Selected Events (10/28) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 10/28/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > WEDNESDAY / OCT. 28, 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
Nicki Parrott and Rossano Sportiello
Mezzrow, 163 W. 10th St./ 8PM +9:30PM, $20
Parrott is a first-call mainstream bassist whose sound cuts through a room, and the pianist Sportiello, her occasional musical partner, is a gifted stylist—both are enamored of classic jazz. Two terrific duo albums, including “Do It Again,” from 2009, attest to their delightful and deeply swinging musical connection.” (NewYorker)

Alfredo Rodríguez Trio / Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio 
Blue Note, 131 West Third St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $20-$35
“A double bill of two resourceful young Cuban pianists, each appearing with bass and drums. Mr. Rodríguez, whose two albums feature production by Quincy Jones, now has a home base in the United States; Mr. Lopez-Nussa still lives in Havana, though he has toured widely.” (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)

Ballet Memphis (through Nov. 1)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ 7:30PM, $10 and up
“Ballet Memphis makes a concerted effort to ensure that the dance it presents is reflective of its hometown. Initiatives like the River Project and the Memphis Project have stocked the company’s repertory with work inspired by the city (the “river” being the Mississippi, which flows right by). Six original works, many hailing from those initiatives, come to New York in the company’s first visit since 2007. Choreographers include Matthew Neenan, Gabrielle Lamb, Julia Adam and several company members.” (Schaefer-NYT)
“Some $10 tickets are available, but those go quickly, and they need to be purchased over the phone (which incurs a $6 service charge) or in person at the box office.” (TONY)

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:
Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (Tour Time: 1PM, $10)
Tour Guide: Donald Albrecht, Independent Curator, 36 Battery Place,
Guest curator Donald Albrecht will lead a tour of this special exhibition with a focus on the architects and designers who helped forge a bold new direction in design and thought.
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

Luc Sante
Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway, at 12th St./ 7PM,
“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)

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘Picasso Sculpture’ (through Feb. 7)
“Nearly a work of art in its own right, this magnificent show redefines Picasso’s achievement with the first full view here in 50 years of his astoundingly varied forays into sculpture. His materials, not his female loves, become the muses, and are different each time out. The basic plotline: After introducing sculptural abstraction and space, he spent about 50 years counting the ways that the figure was far from finished. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

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

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 10/26 and 10/24.

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Selected Events (10/27) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 10/27/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > TUESDAY / OCT. 27, 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 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)

Alfredo Rodríguez Trio / Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio (through Wednesday)
Blue Note, 131 West Third St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $20-$35
“A double bill of two resourceful young Cuban pianists, each appearing with bass and drums. Mr. Rodríguez, whose two albums feature production by Quincy Jones, now has a home base in the United States; Mr. Lopez-Nussa still lives in Havana, though he has toured widely.” (Chinen-NYT)

Ballet Memphis (through Nov. 1)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./
Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30PM, $10 and up
“Ballet Memphis makes a concerted effort to ensure that the dance it presents is reflective of its hometown. Initiatives like the River Project and the Memphis Project have stocked the company’s repertory with work inspired by the city (the “river” being the Mississippi, which flows right by). Six original works, many hailing from those initiatives, come to New York in the company’s first visit since 2007. Choreographers include Matthew Neenan, Gabrielle Lamb, Julia Adam and several company members.” (Schaefer-NYT)
“Some $10 tickets are available, but those go quickly, and they need to be purchased over the phone (which incurs a $6 service charge) or in person at the box office.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Ashley Monroe
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St./ 8PM, $20
“Nashville singer/songwriter Ashley Monroe bears a résumé that belies her age. Not yet 30, she’s already worked with the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Jack White and Miranda Lambert, to name a few, earning her stripes as a songwriter on Music Row before releasing her first solo album.

With Ms. Lambert and Angaleena Presley, she formed the feisty country trio Pistol Annies, who earned accolades on their two albums. On her third solo album, “The Blade,” her songwriting is as sharp as the title suggests. The music is pared down and evocative, with Ms. Monroe’s songwriting acumen delivering heartbreak and humor in equal measure.”(WSJ)

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:
National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion (Tour Time: 6PM, $10)
27_2014-05-11-20.21.59-1-e1438372129722-300x300Snøhetta,180 Greenwich Street / Tour Guide: Aaron Dorf, Senior Designer, Snøhetta
“In 2004, SNØHETTA was commissioned to design the only building on the memorial plaza. In the years since, the program has changed several times, however it has remained a cultural facility dedicated to visitor comfort and orientation. The design for the building embodies a careful reaction to the horizontal character of the memorial plaza’s design, while also providing the area with a lively organic form that allows the visitor to imagine the site and city in a broader sense.”
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

Secret Science Club: Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity
with Astrophysicist Jason Kalirai
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway / 8PM, $20
“It’s 100 years since Einstein presented his General Theory of Relativity—changing forever how we think about space and time—and ushering in discoveries beyond even Einstein’s wildest imagination. Blast off with astrophysicist Jason Kalirai to explore where Einstein’s theory has led since 1915, from supermassive black holes to the evolution of the universe itself.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Bonus – Jazz Picks:

Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St., nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St., nr 7th ave.S. — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway, nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St., nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.

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

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

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

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

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).

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

Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man. “tiny” we miss you.

==================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Selected Events (10/26) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 10/26/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > MONDAY / OCT. 26, 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 complete event info.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Nash Bash, with Lee Brice
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th St./ 7:30PM, $ may have to stub hub this one
“Country and western continues to draw a sizable audience in New York, as evidenced by the Farmborough Festival in June. Now NASH FM 94.7, a local country station, heads back to the Beacon Theater for its first showcase there in nearly two years. Lee Brice, a Billboard country chart-topping singer and songwriter, headlines a twangin’ roster that also includes Rodney Atkins and Mo Pitney.” (Anderson-NYT)

‘Turandot’ (also next Friday)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $
The lavish spectacle of Franco Zeffirelli’s glittering, ornate production of Puccini’s “Turandot” continues its run on Monday. Paolo Carignani conducts the soprano Lise Lindstrom as the icy princess, the tenor Marcelo Álvarez as Calàfand the soprano Leah Crocetto as Liù.” (NYT-Vivien)

Alfredo Rodríguez Trio / Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio (through Wednesday)
Blue Note, 131 West Third St./ 8PM +10:30PM, $20-$35
“A double bill of two resourceful young Cuban pianists, each appearing with bass and drums. Mr. Rodríguez, whose two albums feature production by Quincy Jones, now has a home base in the United States; Mr. Lopez-Nussa still lives in Havana, though he has toured widely.” (Chinen-NYT)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $25
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.
OR
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30Pm +10:30PM, $30
world class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.

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. In addition, the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 (Tour Time: 12PM, $10)
HHL Architects, 215 East 99th St.
Tour Guides: Matthew Meier, AIA, Partner, HHL Architects
Rolinda Ramos, Property Manager, El Barrio’s Artspace PS109
“Completed in late 2014, following nearly a decade of coordinated planning & development, El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 (PS109) project is now a successful $52 million, 114,000 square foot, mixed use historic redevelopment providing ninety (90) low-moderate income residential apartment units for local artists. Approximately14,000 square feet of community space is also provided on the lower levels of PS109.”
>>>For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

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)

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 10/24 and 10/22.

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Selected Events (10/24) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 10/24/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > SATURDAY / OCT. 24, 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 complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Plays Monk
The Town Hall, 123 W43rd St./ 8PM, $30 – $100
“Few musicians have made such significant or unique contributions to the jazz lexicon as pianist-composer Thelonious Monk. Widely regarded as a genius composer of uncompromising creativity, his music is equally loved and feared by musicians for its wide intervals, angular melodies, and surprising rhythms, making it both difficult and rewarding to play.

Joining the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will be 12-year-old pianist Joey Alexander, a jaw-dropping young prodigy undaunted by the challenge. Alexander, who has already released his first album as a leader with Motéma and performed to great acclaim at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, represents the next generation of musicians in reverence of Monk. For two special nights at The Town Hall, the raw energy of this music–rearranged for big band by members of the JLCO–will be unforgettable.”

Friday’s concert was outstanding and memorable. Do whatever you can to get to Town Hall and young Joey Alexander is the real deal.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Okwui Okpokwasili (LAST DAY)
New York Live Arts, 219 West 19th St. / 7:30PM, $15
“Ms. Okpokwasili revives “Bronx Gothic,” an arresting solo about coming-of-age in the Bronx, haunted by the voices of her past (and present). Notes are passed and dreams recounted between the artist’s teenage self and her confidante; other messages are held in shuddering dances.” (Burke-NYT)

Josie Long: ‘Cara Josephine’ (through Oct. 25)
SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St./ 9PM, $25
“A gem of the British comedy scene, Ms. Long is a stand-up and storyteller who dwells in earnestness and optimism. “Cara Josephine,” perhaps the best-reviewed comedy show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is a sweet and very funny hour about relationships, love and family.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

José Limón Dance Company (through Oct. 25)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ $10 and up
In celebration of its 70th anniversary season, the José Limón Dance Foundation invites guest artists from the Royal Danish Ballet (performing The Unsung) and the Bavarian State Ballet (performing The Exiles), as well as students from all over the world, to perform with the Limón Dance Company in a magisterial retrospective of major works from the repertory.

Some $10 tickets are available, but those go quickly, and they need to be purchased over the phone (which incurs a $6 service charge) or in person at the box office.” (TONY)

Program D: Oct 23 & 24 at 8pm; Oct 25 at 2pm
Orfeo, performed by Limón Dance Company; Chaconne, performed by CoreoArte; Dances for Isadora, performed by Limón Dance Company; The Traitor, performed by Limón Dance Company

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. In addition, the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Mariners Harbor Branch Library (Tour Time: 12PM, $10)
A’PT Architecture, 206 South Avenue, Staten Island
The design concept for the single-story building is an oyster shell cracked open, rough on the outside and mother-of-pearl on the inside, to honor the area’s rich maritime and oystering history.
Tour Guides: Anna Torriani, AIA and Lorenzo Pagnamenta, AIA, Founding Partners, A’PT Architecture
For all the other interesting events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo (LAST DAY)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W34th St./
This massive show brings together roughly 21,000 photographers, filmmakers, students, teachers and photography fans. The schedule of events includes seminars, demonstrations and new technology on display. More information is at photoplusexpo.com.” (NYT/ST)

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 10/22 and 10/20.
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Selected Events (10/23) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 10/23/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > FRIDAY / OCT. 23, 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 complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Plays Monk
The Town Hall, 123 W43rd St./ 8PM, $30 – $100
“Few musicians have made such significant or unique contributions to the jazz lexicon as pianist-composer Thelonious Monk. Widely regarded as a genius composer of uncompromising creativity, his music is equally loved and feared by musicians for its wide intervals, angular melodies, and surprising rhythms, making it both difficult and rewarding to play.

Joining the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will be 12-year-old pianist Joey Alexander, a jaw-dropping young prodigy undaunted by the challenge. Alexander, who has already released his first album as a leader with Motéma and performed to great acclaim at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, represents the next generation of musicians in reverence of Monk. For two special nights at The Town Hall, the raw energy of this music–rearranged for big band by members of the JLCO–will be unforgettable.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
“This Is Dedicated: Music’s Greatest Marriages”
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 7PM, $55-$105
“Newly-married Broadway veterans Jarrod Spector and Kelli Barrett’s show salutes married show business couples from Sonny and Cher, to Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The night celebrates marriage as the powerful force behind this timeless music and tackles the difficult questions behind keeping it all together.”

Blur and Courtney Barnett
Madison Square Garden / 8PM, $
“Even if you didn’t follow the Britpop Wars waged between Oasis and Blur in weekly U.K. music rags during the ’90s, you are no doubt familiar with the latter’s shout of “woo hoo!” as Blur’s 1997 hit “Song 2” curiously enough became a sports stadium staple. And while the band disbanded in 2003, frontman Damon Albarn became ubiquitous with projects like Gorillaz and the Good, the Bad & the Queen. In July of 2009, the four-piece reunited for a show in Hyde Park, but it took six more years before they returned with their comeback album, “The Magic Whip.” (WSJ)

Josie Long: ‘Cara Josephine’ (through Oct. 25)
SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St./ 9PM, $25
“A gem of the British comedy scene, Ms. Long is a stand-up and storyteller who dwells in earnestness and optimism. “Cara Josephine,” perhaps the best-reviewed comedy show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is a sweet and very funny hour about relationships, love and family.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

José Limón Dance Company (through Oct. 25)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ $10 and up
In celebration of its 70th anniversary season, the José Limón Dance Foundation invites guest artists from the Royal Danish Ballet (performing The Unsung) and the Bavarian State Ballet (performing The Exiles), as well as students from all over the world, to perform with the Limón Dance Company in a magisterial retrospective of major works from the repertory.

Some $10 tickets are available, but those go quickly, and they need to be purchased over the phone (which incurs a $6 service charge) or in person at the box office.” (TONY)

Program D: Oct 23 & 24 at 8pm; Oct 25 at 2pm
Orfeo, performed by Limón Dance Company; Chaconne, performed by CoreoArte; Dances for Isadora, performed by Limón Dance Company; The Traitor, performed by Limón Dance Company

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. In addition, the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
St. Mark’s Bookshop (Tour Time: 12PM, $10)
Clouds Architecture Office, 136 East 3rd Street,
Tour Guides: Ostap Rudakevych and Masayuki Sono, Founding Partners, Clouds Architecture Office

For all other events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo (also Saturday)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W34th St./
This massive show brings together roughly 21,000 photographers, filmmakers, students, teachers and photography fans. The schedule of events includes seminars, demonstrations and new technology on display. More information is at photoplusexpo.com.” (NYT/ST)

Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th ave. South, — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave. South — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway, nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.5 million, had a record 56 million visitors last year and is TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015.  Quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30PM – 11PM, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11AM-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher St.
Walk 1 blk S. on 7th ave S. to Bleecker St., 1 blk left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards left on Jones St. to Caffe V.

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

3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

===========================================================================
“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian, falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars. No reservations needed. ===========================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Winter 2015).
◊ Order before Dec. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

 

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Selected Events (10/22) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 10/22/2015 by GregD

Today’s SUPER 7 > THURSDAY / OCT. 22, 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 complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Phillipa Soo
54 Below, 254 W54th St./ 111:30PM, $45/$70
“The leading lady of the hit musical Hamilton, makes her Feinstein’s/54 Below solo debut! Before her star turn in Hamilton, for which she won the 2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, Phillipa appeared off-Broadway as Natasha in Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Trust us, you’ll want to be in the room where this happens.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Josie Long: ‘Cara Josephine’ (through Oct. 25)
SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St./ 9PM, $25
“A gem of the British comedy scene, Ms. Long is a stand-up and storyteller who dwells in earnestness and optimism. “Cara Josephine,” perhaps the best-reviewed comedy show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is a sweet and very funny hour about relationships, love and family.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

Fred Hersch (through Oct. 25)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“Fred Hersch’s combo with bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson is one of the quintessential NYC piano trios. As you can hear on last year’s Floating, the band manages to sound at once archetypal and individualistic, and this run at one of Hersch’s favorite rooms is the perfect place to savor its elegant chemistry.” (TONY)

José Limón Dance Company (through Oct. 25)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ $10 and up
“José Limón is a pillar of American modern dance, though perhaps the most unassuming of them. The work of the Mexican-born choreographer is celebrated for its proud nobility, palpable spirituality and high drama. Marking its 70th anniversary, the company that bears his name presents 15 works spanning three decades, from 1942 until Limón’s death in 1972. The works will be performed by companies and academies from around the United States, as well as South America, Europe and Asia.” (NYT-Schaefer)

Program C: (at 8pm)
Mazurkas, performed by sjDANCEco; Carlota, performed by Limón Dance Company; There is a Time, performed by American Repertory Ballet

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. In addition, the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
The Educational Alliance (Tour Time: 10AM, $10)
PBDW Architects – 197 East Broadway,
The Educational Alliance, a non-profit organization, has been serving the community of the Lower East Side of New York for over 120 years. PBDW transformed their historic East Broadway headquarters into the Manny Cantor Center, a new Center serving the needs of a thriving and dynamic but underserved community.

PBDW studied, re-imagined and transformed the aging flagship facilities into a new visionary and innovative environment. The result is a fully renovated, environmentally friendly, multi-purpose space that celebrates the diversity of its constituents by organizing the various program elements into a cohesive whole. The jewel of the project, located on the top floor, is a state-of-the-art glass enclosed multipurpose event space flanked on two sides by a roof terrace with stunning views of the city and park beyond.
Tour Guide: Leonard Leung, AIA, LEED AP, Associate, PBDW Architects

For all other events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

Microsoft Technology Center in Times Square.
“game on! spend an evening testing out 75 new video games one-on-one with their developers at the playcrafting nyc fall expo. bonus: free pizza!
microsoft times square, $8-15, 5:30-8:30PM” (theskint.com)

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo (also Friday and Saturday)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W34th St./
This massive show brings together roughly 21,000 photographers, filmmakers, students, teachers and photography fans. The schedule of events includes seminars, demonstrations and new technology on display. More information is at photoplusexpo.com.” (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.
==================================================================================

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)

New-York Historical Society:
‘Freedom Journey 1965: Photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March by Stephen Somerstein’ (through Oct. 25)
“See photo highlight. Almost 50 years ago, the picture editor of a campus newspaper at City College of New York assigned himself a breaking story: covering what promised to be a massive march in Alabama, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to demand free and clear voting rights for African-Americans. On short notice the editor, Stephen Somerstein, grabbed his cameras, climbed on a bus and headed south. The 55 pictures of black leaders and everyday people in this show, installed in a hallway and small gallery, are some that he shot that day. The image of Dr. King’s head seen in monumental silhouette that has become a virtual logo of the film “Selma” is based on a Somerstein original. 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org.” (Cotter-NYT)

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 10/20 and 10/18.

 

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Selected Events (10/21) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 10/21/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > WEDNESDAY / OCT. 21, 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 complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Joe Jackson
Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St./ 8PM, $49-$89
“Joe Jackson had an elegance about him even in his early “angry young man” phase. His first hit came in 1979 in the form of “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” Others, especially the snappy 1982 single “Steppin’ Out,” showcased an unusual sense of musicality that has grown more sophisticated in the decades since.

His new album “Fast Forward” draws from studio sessions in four cities close to Mr. Jackson’s musical heart: New York, Berlin, Amsterdam and New Orleans. Each song was recorded with musicians from the locale in question, and the nativist elements mesh well with Mr. Jackson’s urbane, cosmopolitan pop.” (WSJ)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Josie Long: ‘Cara Josephine’ (through Oct. 25)
SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St./ 9PM, $25
“A gem of the British comedy scene, Ms. Long is a stand-up and storyteller who dwells in earnestness and optimism. “Cara Josephine,” perhaps the best-reviewed comedy show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is a sweet and very funny hour about relationships, love and family.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

Fred Hersch (through Oct. 25)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“Fred Hersch’s combo with bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson is one of the quintessential NYC piano trios. As you can hear on last year’s Floating, the band manages to sound at once archetypal and individualistic, and this run at one of Hersch’s favorite rooms is the perfect place to savor its elegant chemistry.” (TONY)

Ignacio Berroa Celebrates Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy’s Club,Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St./Broadway, 7:30,+9:30PM, $40
“Mr. Berroa is an authoritative Cuban drummer who worked steadily with Dizzy Gillespie during the last dozen years of that trumpeter’s life and career. For this tribute to his former mentor, in the club that bears his name, Mr. Berroa joins forces with the trumpeter Jon Faddis, perhaps the world’s most devoted Gillespieologist.” (Chinen-NYT)

José Limón Dance Company (through Oct. 25)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ $10 and up
“José Limón is a pillar of American modern dance, though perhaps the most unassuming of them. The work of the Mexican-born choreographer is celebrated for its proud nobility, palpable spirituality and high drama. Marking its 70th anniversary, the company that bears his name presents 15 works spanning three decades, from 1942 until Limón’s death in 1972. The works will be performed by companies and academies from around the United States, as well as South America, Europe and Asia.” (NYT-Schaefer)

Program C: Oct 21 at 7:30pm; Oct 22 at 8pm
Mazurkas, performed by sjDANCEco; Carlota, performed by Limón Dance Company; There is a Time, performed by American Repertory Ballet

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. In addition, the festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning
Crotona Park, Bronx (Tour Time: 12PM/$10)
“Explore this award-winning tennis center in the heart of the Bronx’s Crotona Park! The new flagship for Arthur Ashe’s New York Junior Tennis & Learning program, the center will serve an estimated 30,000 students in the South Bronx. Conceptually, the venue is designed as a series of platforms—both for viewing tennis, from beginner to professional level—and metaphorically a platform to encourage afterschool learning—a project to create the opportunity for inner city kids to experience success on the tennis court, as well as in life.

The Cary Leeds Center received the 30th Annual Award for Excellence in Design by the New York City Public Design Commission.”
For all other events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

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 (10/20) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 10/20/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > TUESDAY / OCT. 20, 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 complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Joe Jackson
Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St./ 8PM, $49-$89
“Joe Jackson had an elegance about him even in his early “angry young man” phase. His first hit came in 1979 in the form of “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” Others, especially the snappy 1982 single “Steppin’ Out,” showcased an unusual sense of musicality that has grown more sophisticated in the decades since.

His new album “Fast Forward” draws from studio sessions in four cities close to Mr. Jackson’s musical heart: New York, Berlin, Amsterdam and New Orleans. Each song was recorded with musicians from the locale in question, and the nativist elements mesh well with Mr. Jackson’s urbane, cosmopolitan pop.” (WSJ)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Josie Long: ‘Cara Josephine’ (through Oct. 25)
SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St./ 9PM, $25
“A gem of the British comedy scene, Ms. Long is a stand-up and storyteller who dwells in earnestness and optimism. “Cara Josephine,” perhaps the best-reviewed comedy show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is a sweet and very funny hour about relationships, love and family.” (Czajkowski-NYT)

Gabrielle Stravelli
Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 W54th St. / 9:30pm; $30–$70, plus $20 minimum
“The jazz and pop singer has garnered a passionate fan base with intimate shows, well-arranged renditions of cabaret standards and a witty conversational tone. See Stravelli perform new songs and conquer classics by Stevie Wonder and Ella Fitzgerald.

Stravelli has a groovy ’70s vibe and a supple, versatile voice that can navigate multiple genres with ease; think Joyce DeWitt with forceful emotional presence and bona fide pop-jazz chops. Her 54 Below debut, directed by nightclub legend Marilyn Maye, includes selections by artists ranging from Cole Porter to the Indigo Girls.” (TONY)

Kronos Quartet: Black Angels
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, W46th St./12th Ave – 7:30PM, $25-$60
“Kronos Quartet’s 1990 recording of George Crumb’s harrowing Black Angels remains a peak, to this day, in the long-standing ensemble’s catalog of more than 40 releases. They revisit the 20-minute meditation on good and evil—with string players doubling on glass and percussion—in as apt an environment as you could ask for: the hulking battleship moored in the Hudson River.” (TONY)

Fred Hersch (through Oct. 25)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave South, at 11th St./ 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“Mr. Hersch, a pianist and composer, turns 60 in the coming week and will celebrate in a state of busy creativity. On Tuesday, Mr. Hersch settles in for a week at the Village Vanguard with his excellent working trio, featuring John Hébert on bass and Eric McPherson on drums.” (NYT-Chinen)

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. The festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Whitney Museum of American Art (Tour Time: 12PM)
Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Cooper Robertson
99 Gansevoort Street,
“The Whitney Museum of American Art is home to many of the most significant and exciting works of art ever created in the United States. These works are housed in a breathtaking new space: a 220,000 square-foot building in New York City’s Meatpacking District, designed by the world-renowned architect Renzo Piano. Overlooking the Hudson River at the southern entrance to the High Line, the new building vastly increases the Whitney’s exhibition space and includes exciting features such as the largest column-free museum gallery in New York City; 13,000 square feet of outdoor exhibition space; flexible theater for film, video, and performance; conservation lab; retail shop; library reading room; and ground-floor restaurant and top-floor cafe operated by Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group. New Building Project Director Larissa Gentile will lead the tour.”
For all other events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

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.

This is a current exhibitions that the NYT recommends:
‘Dia 15 VI 13 545 West 22 Street Dream House’ (through Oct. 24)
“This terrific show restages a famous sound and light installation by La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, a work whose origins date to the 1960s. On entering the dimly lit gallery, you are immediately enveloped by an intensely powerful sound, a roaring, droning, pulsing noise with such a deep bass that you feel it in your body as well as in your ears. At the far end of the space is a work by Jung Hee Choi, a slowly changing hallucinogenic projection on a perforated black screen. Prepare to have your consciousness altered.” Dia: Chelsea, 545 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, 212-989-5566, diacenter.org. (Johnson-NYT)

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 10/18 and 10/16.

 

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Selected Events (10/19) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 10/19/2015 by GregD

Today’s SWEET 6 > MONDAY / OCT. 19, 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 complete event info.)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
The Bessie Awards
Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th St./ 7:30PM, $10
“Named for the influential choreography teacher Bessie Schoenberg, the Bessies, or the New York Dance and Performance Awards, have evolved into a boisterous ceremony honoring a wide cross-section of talent. This year’s odd-couple hosts are the former New York City Ballet principal Jock Soto and the performance artist Carmelita Tropicana; the honorees include the postmodern trailblazer Steve Paxton, who will receive the award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. His partner in art and life, Lisa Nelson, will perform, as will the electric Camille A. Brown and this year’s Outstanding Emerging Choreographer, Storyboard P.” (Burke-NYT)

“Tannhäuser” / Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center / 7PM, $
“With its seamless transitions, voluptuous, boundary-pushing approach to harmonies, and grand vocal writing, “Tannhäuser” is a portrait of Wagner the composer entering mid-career. The score’s superhuman demands should be secure in the hands of the Met’s topnotch cast, including Johan Botha, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Michelle DeYoung, and the always excellent Peter Mattei, who, as Wolfram, delivers one of the opera’s loveliest moments, the “Hymn to the Evening Star”; James Levine—having withdrawn from the new production of “Lulu”—is slated to conduct.” (Tommasini-NYT)

One for All
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St./ 7PM +9PM, $38
“Drawing partly from its most recent studio album, “Incorrigible,” this hard-bop collective benefits greatly from the lean proficiency of its roster: Jim Rotondi on trumpet, Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, Steve Davis on trombone, David Hazeltine on piano, John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $25
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.
OR
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30Pm +10:30PM, $30
world class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Moon Country: The Songs of Johnny Mercer’s South
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium / 6PM, FREE
“Cabaret artist Evan Stern teams up with the incomparable Steve Ross in this spirited and heartfelt celebration of Johnny Mercer’s roots. Featuring classics like Skylark, Lazybones and Blues In The Night, this show explores how the American South is represented throughout Mercer’s songbook, and retraces the many times he returned to the landscape of his youth as a well of inspiration throughout his long and storied career.”

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. The festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day:
Theatre for a New Audience at Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place
(Tour Time: 12PM)
Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) is a critically-acclaimed theater company that had been without its own home for over thirty years. The architecture of TFANA’s new home at Polonsky Shakespeare Center extemporizes that something special has come to the emerging Brooklyn Cultural District. It is the first new ground-up building for the arts to break ground in the District and helps contribute to the critical mass needed to sustain a healthy arts community in Downtown Brooklyn.
For all other events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

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

Selected Events (10/18) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 10/18/2015 by GregD

Today’s ELITE 8 > SUNDAY / OCT. 18, 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 complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
NYC Ballet (LAST DAY)
DHK / NYState Theater, Lincoln Center, Columbus Avenue, at W64th St./3PM, $60-$170
concertobarocco-slideshow-thmbThe closing program is devoted to George Balanchine’s starkly dramatic “black and white” ballets, including “Concerto Barocco” and “The Four Temperaments.” (Burke-NYT)

“Founding Choreographer George Balanchine challenged the dance world by asserting that ballet need not require a plotline, then he forever plunged the craft into a realm of neoclassicism with his unadorned Black & White leotard ballets that focus solely on music and movement. One of his greatest masterpieces, Concerto Barocco is music made visible as two elegant yet dynamic lead ballerinas each depict one of the instrumental soloists in a virtuosic double violin concerto.”

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Tom Harrell (last day)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S., at 11th St./
“With his First Impressions ensemble, the estimable trumpeter and composer Tom Harrell augments a standard jazz quintet with a guitar, cello, and violin—in effect, a compact string section. Harrell is a veteran player who seems to be getting more adventurous as he ages.” (NewYorker)

Bucky Pizzarelli w/ Ed Laub Duo
Mezzrow, 163 West 10th St. / 7:30, $20
Jazz legend Bucky Pizzarelli is joined by his “partner in crime”, the joyfully swinging (and singing) Ed Laub for a set of guitar duets!

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

Mary Lynn Rajskub (LAST DAY)
Carolines on Broadway, 1626 Broadway (btw 49/50 St)/ 7:30 + 10:00PM, $38-$109
“Though best known as Chloe on “24”, make no mistake: Rajskub is a goofball. She’s been described onstage as “cheerfully vulgar” while reflecting the tone of her roots (HBO comedies Mr. Show and The Larry Sanders Show).” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK (LAST DAY)
“This annual event opens the doors to hundreds of buildings throughout the city, many of which are usually closed to the public. In addition to sites featured on previous Open House weekends, such as the Grand Lodge of Masons and the TWA terminal at J.F.K. (which will soon be converted into a hotel), this year’s edition adds various first-time locations, including the renovated City Hall, Google’s Chelsea outfit, and the World’s Fair Pavilion. In a special series, the engineers for innovative structures such as the High Line park and the glass cube above the Apple store on 59th Street lead tours of their projects. All events are free, but some require advance booking.” (NewYorker)

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. The festival showcases a different building each day.
Today’s Building of the Day: CUNY Advanced Science Research Center & The City College Center for Discovery and Innovation, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace (Tour Time: 12:00PM)
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Flad Architects (architect-of-record)
The two buildings of the CUNY ASRC and the CCNY Center for Discovery and Innovation are positioned overlooking Harlem and Manhattan on the City College campus. The science complex utilizes ideas of compression and release to create a dynamic space for a university that values outdoor green space within the density of the city.
For all other events today check out the calendar at archtober.org

Architecture and Design Film Festival (LAST DAY)
Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas 9, 260 W23rd St./ various times
“The lineup for this festival may seem niche, but the subject matter affects out daily lives: housing, preservation, the environment. Highlights include a virtual reality lounge, and a Rizzoli pop-up bookstore.” (NYT-SpareTimes)
Today’s screenings:
2:30 C5 The Ice is Right – Nordic Design Today
3:30 P8 Henning – Light and Space
3:45 P9 Strange and Familiar:Architecture on Fogo Island
5:30 P11 Four Dreams and A Thousand Demolitions
6:00 P5 Modern Ruin:A World’s Fair Pavilion
6:30 P13 SlingShot
8:15 P10 Silo 468
8:30 P12 Drawing on Life
9:30 P1 The Infinite Happiness

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 10/16 and 10/14.
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