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

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, MAR. 04, 2014.

Carnival Caravan: From Recife to New Orleans With Nation Beat
@ Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola
Broadway at 60th Street, (212) 258-9595
@The Salon: Mardi Gras / The Players
16 Gramercy Park South, (212) 475-6116

For too many years the No. 1 party night in New Orleans was ignored up North, but now there are two complementary blowouts on Fat Tuesday. At Dizzy’s, Nation Beat, led by percussionist Scott Kettner, will split the difference between Carnival in Rio and a South Rampart Street Parade, as well as the difference between marching and dancing.

At the Players, no fewer than four different bands are “second lining” it up: Gordon Au’s Grand St. Stompers, Professor Cunningham and his Old School, Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess, and the sensational Hot Sardines as a climax.
both on Tuesday

Discussions at the Graduate Center (also Wednesday)
André Aciman, whose novel “Harvard Square” was released last year, and Colum McCann, whose “TransAtlantic” was also released last year, will take part in a conversation with Bill Kelly, interim Chancellor of the City University of New York.

On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Nancy Foner will lead a discussion about immigrant life in New York City. She is the editor of “One Out of Three: Immigrant New York in the Twenty-First Century,” an anthology released last year by Columbia University Press. Some of the book’s contributors will also take part.
CUNY Graduate Center 365 Fifth Avenue, at 34th St.,
212-817-8215 / tinyurl.com/kbbzkry
at 6:30 p.m. / free – online registration

Paul Simon and Sting: On Stage Together (also Thursday)
Though these rock legends joked in The New York Times about calling their unlikely North American tour “The Sound of Every Breath,” they embraced a subtle title after all and the simplicity suits them.

Their duet of the Simon and Garfunkel classic “The Boxer” and Sting’s “Fields of Gold” were highlights of last year’s Robin Hood Foundation benefit in New York. This time they will head to Madison Square Garden where they will perform their own songs alone and as duets. Here’s hoping Mr. Simon’s hips don’t lie during “Roxanne.” (NYT-Anderson)
Madison Square Garden
At 8 p.m./ $50 to $255
866-858-0008, thegarden.com

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL: NOW 60 (through Mar 8)
The Newport Jazz Festival, the brilliant brainchild of the promoter George Wein, has had many all-star bands assembled in its name over the years. The Now 60 ensemble is a multigenerational configuration whose oldest member, the trumpeter Randy Brecker, might have been attending the festival decades before the youngest member, the saxophonist and clarinet player Anat Cohen, was even born. Other featured players include the vocalist Karrin Allyson, the pianist Peter Martin, and the guitarist Mark Whitfield.
Jazz Standard.
may not be WestSide, but it is Anat Cohen – she is always worth the trip.

BILLY HART QUARTET (through Mar 8)
This sparkling foursome, bringing together the veteran drummer and three younger players (the pianist Ethan Iverson, of the Bad Plus; the bassist Ben Street; and the accomplished saxophonist Mark Turner), celebrates the release of a new album, “One Is the Other,” which shows that the group is achieving its potential. The band’s original compositions are intriguing, and their take on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening” is a thing of true beauty.
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com;
At 8:30 and 11 p.m./$40 cover, with a $10 minimum.

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

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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 to Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in an 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 door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of all 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 Mississippi 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. 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 humongous 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 Hwy, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: M-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 10:00pm
Subway: #1 to 125th st
Walk 2 blk W on 125th to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Today’s “Fab 4”/ Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, MAR. 03, 2014.

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
A popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland every Monday night. For the past nine years, it’s been the spot to mix and mingle with Manhattan show folk and their fans.

The buoyant, sharp and charming Broadway impresario Jim Caruso hosts a combination open-mic, networking event and party, where some nights you may hear the biggest stars on Broadway relax on their night off by performing their favorite songs in an informal setting. Always fun.
Birdland – 315 West 44th St (btw 8th/9th ave)
9:30 pm / $20 (includes a drink if you sit at the bar, which are not bad seats)
(212) 581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com

Branford Marsalis
“New York club dates have become a rarity for Mr. Marsalis, the unfalteringly self-assured tenor and soprano saxophonist, who will attack this weekender with the help of his hard-nosed working quartet, featuring Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass and Justin Faulkner on drums. That’s the plan for the weekend; on Monday, Mr. Marsalis will preside over a guest-laden benefit for the family of Dwayne Burno, a stalwart and well-loved bassist who died in late December, at only 43.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com;
At 8:30 pm/ $50 for Monday’s benefit.

Brazil Festival: Companhia Urbana de Dança
“Sonia Destri’s choreography, spare and cerebral, uses Brazilian hip-hop and other urban dance forms as its starting point, without reducing them to caricature. The seven young male dancers move with a raw grace; several come from the crime-ridden favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The pared-down, well-paced solos and ensemble sections that make up “ID:Identidades,” from 2010, are notable as much for their rigor as for their energy and power.” (NewYorker mag)
Joyce Theatre

Rhett Miller
The Dallas band the Old 97’s, alternative-country torchbearers since the early ’90s, have long catered to outlaw-rock fans. The band’s spirited lead singer, Rhett Miller, will be hard-pressed not to offer a track or two from “Too Far to Care,” their righteous debut album, during this return to City Winery. With Anthony D’Amato.” (Anderson-NYT)
City Winery, 155 Varick St., near Spring St.
At 8 p.m., $22 to $28.
212-608-0555, citywinery.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change. ===========================================================================================

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.

WHAT’S ON VIEW:

Richard Serra, “New Sculpture” (through March 15)
“In this show, Richard Serra continues along the road that emerged from the hugely successful “Torqued Ellipses” of the 1990s, but also circles back to his earlier oeuvre. Here you have the Serra of the ’60s and ’70s, revised and updated: heavy rectilinear plates and cubes fabricated in steel rather than lead, his signature material in the ’60s.” (Schwendener-NYT) 
Gagosian Gallery, 555 West 24th Street,
 Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / 212-741-1111, gagosian.com

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (03/01) and (02/27).

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, MAR. 02, 2014.

Unfortunately, there has been a major server fail. Selected Events must be suspended for 48 hours until we get this sorted out.

Thanks for your understanding.

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide check out:
♦ “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦  For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi  /  32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/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. I should note that 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

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

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

It’s not difficult 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. $8 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.

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

That covers a wide range of food – pizza,  burgers,  food trucks/carts,  vegetarian/falafel,  ramen,  chopped salad & salad bars,  hot dogs,  bbq,  soup & sandwiches,  picnic fixins’,  raw bars &  lobster rolls. No reservations needed. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods (plus 27 casual dining places with free Wi-Fi) order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99).
(available Spring 2014)

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, MAR. 01, 2014.

Unfortunately, there has been a major server fail. Selected Events must be suspended for 48 hours until we get this sorted out.

Thanks for your understanding.

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide check out:
♦ “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦  For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.

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What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa, The Venini Co., 1932–1947” (last 2 days)
‘Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China’ (through April 6)
‘The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925’ (ends April 13)
‘Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris’ (through May 4)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’(through Sept. 7)
‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org
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‘Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes From the Hill Collection’ (through June 15)
“This sensational, beautifully presented show of 33 late-15th- to early-18th-century bronzes reflects a taste for historically important, big-statement examples in exceptional condition. They vividly reflect the Renaissance’s new interest in antiquity and the human form while encouraging concentration on emotional expression, refined details (great hair!), struggling or relaxed figures and varied patinas. Works by the reigning geniuses Giambologna, Susini and the lesser-known Piamontini dominate, further enlivened by a handful of old master and late-20th-century paintings from the Hill collection.”
(Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St.
212-288-0700, frick.org.
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‘Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video’ (through May 14)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

========================================================== 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: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 02/27 and 02/25.

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, FEB. 28, 2014.

Mimulus Companhia de Dança (also Sat)
“In June, the world’s eyes will turn to Brazil and the athletic prowess on display there at the World Cup. Starting this week, a bit of Brazilian bravura comes to New York with the Joyce Theater’s three-week festival of contemporary Brazilian dance. The first of four participating troupes is Mimulus Companhia de Dança. It will perform “Dolores,” inspired by the music and themes of the films by the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, known for his outrageous, melodramatic and uniquely poignant style.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea,
at 8 p.m. /$10 to $49
212-242-0800, joyce.org

“LET’S ZYDECO!”
“Leroy Thomas, born in Lake Charles and raised in Elton, Louisiana, began his musical journey by taking up the drums, like his father, Leo. But the lure of the accordion was too strong, and now he leads his own group, the Zydeco Roadrunners, flashing a distinctive squeezebox with an American-flag design. They’re in town Feb. 28. C. J. Chenier takes over on March 2.” (NewYorker mag)
Connolly’s, 121 W. 45th St.
letszydeco.com.

Band of Horses
“Seattle’s rousing, blues- and country-tinged band of furry-faced men plays Town Hall behind its latest disc, Acoustic at the Ryman. Not surprisingly, the quintet will be pulling the plug for this set, performing acoustic versions of its dreamy, roots-rocking hits from the past decade.” (TONY mag)
The Town Hall, 123 W 43rd St. btw Sixth Ave and Broadway
at 8pm / $40
212-840-2824 / thetownhall.org

“THE JOHNNY CASH 82ND BIRTHDAY BASH”
“For the tenth consecutive year, the New York country singer Alex Battles is throwing Cash a birthday party. Since the crossover legend died, in 2003, Battles has found several ways to tip his hat. He’s organized tribute shows and started the CasHank Hootenanny Jamboree, dedicated to Cash, Hank Williams, and country music before 1970.

In 2005, at a small bar in Red Hook, he began hosting the birthday parties, and on Feb. 28 and March 1 at the Bell House, the Man in Black will be celebrated by the Whisky Rebellion, Battles’s band, which morphs into Cash’s band when Battles morphs into Johnny himself to deliver those deeply sung tales of outlaws and sorrow. Expect country-music d.j.s, a “mixtape” of Johnny Cash movie clips, and a different set of Cash songs on each of the two nights.” (NewYorker mag)
Bell House, 149 7th St., Brooklyn.
This is way not Manhattan’s WestSide, but to honor the Man in Black, a necessary trip.
718-643-6510

The Stepfathers
Seven of the theater’s best players (including TONY resident hack Silvija Ozols) create smart, patient improv in this flagship show.
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W 26th St
btw Eighth and Ninth Aves
at 9PM/ $10
212-366-9176 / ucbtheatre.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

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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; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).

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

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

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 2014.

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26, 2014

La La Brooks
“You may or may not know the name, but you have most definitely heard La La Brooks sing—in fact, you may have shed tears to her voice. The Brooklyn-born artist was a member of Phil Spector’s Crystals when, at 15 (!), she sang lead on “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me.” She brings her soulful, surging croon to the stage behind last year’s All or Nothing.” (TONY mag)
The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St, btw Madison Ave and Park Ave South
8:00pm / $30, plus $20 minimum
212-691-1900

ROY HAYNES AND RON CARTER
“It’s always a pleasure to witness the eighty-eight-year-old drummer Haynes defy time with his propulsive, wholly idiosyncratic approach to his instrument. Carter, the dean of mainstream bass and a rhythm mate worthy of Haynes’s legendary status, joins his Fountain of Youth band here.

Haynes, the last of the great bebop-era drummers still playing, has backed major figures from Louis Armstrong and Lester Young to John Coltrane and Pat Metheny; the ubiquitous Carter has experience with practically everyone Haynes might have missed. And the two have crossed paths before, as in their classic hookups with Eric Dolphy in the early sixties.” (NewYorker)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./ $45 at tables, $30 at the bar, with a $5 minimum.
212-475-8592, bluenote.net

Carolyn Leonhart
Carolyn Leonhart, a vocalist of incredible talent and artistic dexterity, is as comfortable in the world of R&B, rock and pop as she is with jazz. In addition to her considerable jazz credits, Carolyn is well known for her long association with Steely Dan. Her parents are bassist Jay Leonhart and vocalist Donna Leonhart and she’s been performing for most of her life. She’s also married to tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and she’s planned an informal birthday party for him for this engagement so expect a good time and lots of surprise guests.
Smoke Jazz Club and Lounge, 2751 Broadway, btw 105th and 106th Sts
at 7, 9pm free (optional prix-fixe dinner); 10:30pm $20 minimum
212-864-6662 / smokejazz.com

No Name Turns 20
Eric Vetter brings this local variety staple to a big venue to celebrate 20 years of shows, welcoming Wyatt Cenac, Ophira Eisenberg, Christian Finnegan, Liam McEneaney, Leighann Lord and Michele Carlo. The Summer Replacements provide music.
United Palace Theatre, 4140 Broadway, at 175th St
7:30pm / $25
212-568-5260 / unitedpalacearts.org
subway:#1 to 59^th St; transfer to A to 175th St

Celebrate Craft Beer Week 
Now that the Olympics are over it’s time to turn our attention to Craft Beer Week in NYC. Opening night was Friday, Feb. 21, and the closing bash will be on Sunday, Mar. 2 at Houston Hall in the West Village. In between there are many special beer related events taking place around town. Each day I will try to ID a few of the best (gadzooks, some events may not even be on the WestSide).

*The first two below are among my faves on Manhattan’s WestSide:
*Blind Tiger Ale House
1pm – Tasting Trio featuring Three Little Birds – Our 3rd Food+Beer Tasting Trio, showcasing a dish done 3 different ways, and pairing each with a special keg

*Dinosaur Barbque Harlem
3 course Pre fixe menu with beer pairings & a surprise beer line takeover with an adult dessert float

Eataly NY
3:30pm-5:30pm – Dogfish Head Beer Tasting w/ Brewmaster Tim Hawn – in the retail beer section

The Guilty Goose
BombChester – Captain Lawrence & Gun Hill Road

The Strand (Rare Books Room)
6:30-8:00pm – $15 gift card plus free beer sampling- Writers on Tap: The Craft of Writing about Craft Beer. Moderated by Jeremy Cowan, president NYCBG, with John Holl (The American Craft Beer Cookbook), Joshua Bernstein (The Complete Beer Course), and Giancarlo & Sarah Annese (Beer Lovers New York). Beer tasting from Shmaltz & Coney Island.

To make your beer week experience even easier, download the official brewers guild beer week guide (now conveniently available as an app). This will give you a bit of an advantage on those other hop heads by providing event listings as well as deals on food and beer, among other things.

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places 

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

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

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

Times Square today is filled with neon glitz and wandering tourists from Dubuque, but not Jimmy’s. You’ll likely find some old timer’s at the bar nursing their drinks, some younger locals at tables in the back, and maybe a few adventuresome tourists clutching their trusty guidebooks. There’s no food served here because this is just a bar, and sometimes that’s all you need.

On nights when no local team is playing, it’s a fine place to sip some drafts and listen to a great old time jukebox (40s, 50s, R&B, and soul). On sports nights this very narrow bar can get a bit claustrophobic, filled with excited fans watching their team on the TVs. Either way, Jimmy’s is the place to be if you are looking for an old time bar in the new Times Square.
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Website: are you kidding !
(although there is a facebook page with lots of photos –
facebook.com/jimmyscornernyc)
Phone #: 212-221-9510
Hours: 11am – 4 am, except Sunday they open 12 noon
Happy Hour: not necessary, low prices all day, every day
Subway: #1,2,3 to TimesSquare 42nd st
walk 2 blks N on 7th ave to 44th st; ½ blk E to Jimmy’s

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

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

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

Patzeria Perfect Pizza – 231 W46 st (Betw 7th/8th ave)
Perfect name for a pizza joint. On a street filled with Broadway theaters, this is a real hole in the wall, but don’t let the dive look scare you away. You can never go wrong with a slice of NYC pizza, and this one is a classic thin crust. Only a few seats here, but pizza was made to eat standing up.

Shake Shack – 691 8th ave (Betw 43rd/44th st)
Danny Meyer has revolutionized the high quality burger in this town. Now he has a branch on the West Side that was desperately needed, with none of the insane lines that you find at the Madison Sq. Park location. Plus, it may be the cleanest joint to eat in all of Hell’s Kitchen.

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

That covers a wide range of food – pizza,  burgers,  food trucks/carts,  vegetarian/falafel,  ramen,  chopped salad & salad bars,  hot dogs,  bbq,  soup & sandwiches,  picnic fixins’,  raw bars & lobster rolls. No reservations needed. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods (plus 27 casual dining places with free Wi-Fi) order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99).
(available Spring 2014)

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 2014

James Oseland, Sigrid Nunez, Andre Aciman, Monique Truong, Josh Ozersky, Beth Kracklauer & Francine Prose
In celebration of the release of A Fork In The Road, the Strand is bringing together a great group of writers to discuss their experiences writing about their travels in the world of food. A Fork In The Road editor and Top Chef Judge James Oseland will moderate a panel of contributors to the latest in Lonely Planet’s travel literature series.

Sigrid Nunez, Andre Aciman, Monique Truong, Josh Ozersky, Beth Kracklauer and Francine Prose. will discuss their stories of their most memorable meals the world over. Whether you’re an enthusiast for food, travel, or both, this is an evening you won’t want to miss!
Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway at 12th St.- 3rd floor Rare Book Room
At 7:00PM / buy a copy of A Fork In The Road
or a $15 Strand gift card in order to attend this event.
strandbooks.com

The Little Prince and the Big War – Adam Gopnik
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker essayist and author of The Steps Across The Water, The King In The Window, and Paris to the Moon—and who is currently adapting The Little Prince for the National Ballet of Canada—will talk about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the Second World War, and how this haunting children’s masterpiece can be seen as an idiosyncratic piece of war literature.
The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue
At 6:30 p.m. / $15; $10 for Members
212-685-0008

Ladysmith Black Mambazo 
They are probably the world’s most famous a cappella singing group. Almost 30 years since they found global acclaim on Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo carry on — releasing new records, touring the world, and collecting awards, including a recent fourth Grammy. I could listen to them all day.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St.
At 8 p.m./ $45
800-745-3000, bbkingblues.com

Building New York: A Conversation With Michael Horodniceanu
This site advocates getting around town by public transit, so this event is a natural.

The President of MTA Capital Construction sits down with New York Times metro reporter Michael Grynbaum to provide insights into two giant projects that are reshaping the city and the way we travel within it. The conversation will center on the extension of the 7 train to Manhattan’s west side and the new Fulton Transit Center.
St. Francis College, Founders Hall, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn
At 7PM / FREE with RSVP @ NY Transit Museum
Subway: #2,3 to Borough Hall (about 30 min from TimesSquare)

Celebrate Craft Beer Week
Now that the Olympics are over it’s time to turn our attention to Craft Beer Week in NYC. Opening night was Friday, Feb. 21, and the closing bash will be on Sunday, Mar. 2 at Houston Hall in the West Village. In between there are many special beer related events taking place around town. Each day I will try to ID a few of the best (gadzooks, some events may not even be on the WestSide).

Beer Dinner with Other Half at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que “What goes well with beer? Pretzels, you say? How about an entire hog? On Tuesday, Brooklyn’s offshoot of the famed Syracuse rib joint will be hosting the beer/food event you need to attend. And yes, one of the many dishes they’ll be offering is a whole hog smoked on-site served with chicharron and Mississippi sauce, which they deem the “Tour of Pig”. More importantly though, beer will be served by the Other Half Brewing Company, which will include their Doug Cascadian Dark Ale and their mighty 11% ABV Imperial Stout.” (Gothamist)
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que [604 Union Street, Brooklyn] // $50

Dogfish Head Tap Takeover “You all know it, you all love it, and on the 25th, it’s coming to a bar near you. Dogfish Head will be doing a Tap Takeover at the Pony Bar on the Upper East Side that will not only include 20 different draft beers, but also free samples of a special Dogfish Head R&D beer. The list of draft beers will include Chicory Stout, Black & Blue, Piercing Pilsner, and Miles Davis Bitches Brew among many others. Oh, and don’t forget to say hello to Head Brewmaster Tim Hawn while you’re there.” (Gothamist)
6 p.m. // The Pony [1444 1st Avenue] // Free

To make your beer week experience even easier, download the official brewers guild beer week guide (now conveniently available as an app). This will give you a bit of an advantage on those other hop heads by providing event listings as well as deals on food and beer, among other things.

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change. ===========================================================================================

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.

WHAT’S ON VIEW:

Richard Serra, “New Sculpture” (through March 15)
“In this show, Richard Serra continues along the road that emerged from the hugely successful “Torqued Ellipses” of the 1990s, but also circles back to his earlier oeuvre. Here you have the Serra of the ’60s and ’70s, revised and updated: heavy rectilinear plates and cubes fabricated in steel rather than lead, his signature material in the ’60s.” (Schwendener-NYT) 
Gagosian Gallery, 555 West 24th Street,
 Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / 212-741-1111, gagosian.com

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

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (02/23) and (02/21).

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, FEB. 23, 2014

Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Grammy Award winning pianist, composer and educator Arturo O’Farrill — leader of the “first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz” (NY Times) — was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Son of the late, great composer Chico O’Farrill, Arturo was Educated at Manhattan School of Music, Brooklyn College Conservatory and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He played piano in Carla Bley’s Big Band from 1979 through 1983 and earned a reputation as a soloist in groups led by Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Turre, Freddy Cole, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis and Harry Belafonte.

The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra is the resident large format ensemble of the nonprofit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) founded by Arturo O’Farrill in 2007 and dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of big band Latin jazz, supporting its performance for new audiences, and educating young people in the understanding and performance of this important cultural treasure.
Birdland, 315 W 44th St. btw Eighth and Ninth Aves
9:00 and 11:00 pm / $30
212-581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com

Erin Markey: There’s a New Emergency Contact in Town
“The fantastically weird, fiercely committed, occasionally terrifying Erin Markey has spent the past few years making people uncomfortable all over town, notably in frequent Our Hit Parade appearances. Here she offers a solo cabaret with musical director Kenny Mellman at the piano.” (TONY mag)
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater
425 Lafayette St., between Astor Pl and E 4th St
9:30pm $15 plus two-drink minimum
joespub.com / 212-539-8778 / erinmarkey.com

Mad as Hell: The Making of Network
SCREENING, DISCUSSION, & BOOK SIGNING
With Dave Itzkoff and Keith Olbermann in person
Followed by a book signing in the Moving Image Store

Dir. Sidney Lumet. 1976, 121 mins. 35mm. With Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch. “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Those words, spoken by an unhinged anchorman named Howard Beale, “the mad prophet of the airwaves,” took America by storm in 1976 when the movie Network became a sensation. With a superb cast including Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall, and directed by Sidney Lumet, the film won four Academy Awards and indelibly shaped how we think about corporate and media power.

In his new book Mad as Hell (2014, Times Books), Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times recounts the surprising and dramatic story of how Network made it to the screen. The film was the work of Paddy Chayefsky, the tough, driven, Oscar-winning screenwriter whose vision—outlandish for its time—is all too real today.

The screening will be followed by a conversation with Itzkoff moderated by Keith Olbermann. The host of Olbermann on ESPN2, Keith Olbermann began his career as a sportscaster, who became an incisive and outspoken journalist and political commentator on his show Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. Dave Itzkoff is a culture reporter at The New York Times.
Museum of Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue , Astoria
At 2:00 p.m. / Tickets: $15 public / $9 Museum members / free for Silver Screen members and above. Ticket includes admission to the Museum galleries.
718 777 6888 / movingimage.us

David Krakauer (last day)
“The eerily voice-like klezmer clarinet: it couldn’t be a better fit for the movie themes that David Krakauer interprets on his new disc The Big Picture (Table Pounding). To mark the release he’ll front a sextet at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, in a residency running Wednesdays and Sundays through February 23.

Against a striking backdrop of original films and graphics for the occasion, Krakauer will lovingly render, or unapologetically mess with, music from such films as Cabaret, Lenny, Avalon, Love and Death, The Producers and Funny Girl. The moods range from pure balladic elegance to ballsy rocking out.” (VillageVoice)
Edmond J. Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place
at 2 p.m., $35, $30 for students, $25 for members.
646-437-4200, mjhnyc.org/bigpicture

Johnny Winter 70th Birthday Celebration
“Legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter counts Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Jimi Hendrix among his collaborators, which offers a little insight as to why Rolling Stone named him one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. He celebrates his 70th birthday at B.B.’s with help from some of his guitar-tickling pals.” (TONY mag)
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W 42nd St. btw Seventh and Eighth Aves
At 8:00pm $35, $10 minimum at tables
212-997-4144 / bbkingblues.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom’ (last day)
“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa, The Venini Co., 1932–1947” (through March 2, 2014)
‘Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China’ (through April 6)
‘The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925’ (ends April 13)
‘Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris’ (through May 4)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’(through Sept. 7)
‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org
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‘Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes From the Hill Collection’ (through June 15)
“This sensational, beautifully presented show of 33 late-15th- to early-18th-century bronzes reflects a taste for historically important, big-statement examples in exceptional condition. They vividly reflect the Renaissance’s new interest in antiquity and the human form while encouraging concentration on emotional expression, refined details (great hair!), struggling or relaxed figures and varied patinas. Works by the reigning geniuses Giambologna, Susini and the lesser-known Piamontini dominate, further enlivened by a handful of old master and late-20th-century paintings from the Hill collection.”
(Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St.
212-288-0700, frick.org.
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‘Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video’ (through May 14)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

========================================================== 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: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 02/21 and 02/19.