Selected Events (11/17) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 11/17/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 6 > TUESDAY / NOV. 17, 2015

“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:
Dominick Farinacci: ‘Short Stories’
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway/ 7:30 +9:30PM, $35
“A trumpeter of abundant poise, Mr. Farinacci draws from a new album, “Short Stories,” with partners including the vocalist Gregory Generet, the pianist Orrin Evans and the drummer Quincy Phillips.” (NYT-Chinen)
My Rule: When you have a chance to hear Gregory Generet, don’t miss that chance!

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Cecil Taylor: From the Five Spot to the World
Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Ave, at 135th St./ 7:30PM, $
“At 86, the pianist Cecil Taylor is a matchless eminence in the jazz avant-garde, and a figure of increasingly rare public exposure. This gala concert, a benefit for Harlem Stage, will feature the pianists Jason Moran and Geri Allen, two of his many grateful heirs, with generous interpolations of poetry and dance. It also promises some form of performance by Mr. Taylor, whose most recent appearance in this setting, in 2012, was an illuminating triumph.” (Chinen-NYT)
This is a great venue, but looks sold out; may have to stub hub this one. Moral of the story: keep your eyes peeled on the programming at the GateHouse.

‘A Love Supreme’ (also Nov. 18)
Lincoln Center—Alice Tully Hall, 1941 Broadway
Few albums are as exalted as John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” which plays as both a celebration and a dirge. Composed at a time of upheaval and peace—in a suburban house in Dix Hills, Long Island—the album’s four movements (“Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,” “Pursuance” and “Psalm”) follow the lines of a religious epiphany, and its resounding power has come to stand in for the full weight of spiritual jazz.

Here, as part of the musically searching “White Light Festival,” Wynton Marsalis will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in tribute to an album that will be revived in a special big-band arrangement for the occasion of its 50th anniversary.” (WSJ)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
War of the Encyclopaedists
National September 11 Memorial & Museum, 180 Greenwich St./ 7PM, FREE
The joint debut novel by poet Christopher Robinson and Army lawyer and veteran Gavin Kovite that has been described as “a brilliant portrait of America in the early years of the Iraq War.” Dr. Elizabeth Samet, author of “Soldier’s Heart” and professor of English at the United States Military Academy, talks to the authors about co-writing a novel, the disconnect between soldiers and civilians, and more. A book signing will follow the program.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

The Hirschfeld Century: Portrait of an Artist and His Age
NYPL Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, FREE
“With David Leopold, Hirschfeld authority, who, as archivist to the artist, worked side by side with him and has spent more than twenty years documenting the artist’s extraordinary output.

This illustrated lecture brings together the artist’s extraordinary eighty-two-year career, revealed in hundreds of his iconic black-and-white and color drawings, illustrations, and photographs—his influences, his techniques, his evolution from his earliest works to his last drawings.”

‘100 Monologues’
The Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South, at Irving Place/ 8PM, $
“This benefit for Performance Space 122 features two nights of selections from Eric Bogosian’s series of monologues, directed by Jo Bonney. The guests actors include Gaby Hoffmann (Amazon’s “Transparent”), Matthew Maher (the play “The Flick”) and Dylan Baker (CBS’s “The Good Wife”); Mr. Bogosian will also perform each night. Videos of the monologues will be posted online following the event.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St. / citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. / joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34 W22nd St. / metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. / lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St. / beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237 W42nd St. / bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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 Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘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)

Guggenheim Museum:
Kandinsky Gallery (through spring 2016)
“A pioneer of abstract art and eminent aesthetic theorist, Vasily Kandinsky (b. 1866, Moscow; d. 1944, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) broke new ground in painting during the first decades of the twentieth century. His seminal treatise Über das Geistige in der Kunst (On the Spiritual in Art), published in Munich in December 1911, lays out his program for developing an art independent from observations of the external world. In this and other texts, as well as his work, Kandinsky advanced abstraction’s potential to be free from nature, a quality of music that he admired. The development of a new subject matter based solely on the artist’s “inner necessity” would occupy him for the rest of his life.”

The Guggenheim collection now contains more than 150 works by this single artist, making it the largest collection of Kandinsky works in the United States.

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (continuing):
rendering-3The stately doors of the 1902 Andrew Carnegie mansion, home to the Cooper Hewitt, are open again after an overhaul and expansion of the premises. Historic house and modern museum have always made an awkward fit, a standoff between preservation and innovation, and the problem remains, but the renovation has brought a wide-open new gallery space, a cafe and a raft of be-your-own-designer digital enhancements. Best of all, more of the museum’s vast permanent collection is now on view, including an Op Art weaving, miniature spiral staircases, ballistic face masks and a dainty enameled 18th-century version of a Swiss knife. Like design itself, this institution is built on tumult and friction, and you feel it. 2 East 91st Street, at Fifth Avenue, 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.org. (Cotter)

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

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 11/15 and 11/13.
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Selected Events (11/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 11/16/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 6 > MONDAY / NOV. 16, 2015

“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 Invisible History of the Human Race
The Cooper Union, The Great Hall / 6:30PM, FREE
“Looking at both history and the genetic record, author Christine Kenneally tells the hidden story of humanity, with looks at contemporary fixations like ancestry dot com and the ways we can trace personal genomes back to our most distant ancestors.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
An Evening in Natalie Joy Johnson
The Duplex, 61 Christopher St./ 9:30, $15, plus two-drink minimum
“The ferocious “Legally Blonde: The Musical” and “Kinky Boots” star tears up the duplex at her show with musical director Brian Nash. Head to the Duplex to meet your favorite new diva at this brassy, high-camp showcase night.” (TONY)

Steve Ross Orchestra: “Steve, Fred and Cole”
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 7PM, $30-$40
“Singer/pianist Steve Ross and his Sextette will perform the sweet and saucy songs of his favorite composer, Cole Porter, and the bright and rhythmic numbers associated with the inimitable Fred Astaire.”

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
‘100 Monologues’ (also Tuesday)
The Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South, at Irving Place/ 8PM, $
“This benefit for Performance Space 122 features two nights of selections from Eric Bogosian’s series of monologues, directed by Jo Bonney. The guests actors include Gaby Hoffmann (Amazon’s “Transparent”), Matthew Maher (the play “The Flick”) and Dylan Baker (CBS’s “The Good Wife”); Mr. Bogosian will also perform each night. Videos of the monologues will be posted online following the event.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Slate’s Superfest on Broadway
The Town Hall, 123 W43rd St./ 7PM, $37­–$57
“Slate brings some of its most popular podcasters to Manhattan for a night of barely moderated conversation. The voices behind Political Gabfest, Culture Gabfest and Hang Up and Listen will gather, talk and (with any luck) argue about everything from Rihanna to Donald Trump at this radio-star mash-up event.” (TONY)

Canstruction (LAST DAY)
Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St., at West St.,
“You don’t need to wear chef’s whites to turn food into art. Each year, teams of architects, engineers and designers build large-scale sculptures out of canned food for this competition and food drive. Twenty-six entries will be displayed and judged in categories such as Best Use of Labels, Most Cans and People’s Choice; favorites from last year’s contest, including a replica Jefferson Memorial made of tuna fish. Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable tinned grub to donate to City Harvest; the last effort helped feed 90,000 hungry New Yorkers.” (TONY)

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’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
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. South — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — 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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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.

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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”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian, falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars. No reservations needed. ===========================================================================

◊ 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 Winter 2015).
◊ Order before Dec. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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Selected Events (11/15) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 11/15/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > SUNDAY / NOV. 15, 2015

“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.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
K-Pop Bash
S.O.B.’S, 71 Varick St./ 6Pm, $40
“This August, Korean pop starlet HyunA released the video for “Because I’m the Best (Roll Deep),” a blitzing stream of neon lights and taut flesh that shocked fans who were accustomed to more innocent displays from K-Pop stars.

The clip is a testament to the shrinking distance between K-Pop and the American art that it mirrors with fun-house whimsy—the genre has enjoyed rabid stateside audience in recent years. The Queens studio I Love Dance is billing its K-Pop Bash as “the first K-Pop Club Party in NYC,” though it’ll offer more than a dance floor. There will be games, talent contests, choreography lessons, costumes, giveaways, and more, at the historic venue known for giving global sounds a local home.” (NewYorker)

New York’s Funniest Stand-up Competition Finals
hosted by Michael Che
Carolines on Broadway, 1626 Broadway/ 4PM, $22
“The search is on for New York’s funniest comedians and comedic performers! Launched in 2008 as part of the annual New York Comedy Festival, the “New York’s Funniest” competition is open to any and all performers who think that have what it takes to be called “New York’s Funniest.”

20 performers will perform in the two semi-final rounds on Tuesday, October 20. 10 performers from the semi-final rounds will be selected to advance and perform in the final round, which will be held on November 15.”

Daisy Eagan & Jordan Kai Burnett: Rejected Bond Girls
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 9:30PM; $25–$65 plus $25 dollar minimum
“If you’ve been belting out Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” and Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall” since you saw Spectre, then indulge your musical Bond needs at this tribute night to the songs of 007 that features a host of Broadway powerhouses.” (TONY)

Steve Coleman and Five Elements at the Vanguard (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $30
“The alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman has long been an indefatigable outlier in jazz, engaged in esoteric but vital work on the margins. Early in his career, he was a regular at the Village Vanguard, as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra — but this will be his overdue debut as a bandleader.

On Saturday he leads his flagship band, Five Elements, which includes the trumpeter Mr. Finlayson and the guitarist Miles Okazaki.” (Chinen-NYT)

Stanley Clarke (LAST DAY)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Although Jaco Pastorius deservedly gets the glory for revolutionizing the electric bass in the late seventies, Stanley Clarke had already been turning heads since the start of the decade with his extraordinary playing on both the acoustic and amplified versions of the instrument. For the first half of a two-week engagement, the super-bassist leads his own band, manned by younger players thoroughly versed in Clarke’s fusion visions.”(NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
The People vs. Moses
Temple Emanu-El. 1 E65thSt./ 10AM, $35
“Before Moses rehabbed his reputation, he committed murder—killing an Egyptian who was smiting a Hebrew slave. A rabbi, a federal judge, and two legal celebrities (Alan Dershowitz and Dan Abrams) come together for a combination of Biblical scholarship and courtroom drama. The audience will become the jury in rendering a verdict on the charge of murder.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Renegade Craft Fair
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W18th St./ 11AM-6PM, FREE
“Get your hands on locally and internationally made jewelry and threads from boutiques like 3rd Season, Abacus Row and btw Ceramics at this vast pop-up marketplace with more than 225 makers. While you shop, enjoy the musical stylings of Sugartown Industries’ DJs. Order from food vendors including Three Jerks Jerky, Kimchi Smoke and Puffs of Doom, stop by the Martha Stewart Living booth for customized totes and hit the Magbooth for a commemorative holiday photo.” (TONY)

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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:
‘Picasso Sculpture’ (through Feb. 7)
“Nearly a work of art in its own right, this magnificent show redefines Picasso’s achievement with the first full view here in 50 years of his astoundingly varied forays into sculpture. His materials, not his female loves, become the muses, and are different each time out. The basic plotline: After introducing sculptural abstraction and space, he spent about 50 years counting the ways that the figure was far from finished. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960-1980’ (through Jan. 3) “Visiting this big, spirited group show is like walking into a party of intriguing strangers. For every person you recognize, there are 10 you don’t know. One topic everyone’s talking about, at different intensities, is the anti-institutional politics that swept Europe and the Americas in the 1960s, and almost everyone speaks the language of Conceptualism. A product of an in-house research initiative called Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives, or C-MAP, intended to expand MoMA’s narrow Paris-New York view of modernism, the show is very much the beginning rather than the end of a learning curve. But with curators exploring material new to them — just steps ahead of their audience — the show has a refreshing buzz of surprise as it takes the museum in a realistic new directions. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/13 and 11/11.

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Selected Events (11/14) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 11/14/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > SATURDAY / NOV. 14, 2015

“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:
“Moby-Dick”: A Marathon Reading 
Whitney Museum, 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington St./ FREE w museum admission.
“As part of its exhibition “Frank Stella: A Retrospective,” the Whitney Museum of American Art presents a full reading of Herman Melville’s classic, which inspired a series of paintings by Stella. Over two days, bold face names in art and entertainment will read the novel in 10-minute shifts. Readers include the comedian Jo Firestone (4:10 p.m. Friday), the novelist Salman Rushdie (11 a.m. Saturday) and the New York Philharmonic’s music director, Alan Gilbert (6:30 p.m. Saturday).” (NYT-SpareTimes)
Saturday from 11 a.m. to finish.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

‘Keepin’ It 100: An Evening With Larry Wilmore and the Creative Team of “The Nightly Show” 
Paley Center for Media, 25 W52nd St./ 4PM, $
“Presented as part of the New York Comedy Festival, this panel discussion dives into one of Comedy Central’s newest series, “The Nightly Show,” created by Jon Stewart and hosted by Mr. Wilmore. The talk includes the show’s executive producer, Rory Albanese; the head writer, Robin Thede; and three contributors.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Steve Coleman and Five Elements at the Vanguard (through Nov. 15)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $30
“The alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman has long been an indefatigable outlier in jazz, engaged in esoteric but vital work on the margins. Early in his career, he was a regular at the Village Vanguard, as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra — but this will be his overdue debut as a bandleader.

On Saturday he leads his flagship band, Five Elements, which includes the trumpeter Mr. Finlayson and the guitarist Miles Okazaki.” (Chinen-NYT)

Stanley Clarke (through Nov. 15)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Although Jaco Pastorius deservedly gets the glory for revolutionizing the electric bass in the late seventies, Stanley Clarke had already been turning heads since the start of the decade with his extraordinary playing on both the acoustic and amplified versions of the instrument. For the first half of a two-week engagement, the super-bassist leads his own band, manned by younger players thoroughly versed in Clarke’s fusion visions.”(NewYorker)

Sylvie Guillem—Life in Progress
New York City Center, 131 W55th St./8PM, $35–$175
“In one of the unmissable events of the fall, the great French ballerina Sylvie Guillem bids adieu to a 35-year-long dance career with a stunning program that will include Akram Khan’s technê, Russell Maliphant’s Here & After and Mats Ek’s Bye (built specifically for this farewell event).” (TONY)

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

Renegade Craft Fair (also Sunday)
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W18th St./ 11AM-6PM, FREE
“Get your hands on locally and internationally made jewelry and threads from boutiques like 3rd Season, Abacus Row and btw Ceramics at this vast pop-up marketplace with more than 225 makers. While you shop, enjoy the musical stylings of Sugartown Industries’ DJs. Order from food vendors including Three Jerks Jerky, Kimchi Smoke and Puffs of Doom, stop by the Martha Stewart Living booth for customized totes and hit the Magbooth for a commemorative holiday photo.” (TONY)

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’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
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
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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 50th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:

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

Selected Events (11/13) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 11/13/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > FRIDAY / NOV. 13, 2015

“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:
“Moby-Dick”: A Marathon Reading (also Saturday)
Whitney Museum, 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington St./ FREE w museum admission. Call me Ishmael, and Pay what you wish Friday 7-10PM
“As part of its exhibition “Frank Stella: A Retrospective,” the Whitney Museum of American Art presents a full reading of Herman Melville’s classic, which inspired a series of paintings by Stella. Over two days, bold face names in art and entertainment will read the novel in 10-minute shifts. Readers include the comedian Jo Firestone (4:10 p.m. Friday), the novelist Salman Rushdie (11 a.m. Saturday) and the New York Philharmonic’s music director, Alan Gilbert (6:30 p.m. Saturday).” (NYT-SpareTimes)
Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to finish.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Kyle Abraham (through Nov. 15)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $
“Music is a generous muse for Mr. Abraham, who creates evocative contemporary work from sounds that span decades. He’s had a long and interesting dialogue with jazz, a recent highlight of which is “The Gettin’,” set to music by the Grammy winner Robert Glasper and inspired by Max Roach’s protest album “We Insist!” That work returns on a program that also includes “Absent Matter,” created with the jazz drummer Otis Brown III, and “The Quiet Dance,” a short quintet accompanied by jazz piano, played live.” (Brian Schaefer-NYT)

Gian-Carla Tisera
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St./ 9:30PM, $16
“The Bolivian fire-style songstress, Gian-Carla Tisera returns to New York with her Rumba soul grooves, Gypsy blues, Caribbean funk, Cumbia reggae, Bachata swing, Bolivian Roots and Ranchera pop passion that will make you love, dance and surrender to the night.

Acclaimed by Latin Jazz Net as a “provocative and brilliant” artist, Tisera makes stunningly bold crossings between Latin American folk music, jazz, American soul, pop, political song, and roots music.” (BroadwayWorld.com)

Sylvie Guillem—Life in Progress
New York City Center, 131 W55th St./8PM, $35–$175
“In one of the unmissable events of the fall, the great French ballerina Sylvie Guillem bids adieu to a 35-year-long dance career with a stunning program that will include Akram Khan’s technê, Russell Maliphant’s Here & After and Mats Ek’s Bye (built specifically for this farewell event).” (TONY)

Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Band (thru Nov. 14)
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, $40
“Sanchez, carrying on the tradition of his mentor and fellow master conguero, Mongo Santamaria, helms a tight outfit that exuberantly blends Latin, jazz, and R. & B., all in the name of a danceable groove. Slick as the surface sometimes gets, the excitement that Sanchez can generate with the mere snap of a drumhead is undeniable.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Pushcart Prize 40th Anniversary
Village Community School, 272 West 10th St./ 7PM, $10
“To celebrate this prize’s 40th anniversary and the release of the collection “Pushcart Prize XL: Best of the Small Presses 2016,” literary heavyweights are getting together for an evening of readings. Among the guests are the novelists Zadie Smith, Colum McCann and Ben Marcus; and the poets Mary Karr, also famous as a memoirist, and Sharon Olds.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Bonus Literary Pick:
NYU Emerging Writers, featuring James Ciano, and others.
KGB Bar, 85 E4th St./ 7PM, FREE
This is a great bar, and a NYCity literary institution. Maybe one of the next generation’s great writers will show up and you will be blown away by his talent.
If not, it’s still a cool place to have a few drinks.

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on 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.

Here is one TimeOutNewYork likes:
Camille Henrot (Nov 5- Dec 12)
“Stylistically, this French artist manages to find the unlikely nexus between conceptualist rigor and Art Deco languor. Her theme, in a word, is everything or at least how it’s manifested as a ceaseless flow of information. Whether this adds up to something intelligible is probably besides the point, as the real attraction of her work is its melding of organized chaos with soigné formalism. She marshals drawing, sculpture and video to create elegant installations that are as hermetic as they are easy on the eyes.” (TONY)
Metro Pictures, 519 W 24th St.(between Tenth and Eleventh Aves)
Opening hours: Tue–Sat 10am–6pm

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 11/11 and 11/09.

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

Selected Events (11/12) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 11/12/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > THURSDAY / NOV. 12, 2015

“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.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Steve Coleman and Five Elements at the Vanguard (through Nov. 15)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $30
“The alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman has long been an indefatigable outlier in jazz, engaged in esoteric but vital work on the margins. Early in his career, he was a regular at the Village Vanguard, as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra — but this will be his overdue debut as a bandleader.

On Thursday he leads his flagship band, Five Elements, which includes the trumpeter Mr. Finlayson and the guitarist Miles Okazaki.” (Chinen-NYT)

Lera Lynn
Joe’s Pub, at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St./ 7:30PM, $25
“Aside from Colin Farrell’s highly emotive mustache, the highlight of the second season of the HBO series “True Detective” were the smoky noir-country musical interludes by Ms. Lynn. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter, who performed several times in the antiheroes’ dive bar of choice, also performed the soundtrack for the program’s trailer. Her brooding second album, “The Avenues,” was released last year.” (Anderson-NYT)

Our Guy, Cy: The Songs of Cy Coleman (also Nov. 13)
Feinstein/54 Below, 254 W54th St./7PM, $55-$65
“Three Tony Award–winning Broadway ladies—Randy Graff, Cady Huffman and Judy Kaye—pay tribute to the wizardly composer Cy Coleman, whose scores included Sweet Charity, Seesaw, On the Twentieth Century, Barnum, City of Angels, The Will Rogers Follies and The Life. Will Nunziata directs.” (TONY)

Stanley Clarke (through Nov. 15)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Although Jaco Pastorius deservedly gets the glory for revolutionizing the electric bass in the late seventies, Stanley Clarke had already been turning heads since the start of the decade with his extraordinary playing on both the acoustic and amplified versions of the instrument. For the first half of a two-week engagement, the super-bassist leads his own band, manned by younger players thoroughly versed in Clarke’s fusion visions.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Declaration of Sentiments
Cooper Union, Great Hall, 7 E7th St./ 7:30PM, $45
“Celebrate the 200th birthday of first-wave feminist icon Elizabeth Cady Stanton with an armada of powerful performers, artists and politicians. Samantha Bee, Sharon Van Etten, Aja Monet and other comedic and musical acts will perform interpretive responses to the seminal Declaration of Sentiments written by Stanton and fellow suffragettes. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rachel Maddow and other influential women will chime in with video testimonials. Don’t miss the movement-affirming moment on the historic stage where Stanton and other feminist activists spoke.” (TONY)

DOC NYC (thru November 19)
“The sixth edition of the DOC NYC film festival takes over three cinemas in Manhattan this weekend, with more than 100 features and 200 films, filmmaker tributes and industry events in all.

Highlights this year include tributes to filmmakers Barbara Kopple, Kim Longinotto, Jon Alpert and Frederick Wiseman, premieres of high-profile Netflix- and AOL-backed projects and the world premiere of Thom Zimny’s latest documentary about rocker Bruce Springsteen, The Ties That Bind.” (realscreen.com)

Bonus – Jazz Picks:
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:
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
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — 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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (11/11) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 11/11/2015 by GregD

Today’s ELITE 8 > WEDNESDAY / NOV. 11, 2015

“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.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Kyle Abraham (through Nov. 15)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $
“Music is a generous muse for Mr. Abraham, who creates evocative contemporary work from sounds that span decades. He’s had a long and interesting dialogue with jazz, a recent highlight of which is “The Gettin’,” set to music by the Grammy winner Robert Glasper and inspired by Max Roach’s protest album “We Insist!” That work returns on a program that also includes “Absent Matter,” created with the jazz drummer Otis Brown III, and “The Quiet Dance,” a short quintet accompanied by jazz piano, played live.” (Brian Schaefer-NYT)

Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Band
Birdland, 315 W44th St./ 8:30PM, $40
“Sanchez, carrying on the tradition of his mentor and fellow master conguero, Mongo Santamaria, helms a tight outfit that exuberantly blends Latin, jazz, and R. & B., all in the name of a danceable groove. Slick as the surface sometimes gets, the excitement that Sanchez can generate with the mere snap of a drumhead is undeniable.” (NewYorker)

Margaret Cho
The Town Hall, 123 W43rd St./ 8PM; $39.50–$59.50
“The brassy comic will hopefully cover everything salacious and shocking in her latest stand-up set for the New York Comedy Festival, including her past as a dominatrix, the slate of Republican presidential hopefuls and, of course, her mother.

The talented multi-hyphenate (actor-author-activist-musician-comic-etc.) Cho comes back to New York with her latest stand-up hour, There’s No “I” in Team, But There’s a “Cho” in Psycho. Her uproarious, politically- and socially-charged material never shies away from prickly topics, like race or sexuality, and she certainly won’t hold back her thoughts—or her message of equality—this time.” (TONY)

Stanley Clarke (through Nov. 15)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Although Jaco Pastorius deservedly gets the glory for revolutionizing the electric bass in the late seventies, Stanley Clarke had already been turning heads since the start of the decade with his extraordinary playing on both the acoustic and amplified versions of the instrument. For the first half of a two-week engagement, the super-bassist leads his own band, manned by younger players thoroughly versed in Clarke’s fusion visions.” (NewYorker)

Sinkane
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St./ 8PM, $18
“Sudan-born multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab has toured with Caribou, Of Montreal and Yeasayer, and specializes in hooky extravaganzas, anthemic choruses and Afrobeat flourishes. We can attest Sinkane’s live sets are soul-rocking, body-moving and not to be missed.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Cider Week NYC (November 6–15)
Various locations
“The spiked apple spirit is making its seasonal comeback in the city, and this weeklong, 20-event festival is designed to help you discover your favorite. From a Lechon-cider brunch at Jimmy’s No. 43 to a nose-to-tail hog dinner at Delaware and Hudson, there’ll be plenty of booze—and grub to soak it all up.” (TONY)

Canstruction (through Nov. 16)
Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St., at West St.,
“You don’t need to wear chef’s whites to turn food into art. Each year, teams of architects, engineers and designers build large-scale sculptures out of canned food for this competition and food drive. Twenty-six entries will be displayed and judged in categories such as Best Use of Labels, Most Cans and People’s Choice; favorites from last year’s contest, including a replica Jefferson Memorial made of tuna fish. Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable tinned grub to donate to City Harvest; the last effort helped feed 90,000 hungry New Yorkers.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks so much worth the detour that I’ll be there:
Brooklyn: A Personal Memoir by Truman Capote
The powerHouse Arena, 37 Main St., nr Water St./ 7PM,FREE
“Saucy and sardonic Weeds star Mary Louise Parker will be reading from the combined collection of written and photographic love letters to 1950s Brooklyn. Experience Truman Capote’s unique descriptive style combined with the stunning visual aid of David Attie.

For a few years in the 1950s, Truman Capote called Brooklyn Heights home and captured the neighborhood’s unusual charmed and faded gentility in his essay “Brooklyn Heights: A Memoir.” Now, see photographer David Attie’s accompanying photos of the neighborhood matched with Capote’s text. At this special book launch Attie’s son, television writer Eli Attie, introduces the book and actress Mary Louise Parker reads.” (TONY)

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St. / citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. / joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34 W22nd St. / metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. / lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St. / beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237 W42nd St. / bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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 Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘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)

Guggenheim Museum:
Kandinsky Gallery (through spring 2016)
“A pioneer of abstract art and eminent aesthetic theorist, Vasily Kandinsky (b. 1866, Moscow; d. 1944, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) broke new ground in painting during the first decades of the twentieth century. His seminal treatise Über das Geistige in der Kunst (On the Spiritual in Art), published in Munich in December 1911, lays out his program for developing an art independent from observations of the external world. In this and other texts, as well as his work, Kandinsky advanced abstraction’s potential to be free from nature, a quality of music that he admired. The development of a new subject matter based solely on the artist’s “inner necessity” would occupy him for the rest of his life.”

The Guggenheim collection now contains more than 150 works by this single artist, making it the largest collection of Kandinsky works in the United States.

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (continuing):
rendering-3The stately doors of the 1902 Andrew Carnegie mansion, home to the Cooper Hewitt, are open again after an overhaul and expansion of the premises. Historic house and modern museum have always made an awkward fit, a standoff between preservation and innovation, and the problem remains, but the renovation has brought a wide-open new gallery space, a cafe and a raft of be-your-own-designer digital enhancements. Best of all, more of the museum’s vast permanent collection is now on view, including an Op Art weaving, miniature spiral staircases, ballistic face masks and a dainty enameled 18th-century version of a Swiss knife. Like design itself, this institution is built on tumult and friction, and you feel it. 2 East 91st Street, at Fifth Avenue, 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.org. (Cotter)

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

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 11/09 and 11/07.
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Selected Events (11/10) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 11/10/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 6 > TUESDAY / NOV. 10, 2015

“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.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
New York Comedy Festival: ‘Stand Up For Heroes’
Theater at Madison Square Garden, 8PM, $105 and up; may have to stub hub this one
“Every year, this star-studded show raises money for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which helps injured service members and their families. Musical performers include Bruce Springsteen and Chris Botti, and comedians include Jon Stewart, Ray Romano, John Oliver and Seth Meyers.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

Jake Shimabukuro
New York Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall, 2 West 64th St./ 7:30PM, $
“This ukulele virtuoso from Hawaii suffuses psychedelic decadence into his stereotypically fey instrument of choice; his slick four-string renditions of rock anthems, including the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” course along on a deft musicianship that evades mere novelty.” (Anderson-NYT)

Buddy Guy
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W42nd St./ 8PM, $
“This Chess Records session player who became a Chicago blues pioneer counts Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards among his stylistic pupils. He traversed several decades of his role in music history in “When I Left Home: My Story,” an autobiography released in 2012, and remains a vivacious stage presence with his six strings. With Tom Hambridge.” (Anderson-NYT)

New York Comedy Festival: ‘Comics to Watch,
Carolines, 1626 Broadway, at 49th St./ 8PM, $
“Comedy Central hosts this annual event, which showcases some of the finest up-and-coming stand-up talent in the country.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World
NY Public Library – Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave./6:30PM, FREE
“Hearken to a suspense story of scandal and the supernatural—the true account of Harry Houdini’s investigation of spiritualist Mina Crandon, aka “The Witch of Lime Street,” whose séances left even scientists guessing, in this illustrated lecture.” Illustrated lecture with David Jaher, who has been a screenwriter and a professional astrologer.
(ThoughtGallery.org)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Unbound: Elvis Costello with Rosanne Cash,
Launch of Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), 30 Lafayette Ave./7:30PM, $
“In Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, music luminary Elvis Costello offers his perspective on his unlikely and sometimes comical rise to international success. At BAM, he’ll be sharing stories and observations about his experiences and collaborations with other artists, while also offering insight into the previously undocumented emotional foundations of some of his best-known songs.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

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’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
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. South — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — 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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian, falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars. No reservations needed. ===========================================================================

◊ 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 Winter 2015).
◊ Order before Dec. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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

Selected Events (11/09) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 11/09/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 6 > MONDAY / NOV. 09, 2015

“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 Anti-Anti-Hero Debate
Housing Works, 126 Crosby St./ 7PM, FREE, please RSVP right away
“Does the anti-hero have a future in film, TV and books? From Tony Soprano to Tony Stark, from Sex in the City to Gone Girl, we live in a golden age of antiheroes—on the big screen, in books, and on TV. But has the antihero run its course—and if so, what could possibly replace it? Will we ever want to watch just-plain-heros again? A discussion/debate with New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, New Yorker TV critic Emily Nussbaum, award-winning author Megan Abbott, and Adam Sternbergh, editor at New York magazine and the author of Shovel Ready and Near Enemy.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Buddy Guy (also Tuesday)
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W42nd St./ 8PM, $
“This Chess Records session player who became a Chicago blues pioneer counts Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards among his stylistic pupils. He traversed several decades of his role in music history in “When I Left Home: My Story,” an autobiography released in 2012, and remains a vivacious stage presence with his six strings. With Tom Hambridge.” (Anderson-NYT)

‘Lulu’
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7PM, $
“The South African artist and director William Kentridge takes on Berg’s psychologically riveting portrait of this iconic femme fatale in a production that promises to be as chilling as his production of Shostakovich’s “Nose” was zany. The acclaimed soprano Marlis Petersen offers what she says is her last Lulu in a strong cast that also includes Susan Graham, Daniel Brenna and Johan Reuter. Lothar Koenigs conducts.” (Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Cider Week NYC (November 6–15)
Various locations
“The spiked apple spirit is making its seasonal comeback in the city, and this weeklong, 20-event festival is designed to help you discover your favorite. From a Lechon-cider brunch at Jimmy’s No. 43 to a nose-to-tail hog dinner at Delaware and Hudson, there’ll be plenty of booze—and grub to soak it all up.” (TONY)

Festival Albertine (LAST DAY)
Albertine, 972 Fifth Avenue, at 79th St./ at various times, FREE
“Albertine, the French- and English-language bookstore inside the Payne Whitney mansion, experimented last year with hosting a festival about the French-American exchange of books and ideas; there’s still more conversation to be had.  All events will be streamed at livestream.com/frenchembassy.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Canstruction (through Nov. 16)
Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St., at West St.,
“You don’t need to wear chef’s whites to turn food into art. Each year, teams of architects, engineers and designers build large-scale sculptures out of canned food for this competition and food drive. Twenty-six entries will be displayed and judged in categories such as Best Use of Labels, Most Cans and People’s Choice; favorites from last year’s contest, including a replica Jefferson Memorial made of tuna fish. Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable tinned grub to donate to City Harvest; the last effort helped feed 90,000 hungry New Yorkers.” (TONY)

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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:
‘Picasso Sculpture’ (through Feb. 7)
“Nearly a work of art in its own right, this magnificent show redefines Picasso’s achievement with the first full view here in 50 years of his astoundingly varied forays into sculpture. His materials, not his female loves, become the muses, and are different each time out. The basic plotline: After introducing sculptural abstraction and space, he spent about 50 years counting the ways that the figure was far from finished. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

‘Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960-1980’ (through Jan. 3) “Visiting this big, spirited group show is like walking into a party of intriguing strangers. For every person you recognize, there are 10 you don’t know. One topic everyone’s talking about, at different intensities, is the anti-institutional politics that swept Europe and the Americas in the 1960s, and almost everyone speaks the language of Conceptualism. A product of an in-house research initiative called Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives, or C-MAP, intended to expand MoMA’s narrow Paris-New York view of modernism, the show is very much the beginning rather than the end of a learning curve. But with curators exploring material new to them — just steps ahead of their audience — the show has a refreshing buzz of surprise as it takes the museum in a realistic new directions. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/07 and 11/05.

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Selected Events (11/08) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 11/08/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > SUNDAY / NOV. 08, 2015

“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:
John Zorn (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“One of the least expected new staples at the Village Vanguard has been John Zorn, the avant-garde composer, alto saxophonist and provocateur. But this will be his third headlining engagement at the club in 18 months. On Friday he leads the Dreamers; for the early set on Saturday he presents a quartet with Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, Bill Laswell on bass and Milford Graves on drums. He’ll preside over (but perhaps not perform in) a group called Asmodeus, which plays the late set on Saturday and the early set on Sunday. Closing out the run is Simulacrum, featuring the keyboardist John Medeski.” (Chinen-NYT)

“A veteran downtown figure whose recent activities have been guiding him around the city to stages big and small, John Zorn takes up residence in maybe the most storied New York music venue of all. For the six-night series “John Zorn at the Vanguard,” the electrifying composer and wily improviser will lead different lineups through aspects of his eclectic musical output. (WSJ)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Robert Ellis
Hill Country, 30 W26th St. (btw Broadway/6th Ave)/ 8PM, $10-25
“Houston song man Robert Ellis plays twangy, warm, wry songs that recall Jackson Browne, as evidenced on his third record, The Lights from the Chemical Plant. Under the direction of acclaimed producer Jacquire King (Norah Jones, Tom Waits, Kings of Leon), the new material branches into eclectic stylistic directions, incorporating R&B, fusion and jazz into his country mix.” (TONY)

Nellie McKay: “A Night for the Birds”
The Cutting Room, 44E32nd St./ 7PM, $25–$75
image“Head out for a night of batty comedy and sweet melodies from the clever songstress, whose show packs enough razor-sharp lyrics beneath the innocent rhythms to send Zooey Deschanel running for the hills.

Fearlessly sharp, fabulously bonkers singer-songwriter Nellie McKay is a total original, which may be why her cover songs are so terrific. Her latest CD, My Weekly Reader, is a marvelous reinvention of tunes from the 1960s, including “Sunny Afternoon” and a perfect “Red Rubber Ball.” McKay is also a passionate advocate for animal rights; this concert is a benefit for the Wild Bird Fund.” (TONY)

Stanley Clarke (through Nov. 15, no monday)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“Although Jaco Pastorius deservedly gets the glory for revolutionizing the electric bass in the late seventies, Stanley Clarke had already been turning heads since the start of the decade with his extraordinary playing on both the acoustic and amplified versions of the instrument. For the first half of a two-week engagement, the super-bassist leads his own band, manned by younger players thoroughly versed in Clarke’s fusion visions.” (NewYorker)

Russell Malone Quartet
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, (btw 105th/106th Sts.)/
“Ask for sleek guitar work that laces a ballad with silken tones and Russell Malone can provide all you care to hear. But with a tight rhythm section behind him, as he has at this special birthday engagement, this adroit neo-bop stylist is apt to turn on the heat. His quartet includes Rick Germanson on piano and Willie Jones lll on drums.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Fantasia 75th Anniversary
Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 2537 Broadway a 95th St./ 3:30+ 7:30PM, $18
“Pack your tissues with your wands, because you’re certain to be blubbering by the end of this operatic Walt Disney masterpiece. And with a live score by the Philadelphia Orchestra, iconic scenes like “Dance of the Hours” will be more beautiful than ever.” (TONY)

Artists’ Studios Series
West Chelsea Arts Building, 508-526 W26th St./ Saturday 2-6PM; Sunday 12-6PM, FREE
“Five artists are inviting the public to see their work before it makes its way to gallery walls in the latest edition of this event, which is pegged to the International Art Festival (through Sunday at Highline Loft Gallery, 508 West 26th Street in Chelsea).” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Bonus – Jazz Picks:
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:
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
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) — 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 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  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”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian / falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars. No reservations needed.
===========================================================================

◊ 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 2015).
◊ Order before Oct. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
=========================================================

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