rotations and fine-tunings to come. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Smith)

Neue Galerie:
‘Munch and Expressionism’ (through June 13)
“There’s no question that Munch was a product of his Norwegian homeland. But this show makes him part of a larger history too. It argues that his art significantly shaped, and was shaped by, European culture of the early 20th century, when an atmospheric clash of liberationist yearning and doomsday fear charged the air like lightning and sparked reality-fracturing art styles, including German Expressionism. Along with “The Scream,” in the 1895 pastel version that sold at Sotheby’s a few years back, you’ll find wonderful paintings by Munch’s younger contemporaries Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Beckmann and Egon Schiele glowing like lamps against midnight-blue walls. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org.”(Cotter)

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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).
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 04/19 and 04/17.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Donna McKechnie: A Visit with Kander & Ebb, Footprints in New York: Tracing The Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers, Paul Shapiro’s Ribs & Brisket Revue, SFJazz Collective Plays the Music of Michael Jackson, Techday, The Universe in Your Hand, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/20) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 04/20/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / APR. 20, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Not exactly Manhattan’s WestSide, but this looks too good to miss:
SFJazz Collective Plays the Music of Michael Jackson (also Thursday)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM +9:30PM, $35
“It’s probably a safe bet that you haven’t heard a take on “Thriller” with more improvisational flair than the version that appears on “SFJazz Collective Plays the Music of Michael Jackson & Original Compositions.” Next week the SFJazz Collective — featuring a powerful front line of Sean Jones on trumpet, David Sánchez and Miguel Zenón on saxophones, Robin Eubanks on trombone and Warren Wolf on marimba and vibraphone — draws from that album in a three-night run.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
James Francies: JF3
Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Ave,@135th St./ 7:30PM, $15
“Mr. Francies is 20 — and already a force on the ground in New York. He’s a pianist with liquid dynamism in his touch and a heavy slate of sideman affiliations. With his trio JF3, appearing here in the Harlem Stride: Jazz Now series, he engages with the postbop continuum from a contemporary angle, working with Ben Williams on bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Harlem Stage Gatehouse is a very cool space for music; before the show grab a quick bite to eat @Mofongo Del Valle Restaurant, 3340 Broadway @135th St.

Cecil Taylor
Whitney Museum of American Art, (thru April 24)
“An icon of jazz, 87-year-old pianist Cecil Taylor has been breaking boundaries since his 1956 debut album. Mr. Taylor both expanded and exploded the language of jazz, adding complexity and density to the form. His 10-day residency as part of the Whitney’s Open Plan series will feature a handful of performances and reveal how his music—uncompromising, prickly and gorgeous— interacts with dance, poetry and modern art.” (WSJ)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Tribeca Film Festival 15th Edition (April 13-24)
For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.
New and Cool: Virtual Arcade debuts at the 2016 Festival, helping to expand the immersive entertainment slate with thirteen additional VR experiences from some of the leading creators and emerging voices in this new medium. (April 18-23)
see also: The Tribeca Film Festival Diversifies (WSJ)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Book Launch: How to Smoke Pot (Properly)
powerHouse Arena, 37 Main St./ 7PM, FREE
By David Bienenstock with Krishna Andavolu and Abdullah Saeed
“Once demonized as “the Devil’s lettuce” and linked to all manner of deviant behavior, cannabis sativa has lately been enjoying a long-overdue renaissance. So now, with the squares at long last ready to rethink pot’s place in polite society, and eleven US states considering legalization in 2016, VICE columnist and former High Times editor David Bienenstock charts the course for this bold, new, post-prohibition world in How to Smoke Pot (Properly) — a highbrow guide to getting high.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 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’. ”

Each night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines, but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
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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 Summer 2016).
◊ Order before July 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
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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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Donna McKechnie: A Visit with Kander & Ebb, How to Smoke Pot (Properly), James Francies: JF3, SFJazz Collective Plays the Music of Michael Jackson | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/19) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 04/19/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > TUESDAY / APR. 19, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
LIVE from the NYPL
Rosanne Cash / Paul Holdengräber
NYPL, Main Building, 5th Ave and 42nd St./ 7PM, $25
“Rosanne Cash, the prolific musician, writer and daughter of Johnny Cash, will appear as part of Live From NYPL series after rescheduling last fall. She’ll discuss her 30-year career, which includes more than a dozen albums, four books and numerous honors.“

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Cecil Taylor
Whitney Museum of American Art, (thru April 24)
“An icon of jazz, 87-year-old pianist Cecil Taylor has been breaking boundaries since his 1956 debut album. Mr. Taylor both expanded and exploded the language of jazz, adding complexity and density to the form. His 10-day residency as part of the Whitney’s Open Plan series will feature a handful of performances and reveal how his music—uncompromising, prickly and gorgeous— interacts with dance, poetry and modern art.” (WSJ)

The Mountain Goats
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ 8PM, $22-$25, may need to wait list this one.
“This group’s happily eccentric frontman, John Darnielle, has long established himself as a font of verbosity with a keen ear for emotionally gutting hooks. On “Beat the Champ,” the band’s latest record, he also revealed himself as a zealous fan of professional wrestling: In the song “Werewolf Gimmick” Mr. Darnielle takes the perspective of a costumed conqueror, gleefully yelping, “Let him who thinks he knows no fear/Look well upon my face.” With William Tyler.”
(Anderson-NYT)

New and Cool: Virtual Arcade debuts at the 2016 Festival, helping to expand the immersive entertainment slate with thirteen additional VR experiences from some of the leading creators and emerging voices in this new medium. (April 18-23)
see also: The Tribeca Film Festival Diversifies (WSJ)

April Author @ the Library Programs
The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time
Mid-Manhattan Library, 5th Ave and 40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
with Maria Konnikova, bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, and a contributing writer for The New Yorker.
“This talk features the art of persuasion—and deception. It explores and explains the psychological principles that make swindling so easy and provides an investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists. In her entertaining and insightful talk, she tells the fascinating stories about some of the most seductive impostors in history, taking us into the world of the con to examine not only why we believe in confidence artists, but how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us.”

Kosher USA Book Talk
American Jewish Historical Society, 15 W16th St./ 7PM, $10
“Learn about the history of kosher food and taste some Passover treats from Breads Bakery. Author Roger Horowitz will discuss Kosher USA, a book that details, among other things, Coca-Cola’s and Jell-O’s attempts to break into the kosher-food world. Tickets are $10 for general admission, which includes sweets like cupcakes and chocolates. RSVP here.” (VillageVoice)

=======================================================
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.
=======================================================================

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 04/17 and 04/15.
=======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American Jewish Historical Society, Cecil Taylor, City Winery, Kosher USA Book Talk, Mid-Manhattan Library, NYPL, Rosanne Cash / Paul Holdengräber, The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time, The Mountain Goats, Tribeca Film Festival, Whitney Museum | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 04/18/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5 > MONDAY / APR. 18, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Lyrics & Lyricists: Everything’s Coming Up Ethel
92nd Street Y, / 2PM +7:30PM, $69-$86
“Expert musical director Ted Sperling hosts the latest edition of the 92nd Street Y’s estimable Lyrics & Lyricists series. This one is devoted to songs made famous by Broadway megaphone Ethel Merman, whose voice echoes down the Street to this day. Lindsay Mendez, Julia Murney, Emily Skinner, Clarke Thorell and NaTasha Yvette Williams are the singers.” (TONY)

The Mountain Goats (through Tuesday)
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ 8PM, $22-$25, may need to wait list this one.
“This group’s happily eccentric frontman, John Darnielle, has long established himself as a font of verbosity with a keen ear for emotionally gutting hooks. On “Beat the Champ,” the band’s latest record, he also revealed himself as a zealous fan of professional wrestling: In the song “Werewolf Gimmick” Mr. Darnielle takes the perspective of a costumed conqueror, gleefully yelping, “Let him who thinks he knows no fear/Look well upon my face.” With William Tyler.”
(Anderson-NYT)

Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire
Madison Square Garden, /
“The music world lost a luminary when Maurice White died in February. Steeped in the late-’60s Chicago blues and jazz worlds, he channeled those beginnings into funk, soul, disco and pop when he started Earth, Wind & Fire. The band’s multiplatinum catalog—including megahits such as “September” and “Shining Star”—brims with funky guitars, crisp horns and smooth falsettos. For this tour, they team up with Chicago, another ’70s brass-heavy band.” (WSJ)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Tribeca Film Festival
various locations, times and prices
“Kicks off its 15th edition. The festival, which originally set out to help revive the TriBeCa neighborhood post-9/11, has grown into an international celebration of cinema at venues throughout the City. Lasting nearly two weeks, the festival focuses this year on some unique documentaries, female directors and local stories.

For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.
Finally, try this: Tribeca Festival: Films to Catch The First Week (WSJ)

==================================================
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 – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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))

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

But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

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

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

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

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

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music iot 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

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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.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cecil Taylor, Chicago and Earth, Lyrics & Lyricists: Everything's Coming Up Ethel, The Mountain Goats, Wind & Fire | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/17) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 04/17/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / APR. 17, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Anat Cohen Tentet (LAST DAY)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM and 9:30PM, $
“A clarinetist and tenor saxophonist of irresistible rhythmic aplomb, Ms. Cohen has dabbled in music for midsize ensembles, and this one should bring out some vibrant colors in her writing. The 10-piece ensemble’s chamberesque lineup includes Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet, Rubin Kodheli on cello, James Shipp on vibraphone and Sheryl Bailey on guitar.” (Chinen-NYT)
Anat, one of the finest clarinetists of her generation, branches out with a 10 piece ensemble. Should be spectacular.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Lea Salonga (LAST DAY)
54 Below, 254 W 54th St./ 7PM, $90+
“Fresh from her critically acclaimed performance in Allegiance on Broadway, Lea Salonga takes the stage at Feinstein’s/54 Below for a highly anticipated NYC cabaret return. Called “golden-voiced” by Variety, Salonga smartly weaves together a set list of her favorite standards, go-to pop tunes, and Broadway ballads. This trio of piano, guitar, and voice ensures an intimate experience with a true Broadway icon.” (broadwayworld.com)

This is definitely not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Bklyn’s WestSide, and absolutely worth the detour. You just have to see these guys perform. Unforgettable!
Streb Extreme Action Company (Thursdays through Sundays, until April 24) / $25
Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, 51 North First Street, Williamsburg,
“After a winter hiatus, superheroes are back in the multiplexes. More excitingly, they’re back in Brooklyn, where Elizabeth Streb’s gang of action heroes can be seen in “SEA (Singular Extreme Actions),” a new show that once again tests the boundaries of the human body as it navigates an army of complex, bespoke mechanical contraptions. The soundtrack shifts from show to show as audience members contribute to the playlist.”(Schaefer-NYT)
Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30PM; Saturdays and Sundays at 3PM.

For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.
Finally, try this: Tribeca Festival: Films to Catch The First Week (WSJ)

“Celebrate 10 Years of the New Morgan”
Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue at 36th St./ FREE
“Commemorating the 10th anniversary of its Renzo Piano-designed expansion project, the Morgan opens its doors to the public with free admission for the entire weekend. Exhibitions on view include “Warhol by the Book,” featuring 40 years of the artist’s publications; “Wagner’s Ring: Forging an Epic,” which explores the story behind the creation of the composer’s cycle of music dramas; “Sight Reading: Photography and the Legible World,” which examines the medium as a tool of persuasion; and “Pierre-Jean Mariette and the Art of Collecting Drawings,” which looks at the 18th-century connoisseur’s collection. Live classical and jazz music, video presentations, lectures and gallery tours round out the packed weekend salute.” (theobserver)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
“The AIPAD Photography Show” (LAST DAY)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 5-9PM, $30
“Featuring contemporary, modern and 19th-century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video and new media, the 36th edition of AIPAD’s Photography Show brings together 86 international galleries at the Park Avenue Armory for four days.” (the observer)

==================================================================================
♦ 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*

Two exhibitions the NewYorkTimes likes:

‘Ellsworth Kelly Photographs’ (through April 30)
“This first exhibition of photographs by Mr. Kelly, who died in December, includes more than 30 gelatin silver prints made over four decades. His straightforward pictures of houses, barns, brick walls and winter branches yield the same distinctive observation of perceptual phenomena so characteristic of his hard-edge paintings, sculpture and prints: Rectangles float; shadows fall into hard-edge shapes; surfaces reveal evenly mottled patterns and unlikely grids. Matthew Marks Gallery, 523 West 24th Street, Chelsea, 212-243-0200, matthewmarks.com.” (Philip Gefter)

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 04/15 and 04/13.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anat Cohen Tentet, “Celebrate 10 Years of the New Morgan”, Lea Salonga, Streb Extreme Action Company, The AIPAD Photography Show, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

Selected Events (04/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 04/16/2016 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 > SATURDAY / APR. 16, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do This:
Camille O’Sullivan (LAST DAY)
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St./ 8PM, $32
“Pinning this Irish-French performer down to any one confining musical genre is a fool’s game. What can be confirmed is that she brings arresting theatricality and sensuality to a wide swath of song, touching on the work of Gillian Welch, Nick Cave, and others.”(NewYorker)
“Ravishing…superb performer.” – Guardian
“Exceptional.” – Time Out
She’s coming back to the states in May to perform at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Better catch her in New York while you have the chance. This is a very special performance.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Improvisers Chamber Orchestra
Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow St./ 8:30PM, $20 (includes CD)
“As its name implies, this large ensemble — an outgrowth of the historic and newly reinvigorated Creative Music Studio, in Woodstock, N.Y. — involves a cohort of improvising musicians in chamberlike accord. The conductor will be Karl Berger, who helped establish the music studio some 45 years ago, and the lineup will include Ingrid Sertso, a poet and fellow founder; Peter Apfelbaum, on tenor saxophone and flute; the trumpeters Steven Bernstein and Graham Haynes; and the drummers Billy Martin and Warren Smith. The concert, at 8:30 p.m., will be preceded by an open rehearsal at 7 p.m.” (Chinen-NYT)

Anat Cohen Tentet (through April 17)
Jazz Standard, 116 E27th St./ 7:30PM and 9:30PM, $
“A clarinetist and tenor saxophonist of irresistible rhythmic aplomb, Ms. Cohen has dabbled in music for midsize ensembles, and this one should bring out some vibrant colors in her writing. The 10-piece ensemble’s chamberesque lineup includes Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet, Rubin Kodheli on cello, James Shipp on vibraphone and Sheryl Bailey on guitar.” (Chinen-NYT)
Anat, one of the finest clarinetists of her generation, branches out with a 10 piece ensemble. Should be spectacular.

For details on all the films, schedules, talks and events, visit tribecafilm.com.
Finally, try this: Tribeca Festival: Films to Catch The First Week (WSJ)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
“The AIPAD Photography Show” (also Sunday)
Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave./ 5-9PM, $30
“Featuring contemporary, modern and 19th-century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video and new media, the 36th edition of AIPAD’s Photography Show brings together 86 international galleries at the Park Avenue Armory for four days.” (the observer)

====================================================
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
in case you need more options in the Village, these are also fine spots:
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 it’s just on the 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.

No food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
========================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anat Cohen Tentet, “Celebrate 10 Years of the New Morgan”, Camille O'Sullivan, Improvisers Chamber Orchestra, Streb Extreme Action Company, The AIPAD Photography Show, Tribeca Film Festival | Leave a comment

	Darin on October NYC Events + NYC Weeke…
	Darin on Selected Events (10/13) + Toda…

Today’s Fab 5 > MONDAY / APR. 25, 2016

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / APR. 24, 2016

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A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

Today’s Elite 8 > SATURDAY / APR. 23, 2016

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Super 7 > FRIDAY / APR. 22, 2016

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

Today’s Super 7 > THURSDAY / APR. 21, 2016

Today’s Sweet 6 > WEDNESDAY / APR. 20, 2016

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

3 Good Eating places

Today’s Sweet 6 > TUESDAY / APR. 19, 2016

Today’s Fab 5 > MONDAY / APR. 18, 2016

A PremierPub / Tribeca

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

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

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

Today’s Sweet 6 > SUNDAY / APR. 17, 2016

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Super 7 > SATURDAY / APR. 16, 2016

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

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

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

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