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

Selected Events (02/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 02/08/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″ / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, FEB. 08, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

T. Oliver Reid, ‘Drop Me Off in Harlem’ — Cabaret (7pm)

Wayne Escoffery Quartet — Jazz (8:30pm) (10:30pm)

Sunday’s on Broadway — Dance (8pm)

Athena Film Festival — Film (various)

Alternative Guitar Summit — Pop/ Rock (7:30pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

♦ “9 Notable Events-Feb.”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity Sights, Sounds and Stories visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com
======================================================

T. Oliver Reid, ‘Drop Me Off in Harlem’
Singer and Broadway star T. Oliver Reid leads what he describes as “a club hopping journey through the swanky clubs and low down joints of 1934 Harlem,” featuring the music of Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Andy Razaf, and more. In this new show, Reid performs each number with the unmistakable dramatic flair of a musical theater veteran, and he also provides an overview of the clubs, musicians, and social context of the music. Funny, informative, and a consummate showman, Reid will transport you back to the heyday of iconic venues like the Cotton Club. “In 1934, on a Saturday night in New York City, if you were boozin’ and jazzin’, you were doing it in Harlem.” 80 years later, we’re doing it right here at Metropolitan Room.

“There is no place you will ever see / Like this dusky town-within-a-town.” Seen (but not heard enough) in Broadway’s “After Midnight,” the remarkably versatile bari-tenor T. Oliver Reid shows how African-American music of the interwar years wasn’t just one single style, but a polyglot of styles—jazz, show music, gospel, blues—and he does justice to the cumulative legacies of all of these genres at once.” (WSJ)
Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St. (btw Fifth and Sixth Aves)
7pm / $25
212-206-0440 / metropolitanroom.com

Wayne Escoffery Quartet (last day)
“Wayne Escoffery, a tenor saxophonist with an engaging and assertive style, brings an appealingly bullish rhythm section with him to this weeklong Village Vanguard engagement: David Kikoski on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Ralph Peterson on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., / $35
212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com.

Sunday’s on Broadway
“Cathy Weis launches the winter season of her ongoing series, featuring film screenings, performances, readings and more. Tonight: screening of Leonide Massine’s Choreartium, choreographed for the Ballets Russes and performed by Bayerisches Staatsballett.” (TONY)
WeisAcres, 537 Broadway, btw Prince and Spring Sts, no. 3
8pm / FREE
cathyweis.org

Athena Film Festival (last day)
“Here’s an event that screams that girls truly do “Run the World,” with media to back it up. The Barnard College fest, which focuses on strong women both behind and in front of the camera, features critically acclaimed films (Dear White People, Obvious Child), a ceremony celebrating Jodie Foster’s career, and shorts and talks with filmmakers and professors including a sit-down with dancer-choreographer Twyla Tharp covering the concept of moving images in technology.” (TONY)
Various locations and times on the Barnard College campus,
3009 Broadway, at 117th Street, Morningside Heights,
212-854-1264 / athenafilmfestival.com for details.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Alternative Guitar Summit (last day)
w/ Anders Nilsson & Aaron Dugan; Marco Capelli & James Ilgenfritz; Ava Mendoza

“Wandering through previous editions of the Alternative Guitar Summit could make your head whirl. Diversity is expected in experimental music, but the wealth of action coming from the various configs of string players at this event is marvelous in its range. This year’s fifth annual gathering, taking place at both Shapeshifter Lab and Rockwood Music Hall, expands further, taking founder/curator Joel Harrison’s vision to a place where four nights of creative music focused on a single instrument will sound distinct at every turn.

Its breadth might be summarized by a bill that finds Lee Ranaldo, of Sonic Youth fame, performing an opening solo set for Adam Rudolph’s Go, a nine-member guitar orchestra. Textural contrast and compositional rigor will be present and accounted for, as will thrust — this stuff has a tendency to be explosive. Don’t miss the series of duets that kick off the program, and there’s even reason to believe that the master classes that dot the landscape might tickle non-players, too.” (Jim Macnie, VillageVoice)
7:30 p.m. / $15
Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen St.
joelharrison.com.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and 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:
‘Cubism: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection’ (through Feb. 16)
This no-strings-attached gift of 81 Cubist works more than lives up to expectations. Concentrating on the four horsemen of the Cubist apocalypse (Braque, Gris, Léger and Picasso), it outlines the style’s heady transformation of art while giving the museum a foundation in modernism commensurate with its holdings in other eras. It’s a stunning show and thrilling event. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

‘Madame Cézanne’ (through March 15)
Cézanne’s paintings of his wife, Hortense Fiquet, have long stonewalled would-be psychologists, offering few indications of intimacy or interior life. (The poet Rainer Maria Rilke, enthusing over “Madame Cézanne in a Red Armchair,” focused on the work’s color scheme and called the chair “a personality in its own right.”) But assembled at the Met, and supported by more tender and informal graphite sketches, these portraits are more forthcoming. They suggest that numbing familiarity was actually, for Cézanne, a form of intimacy; that he could connect with portrait subjects only when they were as reliable a presence in his life as Mont Sainte-Victoire. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Rosenberg)

‘Thomas Hart Benton’s “America Today” Mural Rediscovered’ (through April 19)
The prickly American Regionalist Thomas Hart Benton had his share of detractors. But even they would probably acknowledge that his early mural “America Today” is the best of its kind, a raucous, cartwheeling, wide-angle look at 1920s America that set the standard for the Works Progress Administration’s mural program and has remained a New York City treasure. Now installed at the Met in a reconstruction of its original setting (a boardroom at the New School for Social Research), it captivates with period details (from the cut of a flapper gown to the mechanics of a blast furnace) and timely signs of socioeconomic and environmental distress (exhausted coal miners and hands reaching for coffee and bread). 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Rosenberg)

Guggenheim Museum:
‘V. S. Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life’ (through Feb. 11)
“Many Western abstract painters in the early 20th century were deeply influenced by Asian art and philosophy, though no one dismissed them as Orientalists. By contrast, if Asian artists showed signs of absorbing Western models, their work was disdained as derivative. When you visit this survey of work by Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde (1924-2001), keep that paradox in mind just long enough to see how its biases operate. Then give yourself over to some of the most magnetic abstract painting of any kind in the city right now, by a South Asian Indian modernist who looked westward, eastward, homeward and inward to create an intensely personalized version of transculturalism, one that has given him mythic stature in his own country and pushed him to the top of the auction charts.” (Cotter)

Kandinsky Before Abstraction, 1901–1911 (through spring 2015)
Early in his career Vasily Kandinsky experimented with printmaking, produced brightly-colored landscapes of the German countryside, and explored recognizable and recurrent motifs. This intimate exhibition drawn from the Guggenheim collection explores the artist’s representational origins.

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (continuing):
The 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. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Additionally, though technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 70th St. and the The Morgan Library & Museum on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave. Now plan your own museum crawl. ========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/06 and 02/04.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alternative Guitar Summit, Athena Film Festival, Sundays on Broadway, T. Oliver Reid, Wayne Escoffery Quartet | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/07) + Ice Skating in NYCity

Posted on 02/07/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″ / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, FEB. 07, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

André Matos 5tet/Two Miles a Day — Jazz (7:30pm)

Chelsea ‘Best Exhibits’ Tour — Art Tour (3:45pm)

NYC Winter Wine Festival VI — Food & Drink (3-6pm) (8-11pm)

D’Angelo and the Vanguard — Pop / Rock (8 p.m.)

East Ville des Folies — Carnival + Food & Drink (2:30pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

André Matos 5tet/Two Miles a Day
“André Matos, a sensitive Portuguese guitarist, enlists some serious peers in his quintet: the saxophonist Tony Malaby, the pianist Jacob Sacks, the bassist Eivind Opsvik and the drummer Billy Mintz. They perform as part of the Sound It Out series, sharing the bill with Two Miles a Day, a collective featuring the same rhythm section, with Mat Maneri on viola.” (Chinen-NYT)

Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, West Village,
At 7:30 p.m.,
212-242-4770, greenwichhouse.org.

Chelsea ‘Best Exhibits’ Tour
“Some blocks in West Chelsea are nothing but art galleries and apartments. Prioritizing all the neighborhood has to offer can be difficult; this tour narrows your options to seven shows. Among them are unique science-fiction projections of an all-female utopian society and sculptures that were granted a patent. The tour begins at 526 West 26th Street, at 3:45 p.m., 212-946-1548, nygallerytours.com.” (NYT)

NYC WINTER WINE FESTIVAL VI
Named by Thrillist as one of the “17 Things You Have to Do This Winter in New York City.”

Every year we turn the theater into a gargantuan vineyard. Wines from all over the world, delicious food and amazing music.
ADMISSION INCLUDES:
* Wine: 3 hours of tasting over 250 wines at our sampling tables
* Food: Selection of hors d’oeuvres, antipasto, pasta, cheese, and breads.
* Live Music: Contemporary jazz performance by Grammy nominated Special EFX – LIVE on stage.
* Program Guide: A comprehensive listing of wines on every table.
Wine Glass: Sip from a lovely wine glass, designed to enhance your tasting experience — yours to keep and take home after the event!
Best Buy Theatre, 1515 Broadway @ West 44th Street in Times Square
2 Sessions: 3-6pm and 8-11pm / $89
866-811-4111

D’ANGELO and the Vanguard
“In 1991, a sixteen-year-old Virginia singer and songwriter named Michael Archer competed in Amateur Night at the Apollo with his band, Precise. The group won the competition three nights in a row, and Archer used the cash prize to purchase recording equipment. He then adopted his middle name, D’Angelo, for his début album, “Brown Sugar,” from 1995, and the rest is history. His follow-up album, “Voodoo,” came out in 2000, and after that he took an almost mythic break. Then, this past December, he released his long-awaited third record, “Black Messiah,” with only a few days’ notice. The album is of a piece with D’Angelo’s other work, incorporating layered vocals, organic-rhythm tracks, and an oblique but sharp political consciousness; it catapulted him back to the top of the critical heap.” (NewYorker)
Apollo Theatre, 253 W. 125th St.
8 p.m., $56–$226

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:
East Ville des Folies
“Classy boozehounds and carnival fans can indulge all their vices at this beer-and-whiskey festival. The merriment takes place, fittingly, at Webster Hall, the 128-year-old space that served as a speakeasy for Al Capone and his cronies during Prohibition. Bartenders will pour more than 90 whiskeys (including the Black Grouse, Highland Park and Speyburn) and beers (Smuttynose, Blue Point), while burlesque dancers, trapeze artists and circus acts dazzle tipsy revelers. While the evening is full-scale debauchery, its cause is noble: A portion of proceeds go to the Third Street Music School Settlement, to support arts instruction for low-income New York City students.” (TONY)
Webster Hall ,125 E 11th St., btw Third and Fourth Aves
2:30PM / $50
websterhall.com/eastvilledesfolies

=======================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=======================================================================

Ice Skating in NYCity (nycgo.com)
“Winter just isn’t winter without ice-skating in New York City. And though most of us can probably name two or three rinks off the top of our heads, we might be more than mildly surprised to find there are 15 venues open for public ice-skating this holiday season. The best known of the City’s rinks is without a doubt the Rink at Rockefeller Center—tracing figure eights while surrounded by the shops, restaurants and buildings of a NYC landmark provides the quintessential NYC skating experience—but plenty of other (frequently less crowded) options exist.” Here are the ice rinks you want to head to in Manhattan:

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Where: Sixth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets
When: Late October to early March
Price: Free; skate rental $15–$19
If you already own skates, this is the most affordable spot in the City—it’s the only rink that offers free admission. Bryant Park also hosts annual holiday shops, a good destination if you want to cross some gifts off your list after your turn on the ice.

Trump Rink in Central Park
Where: Central Park, mid-park between 62nd and 63rd Streets
When: Late October to first week of April
Price: Adults $11.25 (Mon.–Thurs.), $18 (Fri.–Sun.); kids 11 and under $6; seniors $5 (Mon.–Thurs.), $9 (Fri.–Sun.); skate rental $8
Few rinks can match the ambience of Central Park’s Trump Rink, especially after a fresh snowfall. If you’re there at night, be sure to look up for some prime NYC stargazing.

Rink at Rockefeller Center
Where: Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets
When: Mid-October through April
Price: Adults $27–$30, kids 10 and under $15; skate rental $12
Millions of visitors plan trips to the City every year just to catch a glimpse of skaters taking a spin on the ice below the famous Christmas tree and gilded statue of Prometheus; others will wait in long lines to experience it for themselves.
——————————————————————————————————-
Ice Rink at Riverbank State Park
Where: Henry Hudson Parkway between West 138th and West 145th Streets
When: November through March
Price: Adults $5, kids 11 and under $3; skate rental $6
Riverbank, in Hamilton Heights, is the only state park in Manhattan; it offers incredible river views across to New Jersey and gorgeous vistas of the George Washington Bridge.

Lasker Rink
Where: Central Park, northeast corner between 106th and 108th Streets
When: Late October to late March
Price: Adults $7.50, kids 12 and under $4; skate rental $6.50
Up in the northern reaches of the park, Lasker Rink is a bit less discovered than its sister skate center in the park (see “Trump Rink in Central Park” below)—and a much better deal.

See/Change Ice Rink
Where: Fulton and Front Streets, South Street Seaport
When: Late November to early March
Price: Adults $10, kids 5 and under free; skate rental $6
The seaport relaunched itself in 2013 after Superstorm Sandy with the opening of an outdoor ice rink. Bonus: November 28, opening night, coincides with a tree-lighting ceremony.

Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Where: Pier 61, West 23rd Street and Hudson River Park
When: Year-round
Price: $10; skate rental $5
Want to skate downtown…in mid-July? The enormous rink at Chelsea Piers is the place to head, though it’s a reliable stop-off any time of year.

Standard Hotel
Where: 848 Washington St., between West 12th and West 13th Streets
When: Late November until early spring (weather dependent)
Price: Adults $12, kids $6; skate rental $3
One of the hipper—and more exclusive—hotels in the City has a ground-level rink available to the public. If you can’t find the info on the main website, check standardculture.com for the latest prices and times.

nycgo.com, the website of New York City’s official marketing and tourism organization, has lots of useful NYCity info. This fine site is worth checking out when you are planning your NYCity visit, anytime of the year.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged André Matos 5tet/Two Miles a Day, Chelsea ‘Best Exhibits’ Tour, D’Angelo, East Ville des Folies, NYC Winter Wine Festival VI | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/06) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 02/06/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″ / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, FEB. 06, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Gallery Talk, Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation — SmartStuff/ Museum Talk (6:30pm)

Eddie Henderson Quintet — Jazz (7pm) (9pm) (10:30pm)

Burroughs: A Celebration of the 101st Birthday of William S. Burroughs — SmartStuff/ Literary Readings (6pm)

Buster Williams and Renee Rosnes — Jazz (9pm) (10:30pm)

Women of Letters — SmartStuff/ Literary Readings (7pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

Gallery Talk, Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation
Sandra Trenholm, Curator and Director, Gilder Lehrman Collection
All gallery talks and tours are free with museum admission; no tickets or reservations necessary. 6:30pm – one hour in length and meet at the Benefactors Wall across from the coat check area.

Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation
” a thematically and chronologically-arranged exhibition featuring the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s renowned collection of American historical documents. Focusing on Abraham Lincoln’s mastery of language and how his words changed the course of history, the exhibition includes photographic portraits and books owned and used by Lincoln.” (dnainfo.com)
Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave. at 36th St.,
10:30 am. to 9 pm. / $18, but try FREE Friday Evenings
Relax and enjoy free Friday evenings at the Morgan from 7 to 9 p.m.
Live classical music in the Gilbert Court 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Dining is available at the Morgan Café.

Eddie Henderson Quintet (through Sunday)
“The well-traveled trumpeter Eddie Henderson has a compelling new album, “Collective Portrait,” that builds on his accomplishments in the frontier era of jazz-funk. Celebrating the album’s release this weekend, he reunited its distinguished cast of Gary Bartz on saxophones, George Cables on acoustic and Fender Rhodes pianos and Doug Weiss on bass. (Billy Drummond will be the drummer, replacing Carl Allen.)” (Chinen-NYT)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street,
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.,
212-864-6662, smokejazz.com.

Burroughs: A Celebration of the 101st Birthday of William S. Burroughs
Three Rooms Press presents a 101 Year celebration of Beat icon and postmodern trailblazer William S. Burroughs. The event will be highlighted by tribute readings and discussions by Burroughs associates and fans including internationally acclaimed poet Anne Waldman; performance artist and playwright Penny Arcade; jazz poet and collagist Steve Dalachinsky; publisher, blogger and Burroughs historian Jan Herman; and poet Aimee Herman. Also on tap will be an audience group reading of an excerpt from Burroughs’ iconic masterpiece Naked Lunch. Three Rooms Press co-director Peter Carlaftes hosts.
Cornelia St. Cafe, 29 Cornelia St.
6PM / $12 admission includes a drink.

Buster Williams and Renee Rosnes (through Sunday)
“Mr. Williams is a bassist of granite purpose and soulful execution, and he has a longtime bond with Ms. Rosnes, an articulate pianist. They perform as a duo, in a room designed for that format.” (Chinen-NYT)
Mezzrow, 163 West 10th Street, near Seventh Avenue,
At 9 and 10:30 p.m.,
646-476-4346, mezzrow.com.

Women of Letters
“The Australian-made literary salon returns, this time focused on the topic of ‘a letter to the thing that has vanished,’ with guests like actress and ’80s icon Molly Ringwald, award-winning adult film star and director Stoya and comedian Sabrina Jalees.” (TONY)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., Greenwich Village
7PM / $20
212-539-8778

====================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and 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 see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘The Paris of Toulouse-Lautrec: Prints and Posters’ (through March 22) In his printed works, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec chronicled and publicized the music halls, theaters, circuses, operas and cafes of Paris with terrific verve, sly wit and surprising subtlety. This enthralling show presents approximately 100 examples drawn from the museum’s permanent collection. 212-708-9400, moma.org. (Johnson)

‘Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs’ (through Feb. 10) A popular image of the elderly Matisse is of a serene, bespectacled pasha propped up in bed and surrounded by doves and flowers. But in the years around 1940, he must have felt he was living a nightmare. He and his wife of more than four decades separated. He underwent debilitating surgery for cancer. During World War II, he fled south to Nice, only to have that city threatened with bombardment. Through everything, he worked on. It is this Matisse — the invalid, insomniac, night-worker and waking dreamer — we meet in the marvelous, victory-lap show that has arrived in New York from London, trailing light, praise and lines around the block. 212-708-9400, moma.org; admission is by timed tickets. (Cotter)

‘Sturtevant: Double Trouble’ (through Feb. 22) Among the first things you see in MoMA’s taut, feisty retrospective of the American artist Elaine Sturtevant is work by far better known figures: Joseph Beuys, Jasper Johns, Marcel Duchamp. In each case, however, the pieces are by Ms. Sturtevant herself, who spent much of a long career adopting and adapting the art and styles of others to create a body of work entirely her own, one which raises questions about the value of art, about the hows and whys of producing it, and about the degrees to which quasi-replication can be an exercise in flattery, parody, objectivity, originality and love. 212-708-9400, moma.org. (Cotter)

‘The Forever Now: Contemporary Painting in an Atemporal World’(through April 5) Despite being predictable and market-oriented in its choice of 17 artists, this museum’s first painting survey in decades is well worth seeing. About half the artists are exceptional and the rest are represented by their best work. Based on the premise that all historical painting styles are equally available today, the exhibition has been smartly installed to juxtapose different approaches: figurative and abstract, digital and handmade, spare and opulent. 212-708-9400, moma.org. (Smith)

New-York Historical Society:
‘Freedom Journey 1965: Photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March by Stephen Somerstein’ (through April 19) Almost 50 years ago, the picture editor of a campus newspaper at City College of New York assigned himself a breaking story: coverage of 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)

Annie Leibovitz: ‘Pilgrimage’ (through Feb. 22) No living celebrities are portrayed in “Pilgrimage,” but lots of celebrated figures from the past are indirectly represented, from Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson to Eleanor Roosevelt and Robert Smithson. In the spring of 2009, Ms. Leibovitz set out on a two-year journey that took her to about two dozen historic sites in the United States and Britain. Most of these were house museums dedicated to famous individuals, where she photographed the rooms they inhabited and objects they owned and used. Though often poetically atmospheric, these pictures are disappointingly less lively than her portraits of famous entertainers. 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org. (Johnson)

Rubin Museum of Art:
‘The All-Knowing Buddha: A Secret Guide’ (through April 13) This show presents 54 paintings that illustrate step-by-step instructions for followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Delicately painted on 10-by-10-inch paper sheets, most of the pages depict a monk having fabulous visions in a verdant landscape. Thought to have been commissioned by a Mongolian patron and executed by unidentified artists in a Chinese workshop sometime in the 18th century, it is a fascinating and remarkably thorough manual for seekers of higher consciousness. 150 West 17th Street, Chelsea, 212-620-5000,rubinmuseum.org. (Johnson)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/04 and 02/02.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ‘Women of Letters’, “Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation, Buster Williams and Renee Rosnes, Eddie Henderson Quintet, Gallery Talk | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/05) + Today’sFeaturedNeighborhood: Upper WestSide

Posted on 02/05/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1 / Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, FEB. 05, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Music for Words: Bob Dylan — SmartStuff/ Book Talk (6:15pm)

Athena Film Festival — Film (various times)

Business of Baseball with Andrew Zimbalist — SmartStuff/ Book Talk (7pm)

Composer Portraits: Missy Mazzoli — Classical Music (8pm)

Close Conversation: Painters and Curators — SmartStuff/ Art Talk (6:30pm)

A Gilded Age Salon: Music from Paris and New York — Classical Music (6:30pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

Music for Words: Bob Dylan
Christopher Ricks, William M. and Sara B. Warren Professor of the Humanities at Boston University, and Sean Wilentz, George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University, will discuss “The Lyrics: Since 1962″, the recently published comprehensive collected lyrics of Bob Dylan. Ricks collaborated with Dylan to complete the publication of the massive 960 page tome.

In the words of Ricks: “For fifty years, all the world has delighted in Bob Dylan’s books of words and more than words: provocative, mysterious, touching, baffling, not-to-be-pinned-down, intriguing, and a reminder that genius is free to do as it chooses. And, again and again, these are not the words that he sings on the initially released albums.”
Barnard College, The Heyman Center for Humanities, Second Floor Common Room
6:15pm / FREE

Athena Film Festival (through Feb. 8)
“Here’s an event that screams that girls truly do “Run the World,” with media to back it up. The Barnard College fest, which focuses on strong women both behind and in front of the camera, features critically acclaimed films (Dear White People, Obvious Child), a ceremony celebrating Jodie Foster’s career, and shorts and talks with filmmakers and professors including a sit-down with dancer-choreographer Twyla Tharp covering the concept of moving images in technology.” (TONY)`
Various locations and times on the Barnard College campus,
3009 Broadway, at 117th Street, Morningside Heights,
212-854-1264 / athenafilmfestival.com for details.

“Circus Maximus” and the Business of Baseball with Andrew Zimbalist
Leading off our first author event of 2015, the country’s preeminent sports economist returns to the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse.

“Andrew Zimbalist is a perpetual source of insight on the economics and administration of modern sports.” -Bob Costas

For his third appearance in the Clubhouse — and on the date of its release — we celebrate the newest book by noted sports economist Andrew Zimbalist. Athletes compete for national honor in Olympic and World Cup games. But the road to these mega events is paved by big business. How did both the Olympics and the World Cup evolve from noble sporting events to exhibits of excess? Andrew Zimbalist traces the path.

Of course, this being the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, we will also discuss the economic issues of the day in Major League Baseball.

Andrew Zimbalist is the country’s preeminent sports economist, a frequent sports industry consultant and media commentator, professor at Smith College, and author of many books, including “The Sabermetric Revolution,” “Baseball and Billions,” “Circling the Bases,” and “In the Best Interests of Baseball.” (ThoughtGallery.org)
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E. 11th St.
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm / FREE
212-226-7150

Composer Portraits: Missy Mazzoli
Versatile and dynamic, American composer Missy Mazzoli has been called “Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out New York). Her work includes commissions from Carnegie Hall, the Kronos Quartet, the LA Phil, and the Whitney Museum of Art. This Portrait highlights Mazzoli’s diverse works for strings, from solo pieces for cello and violin to works such as Harp and Altar, a love song to the Brooklyn Bridge that fuses string quartet with pre-recorded electronics and the poetry of Hart Crane.
Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway @ 116th St.
8pm / $20-$30
212-854-7799

Close Conversation: Painters and Curators
Join us for a series of one-on-one conversations between curators and painters in front of their paintings on view in the exhibition The Forever Now: Contemporary Painting in an Atemporal World. All conversations take place in The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art Exhibition Gallery, sixth floor, unless otherwise noted. Seating is extremely limited – ticket purchase limited to two per person.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 West 53 St. (btw Fifth and Sixth ave)
6:30pm / $15
(212) 708-9400

A Gilded Age Salon: Music from Paris and New York
Step back into New York high society circa 1900 for an elegant and intimate musical evening. The Sylvan Winds, a chamber ensemble hailed by the New York Times for their “venturesome programming and stylishness of performance,” will play a program of French and American music from the Gilded Age, including works by Debussy, Faure, MacDowell, Still, and Lefebvre. Before the concert, guests are invited to join Donald Albrecht, the Museum’s Curator of Architecture and Design, for a tour of the newly-refurbished (with additional decorative objects, accessories and costumes) exhibition, Gilded New York.
6:30-7:00pm: Tour by Donald Albrecht of Gilded New York
7:00-8:00pm: Concert by Sylvan Winds
8:00-8:30pm: Reception
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
6:30pm / $25
212-534-1672

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Gilded Age Salon: Music from Paris and New York, Athena Film Festival, Barnard College, Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, Business of Baseball with Andrew Zimbalist, Close Conversation: Painters and Curators, Composer Portraits: Missy Mazzoli, Dinosaur, Miller Theatre, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of the City of New York, Music for Words: Bob Dylan | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/04) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 02/04/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″ / Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, FEB. 04, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Wayne Escoffery Quartet — Jazz (8:30pm) (10:30pm)

David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band — Jazz (5:30pm)

Selected Shorts: Letters of Note — SmartStuff/ Readings (8pm)

Bettye LaVette — Rhythm and Blues (7:30pm)

Alternative Guitar Summit — Pop/Rock+ (7:30pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

Wayne Escoffery Quartet (through Feb. 8)
“Wayne Escoffery, a tenor saxophonist with an engaging and assertive style, brings an appealingly bullish rhythm section with him to this weeklong Village Vanguard engagement: David Kikoski on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Ralph Peterson on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., / $35
212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com.

David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art form.

Legendary record producer George Avakian describes the band in this way:
“There has never been a band quite like this one. Most groups, past and present, stick to one style. Some current groups attempt to recreate early recordings in their entirety. These guys do neither. Inspired by divergent bands of the 1920s and 30s, you’ll hear them swing a variety of styles in music by a wide range of composers, always true to the joy and heart of the music.”

Now in its 14th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement is the city’s best musical bargain! Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that features talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more!
Birdland, 315 W 44th St., (btw 8/9 ave.)
At 5:30PM / $25
birdlandjazz.com

Selected Shorts: Letters of Note
“Readings from a new book drawn from the popular blog “Letters of Note”: a repository of fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos that tell compelling stories from an array of historical time periods and walks of life. The night will feature letters from such literary figures as Eudora Welty, Kurt Vonnegut and Raymond Chandler and pop culture icons including Mick Jagger, Jack the Ripper and Queen Elizabeth.
Hosted by Matthew Love.” (BookForum)
Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St.
7:30pm

Bettye LaVette (through Feb. 7)
“She is one of the major interpreters of our time, and like her approximate British equivalent, Barb Jungr, she illustrates that the superior rock and soul songs of the contemporary era can be interpreted no less than Cole Porter or Richard Rodgers. Her current show features too many completely new numbers (most from her new album “Worthy”), and could also benefit from a greater diversity of moods and tempos (her opener, Dylan’s “Unbelievable,” is the most cheerful song in the set). Still, what’s here is powerful and moving: “Nights in White Satin” is now a lacerating saloon song and even Paul McCartney ’s “Wait” becomes a harrowing experience.” (WSJ)
Café Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St.,
7:30pm / $85
(212) 744-1600

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Alternative Guitar Summit
w/ Anders Nilsson & Aaron Dugan; Marco Capelli & James Ilgenfritz; Ava Mendoza

Its breadth might be summarized by a bill that finds Lee Ranaldo, of Sonic Youth fame, performing an opening solo set for Adam Rudolph’s Go, a nine-member guitar orchestra. Textural contrast and compositional rigor will be present and accounted for, as will thrust — this stuff has a tendency to be explosive. Don’t miss the series of duets that kick off the program, and there’s even reason to believe that the master classes that dot the landscape might tickle non-players, too.” (Jim Macnie, VillageVoice)
Wednesday–Sunday, 7:30 p.m. / $15
Feb. 4, at Shapeshifter Lab, 18 Whitwell Pl., Brooklyn,
subway: R to Union St.; walk – 2 blk S to Carroll; 2 blk W to Whitwell
Feb. 6-8, at Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen St.
joelharrison.com.

==================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
====================================================================

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 – my fave is Ovest on W 27th St., where the aperitivo is like Happy Hour on steroids.

Here are a few current exhibition that TONY recommends:

Claudia Comte, No Melon No Lemon (until March 21, 2015)
This Swiss artist installs her elegant neomodernist sculptures within equally elegant environments consisting of neomodern paintings and wallpaper patterns. Her work visually name-checks the greats—Brancusi, Noguchi, Moore, Stella, Noland—unapologetically while bringing an added dose of rich, optically buzzy formalism to the proceedings.
Gladstone Gallery, 530 W 21st St.

Katy Moran (until February 28, 2015)
This British artist has made a specialty of using modestly scaled canvases to recapture the muscular expressionism of midcentury abstraction.
Andrea Rosen Gallery,

“Vis-à-vis” (until February 28, 2015)
Oakland’s Creative Growth Art Center—which “serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities”—has become something like Yale’s MFA program for outsider artists, grooming talents whose works are art-world–ready (the most famous example being Judith Scott, currently the subject of a Brooklyn Museum retrospective). This group show mixes CGAC contributors with insider artists, putting them on an equal footing with the likes of Huma Bhabha and Willem de Kooning (!). The results are as inside-out as they are outside-in.
Andrew Edlin Gallery,

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.

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/02 and 01/31.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alternative Guitar Summit, Bettye LaVette, Birdland, Café Carlyle, David Ostwald, Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Selected Shorts: Letters of Note, Shapeshifter Lab, Symphony Space, Village Vanguard, Wayne Escoffery Quartet | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/03) + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

Posted on 02/03/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″+1 / Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, FEB. 03, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Panel Discussion: Charlie Hebdo, Zero Tolerance, and Freedom of Speech —
SmartStuff/ Conversation (6:30pm)

“The Big Quiz Thing” — SmartStuff/ Trivia (7:30pm)

John Hooper in Conversation With Alexander Stille —
SmartStuff/ Book Talk (8pm)

Rebecca Rabinow on Cubism: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection —
SmartStuff/ Art Talk (6:30pm)

All About Comics with Scott McCloud — SmartStuff/ Book Talk (8:15pm)

Diana Ross — Pop/Rock (8pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

Panel Discussion: Charlie Hebdo, Zero Tolerance, and Freedom of Speech
“Like many around the globe, people in the arts are contemplating the complex issues of free speech after the tragic events at Charlie Hebdo. So Creative Time, MoMA PS1, and The Museum of Modern Art, in collaboration with Reuters, have joined together to create what we hope will be a timely and thoughtful conversation that dives into some of the difficult questions raised.

Journalist, author, and former editor of The Sunday Times Sir Harold Evans will moderate a discussion that includes artist Kader Attia; artist Sharon Hayes; Vice News editor-in-chief Jason Mojica; author and historian Simon Schama; commentator, satirist, and architect Karl Sharro; actor, playwright, and professor Anna Deavere Smith; and Aasif Mandvi, of The Daily Show fame. Works by Hayes and other artists such as Pussy Riot, Yoko Ono, and Halil Altindere are currently on view in the exhibition Zero Tolerance at MoMA PS1, which reflects artists’ responses to the ongoing tension between freedom and control.” (thoughtgallery.org)
Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St.
at 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm / FREE, advance registration is required. Space is limited.
212-708-9400

“The Big Quiz Thing”
“Show off your impressive stash of trivial knowledge, or your ability to come up with smart-alecky witticisms, at this live trivia game show. Hosted by quizmaster Noah Tarnow, the event includes audio and video puzzles. If you don’t know an answer, create a clever one for a potential Smart-Ass Point. The winning team receives nerdy bragging rights—and a cash jackpot! This special flashback version features some of this year’s best (and most difficult) questions.” (TONY)
SubCulture, 45 Bleecker St. (btw Bowery and Lafayette St.)
7:30 PM / $15
bigquizthing.com

John Hooper in Conversation With Alexander Stille
“Mr. Hooper, whose book “The Spaniards” provided cultural and historical context to understand what makes Spanish people tick, pulls off the same trick with his new book, “The Italians.” Mr. Hooper uses new research to build on his work as a correspondent for The Economist and The Guardian based in Rome. He will be joined at this free discussion by Alexander Stille, a contributor to The New York Times and author of “Excellent Cadavers: The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic.” (NYT)
McNally Jackson, 52 Prince Street, between Lafayette and Mulberry Streets, SoHo,
8PM / FREE
212-274-1160, mcnallyjackson.com.

Rebecca Rabinow on Cubism: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection
“Now that you’ve taken in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s masterful Cubism show (if you haven’t, hurry—it closes Feb. 16)—listen as a Met curator lectures on the style that rocked the art world a century ago.” (thoughtgallery.org)
Rebecca Rabinow, Leonard A. Lauder Curator of Modern Art, is Curator in Charge of the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, 8 W 8th St.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm / FREE, Seating may be limited
212-673-6466

Elsewhere, but these both look worth a detour:
All About Comics with Scott McCloud
Universally acclaimed by everyone from Garry Trudeau to Matt Groening as completely brilliant, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, a comic book about comics, makes the case for comics as a valid literary form (as more than pulp and kids’ stuff).

Join him for an exhilarating trip through the inner workings of comics—what they are, how they work and what they could be—and hear about his newest book, The Sculptor, a graphic novel. There will be a selling of Scott McCloud’s new book, The Sculptor, following the event.
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave.
8:15PM / $36
212-415-5500

Diana Ross
“Loew’s Kings Theatre was one of five palatial venues built and operated by the chain in the early 20th century, beginning as a 3,600-seat vaudeville theater before moving onto sound films. A landmark of the Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn, young teens like Henry Winkler and Sylvester Stallone worked as ushers at the theater, which closed in 1977. Derelict for more than 30 years, the City of New York began restoring the lobby and interior to its former grandeur. After four years of work and $95 million in renovations, on Tuesday the Kings Theatre reopens with a crowning performance by Motown legend, Diana Ross.” (WSJ)
Kings Theater, 1027 Flatbush Avenue, near Tilden Avenue, Flatbush, Brooklyn,
8pm / $100-$150 (may be a tough ticket, try stub hub, etc)
kingstheatre.com.

======================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==========================================================================

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

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

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

There is also a good selection of wines and lite meals, fairly priced, 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, NYC 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 S/left on Bleecker to Jones st, 50 yards E/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 (except for certain jazz clubs).

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

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult 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)
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 Sq 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, with expanded descriptions, maps with contact info, 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” ($3.99, available Spring 2015).
◊ Order before May 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places on Manhattan’s WestSide with free Wi-Fi.
=========================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 92nd Street Y, Caffe Vivaldi, Charlie Hebdo, Cubism: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection, Diana Ross, John Hooper, McNally Jackson, Museum of Modern Art, New York Studio School of Drawing, Rebecca Rabinow, Scott McCloud, SubCulture, The Big Quiz Thing | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/02) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 02/02/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″ / Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, FEB. 02, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Stockard Channing in conversation with Patrick Pacheco —
SmartStuff/ Conversation (6pm)

18th Annual Soul on Ice Winter Skating Party — Sporting Life (6pm)

Ryan Scott Oliver: RSO at 54 Below — Cabaret (7pm) (9:30pm)

Dance on Camera Film Festival 2015 — Dance (various times)

“Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One,” — SmartStuff/ Film (6:30pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

League of Professional Theatre Women Oral History Project:
Stockard Channing in conversation with Patrick Pacheco

Stockard Channing in conversation with Patrick Pacheco A conversation with prominent women in theatre, as part of the League’s ongoing series which chronicles and documents the contributions of significant women in theatre.
Bruno Walter Auditorium, NYPL for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, 65th St & Amsterdam Ave.
6:00PM / FREE
The Library for the Performing Arts is proud to offer free admission to programs on a first come, first served basis. Admission lines form one hour prior to each program. At that time one ticket is provided per person.
212.642.0142

18th Annual Soul on Ice Winter Skating Party
“Glide and twirl to soul music at this fund-raiser for Figure Skating in Harlem. Competitive figure skater Sharon Cohen founded the organization in 1997 to help young girls learn the ice-slicing arts and boost their confidence and leadership skills. In addition to rink time, the party will feature a live DJ, snacks, activities and a performance by FSH’s synchronized-skating team, Harlem Ice.” (TONY) Evan Lysacek, an Olympic gold medalist, will be there, as will some of the princesses from Disney on Ice.
Wollman Rink, Central Park, entrance at 59th St. and Avenue of the Americas,
6pm / $50
646-698-3440 / figureskatinginharlem.org.

Ryan Scott Oliver: RSO at 54 Below
Ryan Scott Oliver, winner of multiple musical-theater songwriting awards in recent years, showcases his offbeat material with help from Broadway up-and-comers like Lindsay Mendez, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Keala Settle, Andy Mientus, Katie Thompson, Derek Klena and Taylor Trensch.
54 Below, 254 W 54th St. (btw Broadway and Eighth Ave)
7pm & 9:30pm / $35-$85 + $25 food or drink minimum

Dance on Camera Film Festival 2015 (last day)
Now in its 43rd year, Dance on Camera honors ballet and contemporary dance personalities through documentaries and narrative films, while also demonstrating dance’s capacity to change lives and contribute to well-being. More than ever, Dance on Camera moves beyond familiar expectations to explore new genres, such as cheerleading and girls’ hand-clapping games that have an empowering effect on young women. In addition to putting the spotlight on youth, this year’s edition pays homage to crossover artists who bring a unique perspective to their art.
Filmmakers and dancers will do q+a at select screenings.
Today// 3:30 pm: “The Dance of the Sun”; 5pm: “Meet the Artist”;
6pm: “Ghost Line & Other Celluloid Antics”; 8:30pm: Robot + “Primitive”
Film Society Lincoln Center
$14 General Public / $9 Student & Senior
filmlinc.com

Elsewhere, but looks worth the short detour:
“Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One,”
“The Brooklyn Historical Society is kicking off Black History Month with a screening of William Greaves’s “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One,” a groundbreaking 1968 film, in which Greaves blended fiction and documentary to create an experimental classic. It’ll be introduced by award-winning actor Steve Buscemi and a post-screening discussion will follow with Richard Brody of The New Yorker and Shola Lynch from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.” (dnainfo.com)
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn Heights.
subway: #2/3 to Clark St (1st stop in Bklyn, after Wall St. stop)
6:30pm / Tickets are free, but you must book online.

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================

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

Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/29 and 01/31.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 54 Below, “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One, Brooklyn Historical Society, Dance on Camera Film Festival, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYPL for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Ryan Scott Oliver, Soul on Ice Winter Skating Party, Stockard Channing | Leave a comment

Selected Events(02/01) + Today’sFeaturedNeighborhood: WestVillage

Posted on 02/01/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″ / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, FEB. 01, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

T. Oliver Reid, ‘Drop Me Off in Harlem’ — Cabaret (7pm)

Bottlerocket Third Annual Whisk(e)y Fest — Food & Drink (3pm-6pm) [FREE]

Bill Charlap Trio — Jazz (7pm) (9pm) (10:30pm)

Outsider Art Fair — Art (11am-6pm)

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra — Jazz (8:30pm) (10:30pm)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

♦ “9 Notable Events-Jan.”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity Sights, Sounds and Stories visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com
======================================================

Bottlerocket Third Annual Whisk(e)y Fest
This sounds like a pretty good pregame event on SuperSunday.
“Bottlerocket is pouring free whiskey every single day in February

Need some liquid help to get through the nausea-inducing PDA-filled weeks of February? Luckily, Flatiron booze haven Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit is kickstarting their excellently-timed third annual Whisk(e)y Fest on February 1st, rolling out a month-long parade of tastings, classes and guests.

Fifty slug selections from around the world will be showcased throughout February and each day of the month will be dedicated to a featured whiskey, which you can taste for free between 5 and 8pm, except for Super Bowl Sunday, on which they’ll be hosting pours of Booker’s, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek and Old Grand Dad from 3 to 6pm before the big game.

And there’s even a special for you Pappy Van Winkle hunters—with every purchase of $100 or more, the shop will enter you into a raffle for a chance to buy a bottle of the distiller’s coveted, insanely hard-to-find 10, 15 or 20-year vintages at retail price (a $198 steal compared to the four-figure price tags they’re asking for on eBay).” (TONY)
Bottlerocket Wine and Spirit, 5 West 19th St. |
Sunday, February 1st, 2015 at 3:00PM to Saturday, February 28th, 2015 at 8:00PM
tastings generally 5-8pm, unless otherwise noted.
(212) 929-2323 / bottlerocket.com (for the daily lineup)

Bill Charlap Trio
“The pianist Bill Charlap has become a trusted docent of the American songbook through his decade-long programming role at the 92nd Street Y. But his interaction with jazz standards finds no clearer or more illuminating results than in this spruce trio, with Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington (no relation) on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St.
This room suits the Charlap trio just perfectly.
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m. / $40
212-864-6662 / smokejazz.com

Outsider Art Fair
Vogue calls New York’s Outsider Art Fair, “the Most Refreshing Show in Town”
“Now in its twenty-third year, the Outsider Art Fair was long ago adopted by art world insiders. …the fair focuses on work by self-taught and folk artists. The pieces themselves …feel entirely fresh, giving more than enough reason to head to West Twenty-second Street this weekend and scale the vertiginous staircase at Center 548.

Open through Sunday, the fair features an embarrassment of mostly unknown riches. There is the extraordinary Opera Girl by Morris Hirshfield, which radiates like a twentieth-century Giotto at the booth of Galerie St. Etienne. The Creative Growth Art Center brought one of their few Judith Scott cocoons not currently on view at the artist’s Brooklyn Museum retrospective. There are original Vivian Maier photographs (as opposed to the disputed reprints), oil paintings coated in surfboard resin by New Zealander Rob Tucker, and the much-hyped stonework by Jerry the Marble Faun (better known as the gardener in Grey Gardens).” (Vogue – Mark Guiducci)
Center 548, 548 West 22nd St.
11am-6pm / $20
1 212 337 3338 / outsiderartfair.com

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (through Monday)
“Typically this big band holds court only on Monday nights, but this week it has been celebrating its 49th anniversary, drawing from a repertory fortified by some of the smartest composer-arrangers ever to ply the form. (Case in point: Its current album, “OverTime: The Music of Bob Brookmeyer,” which is nominated for a Grammy Award.) The long run is welcome, because it presents the musicians with a chance to really settle in — and also for the simple reason that hearing this band, in this room, is one of the irreducible New York pleasures.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $30
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

=============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and 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.

In 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 Bill Charlap Trio, Bottlerocket Third Annual Whisk(e)y Fest, Corner Bistro, Metropolitan Room, Outsider Art Fair, Smoke Jazz Club, T. Oliver Reid, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/31) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 01/31/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 2015.
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Monk in Motion – Marquis Hill — Jazz (7:30pm)

Reich and Sondheim: In Conversation and Performance —
Musical Theater (8:30pm)

The Pink Room:
David Lynch Burlesque’s 4th Annual Miss Twin Peaks Pageant —
Burlesque (11:30pm)

“Video Games Live” — Classical Music (8pm)

USQ 2015 Martini Bowl — Food & Drink (2-5pm) [FREE]

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

Monk in Motion – Marquis Hill
Trumpeter and composer Marquis Hill won First Place in the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. Marquis, a Chicago native, received his Bachelor or Arts degree from Northern Illinois University and Master of Music degree from DePaul University. Marquis currently resides in New York City and has four albums to his credit: New Gospel, Sounds of the City, The Poet and Modern Flows vol. 1.Marquis will be performing with Christopher McBride (alto sax), Justin Thomas (vibraphone), Joshua Ramos (bass) and Makaya Mccraven (drums). Monk-in-Motion: The Next Face of Jazz presents the top three winners of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.
Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St
7:30pm / $25
212-220-1459

Reich and Sondheim: In Conversation and Performance
Featuring Paul Gemignani, George Lee Andrews, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cerveris, Anthony de Mare, Ensemble Signal, Alexander Gemignani, and Derek Johnson

Stephen Sondheim first expressed his admiration for Steve Reich in a 1979 interview with Frank Rich. For the first time, the two luminaries and mutual admirers appear together on stage for a conversation moderated by WNYC’s John Schaefer and a performance of several of their milestone works.
The Appel Room, Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th Street
at 8:30 / Limited Availability
Call CenterCharge at 212.721.6500 (10:00 am–9:00 pm) for details.

The Pink Room:
David Lynch Burlesque’s 4th Annual Miss Twin Peaks Pageant
A late night guilty pleasure.
“It’s a sexy burlesque (metaphorical) battle to the death in tribute to David Lynch, featuring The Pink Room’s Francine.

The Pink Room’s Francine “The Lucid Dream” is back to pay tribute to the oeuvre of David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive and Wild at Heart will figure heavily) through a burlesque battle to the death—metaphorically speaking, of course, even if one of the participants ends up playing the role of Laura Palmer. Schäffer the Darklord hosts, and Amelia Bareparts, Boo Boo Darlin’, Gemini Rising, Foxy Vermouth, Minx Arcana, Montana, Satanica, Matt Knife and Francine herself are among the performers.” (TONY)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. (btw Astor Pl and E 4th St.)
11:30 / $18
publictheater.org

“Video Games Live”
Perhaps the easiest way to get kids to the symphony, this event is a full-blown spectacle of video-game music performed by an orchestra and accompanied by lights, lasers, synchronized video screens, choirs, and costumed performers. The first “Video Games Live” was presented in 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A. Philharmonic, and the series has been touring non-stop worldwide ever since.

The shows stay fresh with an ever-changing lineup of pieces from new games and arcade classics, many of which are being performed live for the first time. Conducted by the video-game composer Emmanuel Fratianni, the performance at the Beacon Theatre features the world première of “Donkey Kong Country,” and includes a segment celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the “Legend of Zelda.” (NewYorker)
Beacon Theater, Broadway at 74th St.
8pm / $50-$100
212-465-6500 /beacontheatre.com

USQ 2015 Martini Bowl
Union Square Wines + Spirits 2015 Martini Bowl kicks off Superbowl weekend in spirited style! Join USQ and top vodka and gin producers for an afternoon of dry, extra-dry, perfect, and totally twisted martinis as we pay homage to the most watched sports event of the year! Every year we challenge our favorite producers to go head to head with each other to see who provides YOU our favorite NYers, the best Martini. Like the actually superbowl, our event has evolved each year. And this year is no different.We again have a group worthy of the challenge. Join us as the returning champ BULLDOG GIN tries to fight off an army of producers.

Weekend Warriors this year wil be:
Double Cross Vodka
Caledonia Spirits
Brooklyn Gin
Singani 63
New York Distilling Company
Averell Damson Gin
Hayman’s Old Tom Gi
See if we will have a new champion this year!
Cast your vote for the new Martini Bowl Champion by purchasing your favorite bottle!
Win or lose, it’s sure to be a spirited time!
Union Square Wines + Spirits, 140Fourth Ave.
2:00pm – 5:00pm / Admission to this tasting is FREE

==============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/21 and 01/29.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "Video Games Live", Beacon Theater, Black History Month, Brooklyn Museum, Joe's Pub, Marquis Hill, Miss Twin Peaks Pageant, Stephen Sondheim, Steve Reich, The Appel Room, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, USQ 2015 Martini Bowl | Leave a comment

Selected Events (01/30) + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Midtown West

Posted on 01/30/2015 by GregD

Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, JAN. 30, 2015.
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

Winter Carnival — Special Event/ Sporting Life (12pm-10pm) [FREE]

Jazz and Colors at the Met — Museum (6pm) (7:30pm) [pay what you wish]

Dance on Camera Film Festival 2015 — Film (various times)

Bernstein’s “Romeo and Juliet” — Classical Music (8:30pm)

Frick Collection: Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery —
Museum (6-9pm) [FREE]

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

Winter Carnival (also Sat. Jan. 31)
A Frosty Celebration!
Bundle up and come on out for the 1st annual Winter Carnival at Bank of America Winter Village! Embrace the frosty weather and join us for a celebration of the winter season. This jam-packed weekend will get you out into the elements, try some wintery spins on park favorites, as well as exciting events making their Winter Village debut.

Here’s what I am looking for:
Curling Lessons / 2:00pm – 3:30pm | East End of Rink
Sweep sweep sweep! We’ll have professional instructors and equipment on hand to teach you how to play this classic oddball winter sport. Line will form on eastern edge of ice rink. Skates not permitted – shoes only. Do not go through the Skating Pavilion to access this activity. Open Skating will be available on the rest of the Rink as usual.

Also Featuring:
Outdoor Winter Brew House
Comfort Food by Local Chefs
Summer Themed Skate Night
Ice Golf, Curling and Hockey on the Rink
Frozen Fingers Ping Pong
Games and Giveaways
Bryant Park
12:00PM – 10:00PM / FREE
Plus Bryant Park’s Winter Village skating rink features free admission (skate rentals are $15). Skating hours are 8 a.m to 10 p.m.

Jazz and Colors at the Met: The Masterworks Edition
Fifteen ensembles. Fifteen galleries. One setlist.
Lose yourself at the Met and find dazzling masterpieces of art and jazz.

SET ONE: Edgar Sampson Stompin’ at the Savoy; Cole Porter Night & Day; Billy Strayhorn Take the A Train; Johnny Green Body & Soul; Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser; Charles Mingus Good Bye Porkpie Hat

SET TWO: Sonny Rollins St. Thomas; Miles Davis All Blues; Lee Morgan The Sidewinder; Ornette Coleman Lonely Woman; Alice Coltrane Blue Nile; Max Roach Freedom Day
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.
6pm and 7:30pm / Suggested Admission $25
212-535-7710

Dance on Camera Film Festival 2015 (through Feb. 3)
Now in its 43rd year, Dance on Camera honors ballet and contemporary dance personalities through documentaries and narrative films, while also demonstrating dance’s capacity to change lives and contribute to well-being. More than ever, Dance on Camera moves beyond familiar expectations to explore new genres, such as cheerleading and girls’ hand-clapping games that have an empowering effect on young women. In addition to putting the spotlight on youth, this year’s edition pays homage to crossover artists who bring a unique perspective to their art.
Filmmakers and dancers will do q+a at select screenings.
Film Society Lincoln Center
$14 General Public / $9 Student & Senior
filmlinc.com

Bernstein’s “Romeo and Juliet”
January’s concert series showcases several exciting collaborations. Erich Schoen-René performs the Caprice for Cello and Orchestra by TCS co-founder Yaniv Segal, and the orchestra teams up with TCS Resident Composer Aaron Dai for Overture alla Marcia, a festive instrumental world premiere.Emanouil Manolov performs the solo in Sibelius’s dramatic Violin Concerto.

Here’s the highlight – selections from West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein’s beloved reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet, complete the program. That’s what I’m looking forward to.
Conductors: Reuben Blundell, Julie Desbordes, Matthew Aubin
St. Paul’s Church, 315 West 22nd Street (between 8th + 9th Avenues),
8:30pm / $20

Frick Collection: Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery
Enjoy a night of free programs and a special after-hours viewing of Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery (Friday 6-9PM). The evening will include gallery talks, sketching, and live music inspired by the exhibition. Visitors will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations are not accepted.

‘Masterpieces From the Scottish National Gallery’ (through Feb. 1)
“As it did last year with masterworks from the Mauritshuis, the Frick has welcomed 10 paintings from the Scottish National Gallery, in Edinburgh, home to a renowned collection of fine art from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. It’s a quieter sort of exhibition, exemplified by the under-the-radar entrance of Sargent’s “Lady Agnew of Lochnaw.” It’s also a rangier show, one that isn’t as identifiably Scottish as the Mauritshuis works were Dutch — even considering the commanding Sir Henry Raeburn portrait of a kilted Macdonell clan chief.” (Karen Rosenberg)

===============================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had 54 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bernstein's "Romeo and Juliet", Dance on Camera Film Festival 2015, Frick Collection, Jazz and Colors at the Met, Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery, Winter Carnival | Leave a comment

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

Selected Events (02/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/06 and 02/04.

Selected Events (02/07) + Ice Skating in NYCity

Selected Events (02/06) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Selected Events (02/05) + Today’sFeaturedNeighborhood: Upper WestSide

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

Selected Events (02/04) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Selected Events (02/03) + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

3 Good Eating places

================================================================================
“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

Selected Events (02/02) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/29 and 01/31.

Selected Events(02/01) + Today’sFeaturedNeighborhood: WestVillage

Corner Bistro/ 331 W. 4th St.

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

Selected Events (01/31) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Selected Events (01/30) + Today’s Featured Neighborhood: Midtown West

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

Recent Posts

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

Recent Posts

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/06 and 02/04.

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

3 Good Eating places

================================================================================ “3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 01/29 and 01/31.

Corner Bistro/ 331 W. 4th St.

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

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

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

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

Recent Posts

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

Recent Posts

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

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” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

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

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