Selected Events (11/07) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 11/07/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > SATURDAY / NOV. 07, 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
David Hazeltine with George Mraz and Billy Drummond
Mezzrow, 163 W10th St./ 9:30 p.m. to midnight.
“On “For All We Know,” his crisp recent album, the pianist David Hazeltine leads a sure-footed quartet in a post-bop vein. He’ll scale back just a little here, in a trio with Mr. Mraz, an impeccable bassist, and Mr. Drummond, a sensitive drummer.” (Chinen-NYT)

Baby Jane Dexter: It’s Personal!
Metropolitan Room / 7PM; $25 plus two-drink minimum
“This fearless cabaret vocalist will look you dead in the eye whether she’s singing a heartbreaking rendition of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” or a brassy cover of a Beatles hit. Don’t try to take Saturday night away from this gal-about-town.” (TONY)

Russell Malone Quartet (through Sunday)
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)
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)

Artists’ Studios Series (through Sunday)
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)

Festival Albertine (through Nov. 9)
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)

Tonight: “Still the Second Sex?” a discussion of the progress made for women’s rights with Judith Thurman and others. 6:30PM

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
(easy subway: #2/3 express to Eastern Parkway)
Target First Saturdays at Brooklyn Museum
Bklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park/ 5-11PM, FREE
“Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn” is the theme of this monthly event’s latest installment. (An installation of the same name is currently on view in the museum’s Great Hall.) The evening’s programming begins with a concert by the Eastern European-jazz hybrid musician Ilusha Tsinadze, then continues with talks, readings and more performances.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

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 11/05 and 11/03.

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Selected Events (11/06) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 11/06/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > FRIDAY / NOV. 06, 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
Russell Malone Quartet (through Sunday)
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)

Gregg Allman
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ Nov. 1-2 + Nov. 4-6
$ – may need to stub hub this one or settle for standing room, which is not bad here.
banner_greggallman_6“Instances of Gregg Allman playing rooms as intimate as City Winery are rare—so much so that he’s on the schedule for five nights to keep the clamor for seats reasonable. The founding member of the Allman Brothers Band has accumulated decades’ worth of material to mine, and after the group played its supposed final show last fall at Beacon Theater, he has ventured out on his own. He sent early signals of such activity with the release last year of “Back To Macon, GA,” a live album of a concert in his adopted hometown, and now Mr. Allman is out on tour with a new full band backing him. Expect a mix of songs of different vintages, with wine to wash them all down.” (WSJ)

John Zorn (thru Nov 8)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
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.

The first stint on Nov. 3-4 is devoted to Electric Masada, an energetic ensemble—with Mr. Zorn on saxophone with seven others including Marc Ribot on guitar and Joey Baron on drums—devoted to a songbook composed around the notion of combining Jewish music and the peculiar scales of Ornette Coleman. Nights to follow focus on four other incarnations, highlighted by a quartet performance on Nov. 7 with Wadada Leo Smith, Bill Laswell and Milford Graves.” (WSJ)

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

Parsons Pop Up Print Shop & Show
The New School, 66 W. 12th St./ 6PM, FREE
Coinciding with 2015 Print Week, the Parsons Pop Up Print Shop showcases the printed form, from fine art prints, illustrations and graphic designs to zines and book arts. Join us for a one night exhibition, demonstrations, and hands-on printmaking workshops.

The event will include an exhibition of printed works and a series of printmaking demonstrations and hands-on workshops with master printmaker Michael Kirk, communication design educator Steven Kennedy and the painter Emily Lambert.

Festival Albertine (through Nov. 9)
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)

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 8/9ave), 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 / Tribeca

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

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

But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Selected Events (11/05) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 11/05/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > THURSDAY / NOV. 05, 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? Try this:
Gregg Allman
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ Nov. 1-2 + Nov. 4-6
$ – may need to stub hub this one or settle for standing room, which is not bad here.
banner_greggallman_6“Instances of Gregg Allman playing rooms as intimate as City Winery are rare—so much so that he’s on the schedule for five nights to keep the clamor for seats reasonable. The founding member of the Allman Brothers Band has accumulated decades’ worth of material to mine, and after the group played its supposed final show last fall at Beacon Theater, he has ventured out on his own. He sent early signals of such activity with the release last year of “Back To Macon, GA,” a live album of a concert in his adopted hometown, and now Mr. Allman is out on tour with a new full band backing him. Expect a mix of songs of different vintages, with wine to wash them all down.” (WSJ)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Stanley Clarke (through Nov. 15, no monday)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“The bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke has a peppy recent album, “Up,” that makes a show of his breadth, ranging from chamber miniatures to fusion odysseys. He’ll begin a two-week residency at the Blue Note with his regular touring band, before branching out into some all-star configurations.” (NYT-Chinen)

John Zorn (thru Nov 8)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
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.

The first stint on Nov. 3-4 is devoted to Electric Masada, an energetic ensemble—with Mr. Zorn on saxophone with seven others including Marc Ribot on guitar and Joey Baron on drums—devoted to a songbook composed around the notion of combining Jewish music and the peculiar scales of Ornette Coleman. Nights to follow focus on four other incarnations, highlighted by a quartet performance on Nov. 7 with Wadada Leo Smith, Bill Laswell and Milford Graves.” (WSJ)

Cinderella – Company XIV (through Nov. 15)
Minetta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane / 8PM, $30-$55
“This flirtatious company, which combines ballet and contemporary dance with elements of baroque and burlesque, specializes in sexy, spicy, opulent interpretations of fairy-tale classics. This fall, the director and choreographer Austin McCormick introduces his take on “Cinderella,” which comes with a dash of opera and vaudeville. Because of titillating costumes and scenarios, and free-flowing libations, performances are adult only.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Voices of a People’s History of the United States
with Viggo Mortensen, Peter Sarsgaard, and More
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, / 7:30PM, FREE
(better get there early for this one, no later than 7PM.)
“This commission commemorates the 35th anniversary of Howard Zinn’s seminal book, A People’s History of the United States, with music and spoken-word performances that will bring to life the extraordinary history of ordinary people in the book: those who built the movements that made the United States what it is today, ending slavery and Jim Crow, protesting war and the genocide of Native Americans, creating unions and the eight-hour work day, advancing women’s rights and gay liberation, and struggling to right the wrongs of the day.”

Festival Albertine (through Nov. 9)
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. It begins Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with “Talking Across History: Literature as Dialogue,” which features the novelists Kamel Daoud and Francine Prose. All events will be streamed at livestream.com/frenchembassy.” (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 11/03 and 11/01.
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Selected Events (11/04) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 11/04/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > WEDNESDAY / NOV. 04, 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:
Juan Gabriel
Madison Square Garden/ 8PM, $70-$230
“Mexico pop legend Juan Gabriel began his career in the early 1970s and went on to become one of that country’s most prolific songwriters, boasting more than 1,000 songs, six Grammy nominations and more than 100 million albums sold world-wide. But while he had been on the Latin charts for decades, he had never broken into the Billboard Top 40 charts until this February, with the release of “Los Duo.” As the title suggests, Snr. Gabriel teamed with luminous Latin music stars, from Spanish singer Isabel Pantoja to Puerto Rican pop star Luis Fonsi, delivering a lush, heart-rending album of duets. Expect plenty of guests.” (WSJ)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Rumor Willis & Tye Blue
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254W54th St./ 7PM & 11:30PM, $40-50
Rumer Willis (winner of “Dancing with the Stars: and star of Chicago on Broadway) makes her NYC cabaret debut.The jazzy double bill also co-stars her “mystery man” Tye Blue as they attempt to explain their journey as nonsexual life partners in song. Featuring a score that ranges from jazz to Motown to folk, these two voices in duet pay homage to the crooners of yore with a modern punch.

Conrad Tao, The Crypt Sessions
The Church of the Intercession, 550 W155th St (btw Broadway/Amsterdam) / 7PM, $25
“The brilliant young pianist Conrad Tao opens a new classical series in a one-of-a-kind performance space, the basement crypt in Harlem’s Church of the Intercession. Tao will play a program designed for the space (and borrowing from his new album) including works by Mussorgsky and David Lang.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this is Mavis Staples. This lady is worth any detour:
Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 8PM, $68
Ms. Staples, the former powerhouse anchor of the Staple Singers, remains an indefatigable performer and road warrior. Her most recent album, “One True Vine,” had an earthy dose of lo-fi Americana courtesy of its producer, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. She is currently touring with the singer-songwriter Joan Osborne, and they make one New York stop on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.” (Anderson-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Math Encounters: Chaos in the Climate
Museum of Mathematics, 11 E26th St./ 4PM +7PM, FREE
“Why is it weird that we know the weather this week? The earth’s climate system is incredibly chaotic, and yet, scientists are able to make consistent, albeit far from perfect, predictions about its behavior.

At Math Encounters: Chaos in the Climate, Dr. Gavin A. Schmidt, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, will explain why and how mathematical models are so unreasonably effective at predicting the weather. Schmidt will discuss how math enables us to make predictions, even when they involve seemingly unpredictable systems.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Paul Goldberger
Macaulay Honors College, City University of New York, 35 W67th St./ 7PM, FREE
“Mr. Goldberger talks about his recently released biography of the prolific architect Frank Gehry, “Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry.” The Wall Street Journal’s architecture columnist, Julie V. Iovine, will join him in exploring why Mr. Gehry is one of the world’s most widely recognized and respected architects.” (NYT/SpareTimes)

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 (11/03) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 11/03/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > TUESDAY / NOV. 03, 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:
Luc Sante “The Other Paris“
The New York Public Library, 5th Ave, 42nd St. / 7PM
Admission is free but seats must be reserved.
“Luc Sante discusses The Other Paris, his new book on the hidden past and seamy underside of Paris, with Ian Buruma. Drawing on testimony from a great range of witnesses—Balzac and Hugo to assorted boulevardiers, rabble-rousers, and tramps—and illustrated with more than three hundred images, Sante’s book reveals pre-Haussmann Paris as it was lived and experienced by the forgotten poor.”

“Mr. Sante, a writer and critic, discusses his new book, “The Other Paris.” As the title suggests, it’s an unconventional look at the City of Light — its history of artists, homeless people and all-around outcasts who are becoming increasingly rare.” (NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Stanley Clarke (through Nov. 15, no monday)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./ 8 +10:30PM, $30-$45
“The bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke has a peppy recent album, “Up,” that makes a show of his breadth, ranging from chamber miniatures to fusion odysseys. He’ll begin a two-week residency at the Blue Note with his regular touring band, before branching out into some all-star configurations.” (NYT-Chinen)

John Zorn (thru Nov 8)
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
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.

The first stint on Nov. 3-4 is devoted to Electric Masada, an energetic ensemble—with Mr. Zorn on saxophone with seven others including Marc Ribot on guitar and Joey Baron on drums—devoted to a songbook composed around the notion of combining Jewish music and the peculiar scales of Ornette Coleman. Nights to follow focus on four other incarnations, highlighted by a quartet performance on Nov. 7 with Wadada Leo Smith, Bill Laswell and Milford Graves.” (WSJ)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
11th Annual National Alternative Processes Competition
November 4 – November 28, 2015
Soho Photo Gallery, 15 White St./ winners announced tonight – opening reception 6-8PM
This competition presents the winning images of photographers from across the United States. The images submitted for this competition utilized a wide range of alternative methods, including ambrotype, cyanotype, Van Dyke brown, platinum/palladium, photogravure, salt print, tintype, and wet-plate collodion, among others.

Author @ the Library:
1932: The Rise of Hitler and FDR —
Two Tales of Politics, Betrayal, and Unlikely Destiny
Mid-Manhattan Library, 5th Ave and 40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
This lecture is the tale of spell-binding leaders versus bland businessmen and out-of-touch upper-class elites and of two nations inching to safety but lurching toward disaster. It is 1932’s nightmare–with lessons for today. With David Pietrusza, a notable historian and best selling author, who has written or edited over three dozen books.

TED Talks Live: War & Peace (also November 4)
The Town Hall, 123 W43rd St./ 7:30PM; $100
“Join Girls’ Adam Driver, glam-rock superstar Rufus Wainwright and many more talented acts as they take on the consequences and possible outcomes of contemporary war through performance, discussion and readings.”

“The blockbuster lecture series has recruited actor Adam Driver, singer Rufus Wainwright, journalist Sebastian Junger and other memorable voices to speak, perform and meditate on war, with discussions on possible futures of peace and their experiences in conflict.”(TONY).  Speakers will share ideas in quick, powerful talks—18 minutes or less, TED’s signature format.

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)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 11/01 and 10/30.

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Selected Events (11/02) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 11/02/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > MONDAY / NOV. 02, 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
The Amber Zone
Sid Gold’s Request Room, 165 W26th St./ 8PM, FREE
“In addition to her skills as a chameleonic singer and actor, Amber Martin is a consummate host who has spent years at the hub of the downtown alt-performance world. Every Monday at Sid Gold’s, Chelsea’s swank new retro piano bar, she invites a different pal to perform an hour-long set of music and/or stories. The chummy party vibe continues afterward, when audiences are encouraged to stick around to mingle or even sing a song or two themselves. Tonight Martin celebrates her birthday with a free show featuring multiple guest singers.” (TONY)

Gregg Allman
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ Nov. 1-2 + Nov. 4-6
$ may need to stub hub this one or settle for standing room, which is not bad here.
“Instances of Gregg Allman playing rooms as intimate as City Winery are rare—so much so that he’s on the schedule for five nights to keep the clamor for seats reasonable. The founding member of the Allman Brothers Band has accumulated decades’ worth of material to mine, and after the group played its supposed final show last fall at Beacon Theater, he has ventured out on his own. He sent early signals of such activity with the release last year of “Back To Macon, GA,” a live album of a concert in his adopted hometown, and now Mr. Allman is out on tour with a new full band backing him. Expect a mix of songs of different vintages, with wine to wash them all down.” (WSJ)

Broadway Sings Sara Bareilles,
Highline Ballroom, 431W16th St./ 7PM, $20-$50
A cast of 20 Broadway stars will sing completely new arrangements of the singer-songwriter’s greatest hits. Produced and directed by Corey Mach (Godspell, Wicked), the show will celebrate the success and talent of this jazzy, soulful artist.

Previous shows in the series included Adele, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Justin Timberlake, and P!NK.

Dan Kaufman Quintet
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 W10th St./ 7:30PM, $
“A pianist of impeccable credentials and a strong reputation, Mr. Kaufman has only just released his debut album, “Familiar Places.” It’s a self-assured statement pitched to the post-bop center, and among its personnel are the musicians appearing here: Sam Sadigursky on reeds, Gilad Hekselman on guitar, Matt Clohesy on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

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

Poems for All! A Celebration of Knopf/Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts / 6PM, FREE
“Eavan Boland, Billy Collins, Maria Tucci, Robin Coste Lewis and a number of other actors and poets read their favorite works from the Knopf/Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets series, which has more than a hundred volumes; there are books devoted to single authors as well as thematic collections on subjects from Animals to Zen.” (NewYorker)

Author Talk: St. Marks Is Dead
The Great Hall, The Cooper Union, 7 E7th St./ 6PM, FREE
Author and journalist Ada Calhoun delivers a free, public lecture based on her new book St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America’s Hippest Street. In it she recounts the history of St. Marks Place, the famed Manhattan strip between 3rd Avenue and Avenue A. It has spawned countless artistic and political movements, providing a backdrop for social and cultural revolutionaries.
A St. Marks Place native herself, Calhoun will trace the 400-year history of the area from its origins as a Dutch farm to its current incarnation as a hipster playground. She will also show rare photos from the street’s past.” (bookforum.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 8/9ave) — 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 / Upper West Side

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Selected Events (11/01) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 11/01/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > SUNDAY / NOV. 01, 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:
Youssou N’Dour
Terminal 5, 610 W56th St. / 7PM, $50–$55
Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour was born to be a storyteller, quite literally. The griot caste forming his family tree dictated that he would be a historian, poet, or musician, but it was his modern upbringing that allowed him to fuse Francophilic soul, jazz, and rock with sabar, a traditional form of drumming and dance. These were the beginnings of mbalax, a style N’Dour pioneered during his rise to international acclaim.

He’s won Grammys, been the subject of two documentaries, held political office, been praised for his activism, and collaborated with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Sting, Wyclef Jean, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dido, Lou Reed, and many, many more. Singing in Wolof, Arabic, French, and English, N’Dour is a master of uniting disparate cultures with tolerance and faith. Now 56, he brings three decades’ worth of work to Terminal 5 with his longtime backing band Super Étoile.” (VillageVoice, Lindsey Rhoades)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
American Ballet Theater (LAST DAY)
NYS/DHK Theater, Lincoln Center,/ 2PM, $
“The company’s fall season — and its 75th anniversary celebration — conclude with three more mixed bills, which include works by Frederick Ashton, Kurt Jooss, Mark Morris, Alexei Ratmansky, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and the newest of the bunch, the principal dancer and budding choreographer Marcelo Gomes.” (Siobhan Burke-NYT)

Gregg Allman
City Winery, 155 Varick St./ Nov. 1-2 + Nov. 4-6 / $ may need to stub hub this one or settle for standing room, which is not bad here.
“Instances of Gregg Allman playing rooms as intimate as City Winery are rare—so much so that he’s on the schedule for five nights to keep the clamor for seats reasonable. The founding member of the Allman Brothers Band has accumulated decades’ worth of material to mine, and after the group played its supposed final show last fall at Beacon Theater, he has ventured out on his own. He sent early signals of such activity with the release last year of “Back To Macon, GA,” a live album of a concert in his adopted hometown, and now Mr. Allman is out on tour with a new full band backing him. Expect a mix of songs of different vintages, with wine to wash them all down.” (WSJ)

Tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Iridium, 1650 Broadway, at 51st St./
“Two saxophonists—James Carter and Vincent Herring—are on hand to approximate the playing of the inimitable Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who would often play three or more horns simultaneously. The trombonist Steve Turre, an esteemed veteran of Kirk’s bands, will undoubtedly honor his former employer’s visionary eccentricity by improvising on tuned conch shells when the mood strikes.” (NewYorker)

Birdland Jazz Party Hosted By Carole Bufford
Birdland, 315 West 44th St./ 6PM, $30
Birdland’s very own jazz quartet hits the stage every Sunday to wrap up the weekend with jazz classics featuring jazz vocalist Carole J. Bufford!

“Despite decades of repeated admonitions to the contrary, it turns out that the great Sophie Tucker was not, in fact, the last of the Red Hot Mamas. That title now can be claimed by the young Ms. Carole Bufford, who, more than any other singer of the last 90 years, digs down into the meat and the substance of the Prohibition Era.”
-Will Friedwald, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Heath Brothers (LAST DAY)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $
“Although Percy Heath—the bass-playing sibling of the Heath Brothers Band, who died in 2005—is missed, his siblings, the drummer Albert (Tootie) and the saxophonist Jimmy, have kept their collective ensemble a viable and valued entity. With David Wong, on bass, and Jeb Patton, on piano, this venerable quintet offers up refined hard bop, enlivened by Jimmy’s sturdy compositions and polished playing from all involved.” (NewYorker)

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

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:
‘Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of “Fiddler on the Roof”
Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St./ 3PM, $12
“Events to mark the return of “Fiddler on the Roof” to Broadway are not in short supply this fall. The latest is this talk with Alisa Solomon, a Columbia University professor whose book “Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof” was released in 2013. In the book she provides an inside look at the creative team behind the musical that became a household name and a cultural phenomenon around the world.” (NYT/ST)

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.

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 10/30 and 10/28.

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Selected Events (10/31) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 10/31/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > SATURDAY / OCT. 31, 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:
Into Sweeney Todd’s Woods
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 9:30PM, $35-80
imagesSpecial Guest: Sarah Rice (Sweeney Todd’s original Johanna)
“Back for a third, smash year!! Well Hello, Little Girl… There are Giants in the Sky at Feinstein’s/54 Below when host Phil Geoffrey Bond (Sondheim Unplugged) and some of Broadway and cabaret’s spookiest talents (along with a ghoulish trio of Sondheimhood’s creepiest musicians) collide for a night celebrating the music of these two landmark musicals.

God, That’s Good! The trees rustle, a wolf howls, something’s eerie in the night air: it’s The Last Midnight. The perfect way to end your Halloween celebrations – or perhaps start them! City on Fire! …He shaved the necks of gentlemen who never thereafter…” (broadwayworld.com)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
‘Rigoletto’ (also Wednesday)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
Saturday at 8PM, Wednesday at 7:30PM.,
“The luminous soprano Olga Peretyatko is a captivating Gilda opposite the bright-voiced tenor Stephen Costello as the Duke of Mantua in this fresh and confident revival of Michael Mayer’s production set in a Las Vegas casino. The baritone George Gagnidze marshals impressive depths in the title role; the bass Stefan Kocan and the mezzo Katarina Leoson make a fine pair as the assassin Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena. Pablo Heras-Casado conducts.” (NYT-Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim)

Morris-Jumel Mansion Culture & Arts Festival
65 Jumel Terrace, (btw 160th/62nd St.)/ 11AM-6PM, FREE
“In it’s fourth year this annual festival doubles as a celebration of the mansion’s 250th anniversary. (Roger Morris and Mary Philipse purchased the 130-acre property and began construction in 1765.) The day’s events include a series of performances, beginning at noon with a concert by Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr in Broadway’s “Hamilton.”

Among the other activities are a vintage costume contest, a lesson with the Harlem Swing Dance Society and a guided tour of the mansion. More information, including the performance lineup and list of art vendors, is at morrisjumel.org.” (NYT)

New Orleans Jazz Weekend and Masquerade
Apollo Theater, 253 W125th St./ 10PM,
“Costumes play an important role in the cultural life of New Orleans, a point that underpins this year’s Halloween festivities at the Apollo Theater. The trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, who has embraced the role of an ambassador for his hometown, performs at least twice over the weekend, starting Friday at 10 p.m. in the Apollo Music Cafe, with guest singers that include Camille Thurman and Jazzmeia Horn.

On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., in the main theater, Mr. Mayfield will lead the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra with the singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, as on their new album, “Dee Dee’s Feathers.” (The attire is “masquerade chic.”) And the after-party, in the Apollo Music Cafe on Saturday at 10 p.m., will feature Brass-a-Holics, a high-octane New Orleans brass band, with a strong possibility of the headliners dropping in.” (Chinen-NYT)

The Heath Brothers (through Nov. 1)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $
“Although Percy Heath—the bass-playing sibling of the Heath Brothers Band, who died in 2005—is missed, his siblings, the drummer Albert (Tootie) and the saxophonist Jimmy, have kept their collective ensemble a viable and valued entity. With David Wong, on bass, and Jeb Patton, on piano, this venerable quintet offers up refined hard bop, enlivened by Jimmy’s sturdy compositions and polished playing from all involved.” (NewYorker)

Elsewhere, but hey, this is RINGO:
Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band
Kings Theater, 1027 Flatbush Ave, near Tilden Ave./8PM, $65-130
“The most happy-go-lucky Beatle has developed a solid, eccentric career apart of the Fab Four — releasing more than a dozen studio albums, hamming in a British comedy with Peter Sellers and John Cleese (“The Magic Christian”) and narrating a pack of anthropomorphized trains on “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.” His All Starr Band, a rotating jam group currently cobbled from high-profile friends like Todd Rundgren, is a good-natured classic rock saloon.” (Anderson-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Archtober (Oct. 01-31)
This month offers a prime opportunity to honor the beauty of the NYCity skyline with Archtober, a festival of tours, talks and exhibitions exploring the city’s architecture. One of the highlights –  the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Sculpture Center Renovation and Expansion (Tour Time: 12PM, $10)
Andrew Berman Architect, 44-19 Purves St. Long Island City,
“Andrew Berman Architect designed a new entry building for ticketing and orientation, a bookshop, facilities and vertical circulation in their twentieth century industrial building. This structure serves as the nexus between arrival and the galleries. New space for exhibiting work was formed by bounding exterior space between the new and existing buildings. The galleries in the vault space under the main hall were renovated to become accessible exhibit spaces.”
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

This is the last day of what has been a fabulous month of events – hats off to the organizers as we look forward to next Archtober.

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 (10/30) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 10/30/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > FRIDAY / OCT. 30, 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:
Oran Etkin’s Re-imagining Benny Goodman
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 7:30+9:30PM, $
“On his new album, “What’s New? Re-imagining Benny Goodman,” Mr. Etkin, a Israeli clarinetist with a lightsome disposition, pays a contemporary homage to the artist known in his day as the King of Swing. As on the album, Mr. Etkin appears here with the vibraphonist Steve Nelson, the pianist Sullivan Fortner and the drummer Matt Wilson.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Gary Clark Jr.
Terminal 5, 610 W56th St./ 8PM, $
“This much-vaunted blues singer-guitarist has been called “the next Hendrix” for several years, though none of his axes sport scorch marks yet. In 2014, he shone on the concert disc “Gary Clark Jr. Live,” which features a cover of Hendrix’s “Third Stone From the Sun,” and he recently topped the Billboard Blues charts with the sultry studio album “The Story of Sonny Boy Slim.” (Anderson-NYT)

New Orleans Jazz Weekend and Masquerade (also Saturday)
Apollo Theater, 253 W125th St./ 10PM,
“Costumes play an important role in the cultural life of New Orleans, a point that underpins this year’s Halloween festivities at the Apollo Theater. The trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, who has embraced the role of an ambassador for his hometown, performs at least twice over the weekend, starting Friday at 10 p.m. in the Apollo Music Cafe, with guest singers that include Camille Thurman and Jazzmeia Horn. On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., in the main theater, Mr. Mayfield will lead the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra with the singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, as on their new album, “Dee Dee’s Feathers.” (The attire is “masquerade chic.”) And the after-party, in the Apollo Music Cafe on Saturday at 10 p.m., will feature Brass-a-Holics, a high-octane New Orleans brass band, with a strong possibility of the headliners dropping in.” (Chinen-NYT)

MarchFourth! A SteamFunk Rock-n-Roll Circus Party
Electronica/Dance | Americana/Roots | Jazz
The Cutting Room, 444E32nd St. / 6:30PM, $20-$35
“Aside from their marching band themed costumes, and multi member drum and brass corp, M4 is far from a “marching band” in any traditional sense (though this group of about 20 has been known to parade down Main Street before taking the stage). The show will take you on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the gypsy camps of eastern Europe and through the deepest grooves of American funk, rock, and jazz then boiling it all together in cinematic fashion with high-stepping stilt-acrobatics and dazzling dancers.”

The Heath Brothers (through Nov. 1)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $
“Although Percy Heath—the bass-playing sibling of the Heath Brothers Band, who died in 2005—is missed, his siblings, the drummer Albert (Tootie) and the saxophonist Jimmy, have kept their collective ensemble a viable and valued entity. With David Wong, on bass, and Jeb Patton, on piano, this venerable quintet offers up refined hard bop, enlivened by Jimmy’s sturdy compositions and polished playing from all involved.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Archtober (Oct. 01-31)
This month offers a prime opportunity to honor the beauty of the NYCity skyline with Archtober, a festival of tours, talks and exhibitions exploring the city’s architecture. One of the highlights –  the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Chilewich Store (Tour Time: 10AM, $10)
de-spec, 23 East 20th Street,
Tour Guides: Farnaz Mansuri and Tom Shea, Principals, de-spec
“Farnaz Mansuri, Founder and Principal Designer at De-Spec, describes the process and concept for the store: “For me, a project is always about how to capture the spirit of a brand in and through their products in time and space, and here for Chilewich through the 3D matrix of colors, textures, threads and shapes, we defined both the problem and the solution.”
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

America’s Museum: Art and History of the Metropolitan
“Art history doctoral candidates lead this tour of one of the country’s most popular, prestigious museums. Highlights include classic artworks, as well as anecdotes from New York’s cultural history — and the story of the museum’s only benefactor to have been eaten by cannibals. At 11 a.m., meeting in front of the Duke Semans Mansion, 1009 Fifth Avenue, at E82nd Street” BigOnion walking Tours. (NYT)

and don’t forget, the Village Halloween Parade celebrates its 42nd year.
starts 7PM, 6th Ave from Spring St. straight up to 16th St., FREE

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 10/28 and 10/26.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (10/29) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 10/29/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > THURSDAY / OCT. 29, 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 Betrayal”
The Most Talked About World Series in Baseball History
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E. 11th St./ 7PM, $FREE
“On an off day for this year’s World Series, a look back at the most talked about Fall Classic in baseball history…

We are continually pulled to the story of the 1919 World Series and the Chicago White Sox —The Black Sox—because so much of modern sport, and our attitude towards it, springs from the scandal.

Unearthing new information, Charles Fountain traces the Black Sox story from its roots in the gambling culture that pervaded the game in the years surrounding World War I, through the confusing events of the 1919 World Series itself, to the noisy aftermath and trial, and illuminates the moment as baseball’s tipping point.

Situating the Black Sox events in the context of later scandals, including those involving Cincinnati Reds manager and player Pete Rose, and the ongoing use of performance-enhancing drugs in the game up through the present, Fountain illuminates America’s near century-long fascination with the story, and its continuing relevance today.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
TimesTalks: Alice Walker, Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo & John Doyle
The New School, 66 W. 12th St./ 7:30PM, $45
“Don’t miss this exciting conversation with musical performances from the new Broadway production of The Color Purple.

Hear Alice Walker, author of the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel; Tony Award-winner John Doyle, who re-envisioned the new, critically acclaimed musical; and two of its stars: Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson; and from the hit London production, British stage star Cynthia Erivo, both making their Broadway debuts. Moderated by New York Times theater reporter Michael Paulson and presented in collaboration with The New School.”

Al Di Meola
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W42nd St./ 8PM, $
“Elegant Gypsy,” released in 1977, was the second album by the guitarist Al Di Meola, and a touchstone for guitar-driven, Spanish-inflected jazz fusion. This two-night stand comes as part of Mr. Di Meola’s “Elegant Gypsy & More Electric Tour,” featuring the keyboardist Philippe Saisse, the percussionist Gumbi Ortiz and others. (Along with the repertory tribute, Mr. Di Meola will draw from his new solo album, “Elysium.”) (NYT-Chinen)

The Heath Brothers (through Nov. 1)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./ 8:30+10:30PM, $
“Although Percy Heath—the bass-playing sibling of the Heath Brothers Band, who died in 2005—is missed, his siblings, the drummer Albert (Tootie) and the saxophonist Jimmy, have kept their collective ensemble a viable and valued entity. With David Wong, on bass, and Jeb Patton, on piano, this venerable quintet offers up refined hard bop, enlivened by Jimmy’s sturdy compositions and polished playing from all involved.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Archtober (Oct. 01-31)
This month offers a prime opportunity to honor the beauty of the NYCity skyline with Archtober, a festival of tours, talks and exhibitions exploring the city’s architecture. One of the highlights –  the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
The Musket Room (Tour Time: 12PM, $10)
Shadow Architects, 265 Elizabeth St.
Tour Guide: Larry Cohn, LEED AP, Principal, Shadow Architects
“The Musket Room … re-invigorates an historic structure to create a showcase for an elegant food and drink menu. The firm worked with Alexander Waterworth Interiors on the floor plan and design, creating a generous bar and seating area at the front of the restaurant, with private seating groupings in the back. The back room also overlooks the new herb garden through large new casement windows.

The exterior shell of the front facade was repaired where needed and white-washed to create a chic rustic backdrop for the new furnishings and finishes. Downstairs, the old kitchen was completely gutted and the architects enlarged and streamlined the cooking area to support chef Matt Lambert’s culinary vision. The Musket Room has been awarded a Michelin Star for two years running. It was the youngest New York restaurant to ever receive a star after being open just four months.”
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

Google Photos’ Pumpkin Patch in Times Square
Times Square, 12PM-8PM, FREE
“Google Photos is hosting a pop-up pumpkin patch (say that five times fast!) in the heart of New York City — Times Square. Guests can pose in the Google Photos’ booth and have their photos displayed on a Times Square billboard. Stick around to have a photo etched into a real pumpkin by a special carving machine while you snack on apple cider donuts from Google’s “Pay With a Photo” food truck.” (amny.com)

Elsewhere, but this looks interesting:
‘Webtoon’
Korean Cultural Service New York, Gallery Korea (through Oct. 29)
460 Park Avenue, at East 57th Street
“This exhibition highlights the culture of Korean webtoons — comics specifically made for the internet. In addition to displaying the comics, this show will also take a look at the media and commercial products that have been inspired by popular webtoons.” (NYT-Joshua Barone)

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.

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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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