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

Today’s “Fab 5” +1 / Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, AUG 26, 2013.

Live Swing Band Mondays
The 34th Street Partnership and Paul Pellicoro’s DanceSport studio offer free swing-dance events. This last Monday evening begins with an open lesson at 5:30pm and continues with live music by Jessie Bunting & the Hot Shim Sham Orchestra until 7:30pm.
Herald Square, 34th St. at Broadway
At 5:30PM / FREE
212-922-9393 / 34thstreet.org

Alberta Cross
“The members of Alberta Cross wear the kind of outlandish hats usually seen only in ’60s photos of Yoko Ono and play gnarly country-rock–inspired tunes by the likes of Neil Young and the Band. Tonight the Brooklyn-based duo stops by City Winery to play an acoustic show in support of its second album, Songs of Patience.” (TONY mag)
City Winery, 155 Varick St. at Vandam St
At 8PM / $15
212-608-0555 / citywinery.com

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
There’s a tradition in many New York City jazz clubs:
Monday nights are reserved for big bands. The Village Vanguard, the most storied of clubs, has observed this practice since 1966. The Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, is definitely a big band with 4 trumpets, and 4 trombones to accompany 6 reed players.
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Avenue South, just below West 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 pm / $25
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

Andy Milne Trio
“The pianist Andy Milne draws from a broad palette as an improviser, both in terms of style and syntax. As a leader he often interrogates the rhythmic affinities between jazz and hip-hop, but that seems less likely here, on an acoustic one-nighter featuring an adaptable peer, the bassist John Hébert, and an indefatigable elder, the drummer Andrew Cyrille.” (Chinen-NYT)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center,
60th Street and Broadway,
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $25, with a $10 minimum
(212) 258-9595, jalc.org

Alexis Fishman with Max Chernin
“Australian-born Alexis Fishman caught a lot of people’s ears when she won the Next Broadway Sensation competitions at last year’s New York Musical Theatre Festival. Now she brings a taste of Down Under to 54 Below.” (TONY mag)
54 Below. 254 W 54th St., between Broadway and Eighth Ave
At 7PM / $25-$35; $25 food or drink minimum
866-468-7619 / 54below.com

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating places – Tribeca

B-Flat  /  277 Church st (Btw Franklin/White)

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

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

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

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

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

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk 1 blk E to Church; 1 blk N to bFlat

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, wine bars, cocktail lounges,  tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

Today’s “Fab 4” / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, AUG 25, 2013.

Anat Cohen and Choro Aventuroso* – Today’s Top Pick
Ms. Cohen, a clarinetist of irresistible rhythmic aplomb, has had some memorable triumphs playing choro, a popular Brazilian music with a strong downbeat and a lightly syncopated cadence. She puts her own spin on the style with Choro Aventuroso, presenting the group for the first time here, as part of the WBGO Jazz Series at 54 Below, with the Brazilian singer Leny Andrade as a special guest..” (Chinen-NYT)
54 BELOW, 254 West 54th St.
at 7 and 9 p.m. / $25 and $35 cover, with a $15 minimum
(646) 476-3551, 54below.com

DAN BERN
Dan Bern is best known for his prolific songwriting and electric live persona. He has released a dozen albums while spending well over a decade performing everywhere from coffee shops to Carnegie Hall.
CITY WINERY, 155 Varick St. .
At 7PM / $28 or $30
212-608-0555 / citywinery.com

Roy Hargrove Big Band
“The trumpeter Roy Hargrove has led this big band intermittently since the mid-1990s, with a crisp, old-fashioned rigor. For this engagement the group welcomes a charismatic guest vocalist, Roberta Gambarini, but don’t be surprised if Mr. Hargrove also does some singing himself.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./ $35 and $45 cover at tables, $20 and $25 at the bar, $5 minimum.
475-8592, bluenote.net

Jimmy Cobb Trio*
“Jimmy Cobb, the venerable hard-bop drummer, routinely leads small combos — but rarely a trio, and not often at the Village Vanguard, where he worked with Miles Davis in the 1950s. His band mates are the fastidious young Japanese pianist Tadataka Unno and the adaptable Italian bassist Paolo Benedettini.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave S, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./ $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums   (WestSide & the BrooklynMuseum) 

‘Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series’ (through Sept. 8)
‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Jan. 26, 2014)
American Modern: Hopper to O’Keefe (through Jan. 26, 2014)
America’s cultural landscape shifted rapidly in the early 20th century. American Modern at the Museum of Modern Art looks at this change via some of the iconic works produced between 1915 and 1950. Artists highlighted include George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz and Andrew Wyeth. In organizing the art thematically, American Modern will highlight the connections between the artists’ works.
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design’* (through Sept. 15)
Museum of Arts and Design: 2 Columbus Circle
212-299-7777 / madmuseum.org.
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‘Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn’ (continuing)
This eclectic, imaginatively thought-out one-gallery immersion experience in world art, all from Brooklyn’s collection and installed in the museum’s revamped Great Hall, serves as a teaser to the fabulous collections in the galleries beyond.
‘the Bruce High Quality Foundation: Ode to Joy’ (through Sept. 22)
‘Divine Felines: Cats of AncientEgypt’ (through Dec. 29)
Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park,
(subway: easy ride from midtown on #2 or #3 express to Eastern Pkway/Bklyn Museum)
(718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

Top Photography Exhibitions – NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide

  Museum of Modern Art
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photography and the American Civil War (through Sept. 2)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

   International Center Photography
A Different Kind of Order: The ICP Triennial (through Sept. 22)
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

  Howard Greenberg Gallery
Bruce Davidson: “Time of Change” & “Staff Picks 2013”
(through Aug. 31)
41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406 / 212-334-0100
subway: #1,2,3 to times square, transfer to N/Q/R to 5th ave & 59th st.

  Staley-Wise Gallery
It’s An American Thing (through Sept. 14)
560 Broadway, Soho / 212-966-6223
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One more photo exhibition, this one in a special setting – the lovely, new Bklyn Bridge Park with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, and of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.
(subway: easy to get to via #2 or #3 express to Clark St., the 1st stop in Bklyn.)

‘The Fence’ in Brooklyn Bridge Park (through Oct. 1)
“When is a fence not a fence? When it is the backdrop for a free display of over 200 jury selected images of people, animals and daily life by 39 photographers from the United States and abroad. Presented for the second year by United Photo Industries, a Brooklyn arts cooperative, as a showcase for young photographers, the display consists of a 1,000-foot-long waterproof mesh banner superimposed with color and black-and-white photos.

The banner stretches through Brooklyn Bridge Park, from Pier 15, at Joralemon Street and the East River in Brooklyn Heights, to Main Street in Dumbo.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)
Pier 5, Joralemon Street and the East River
From 6am to 1am / FREE
(718) 215-9075 / fence.photovillenyc.org
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (08/21) and (08/23).

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, AUG 24, 2013.

HUDSON RIVER PARK’S BLUES BBQ – TODAY’S TOP PICK
The offerings of a couple of the city’s barbecue joints add an aromatic dimension to the music floating in the air at this 14th annual gathering. The performers include the young guitar virtuosa KAKI KING; the powerful blues veteran TRACY NELSON, once the lead singer of Mother Earth; the rootsy, funky HERITAGE BLUES ORCHESTRA; the retro-rockin’ singer NIKKI HILL; and the guitarist, organist, and vocalist LUCKY PETERSON, who played on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Tonight Show” as a five-year old, toured in Etta James’s and Otis Rush’s bands, and has been a leader of his own group for more than twenty years.
HUDSON RIVER PARK, Pier 84, W. 44th St. at the Hudson River
begins 2PM / hudsonriverpark.org.

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
Kenny Garrett / Cécile McLorin Salvant / Kim Thompson / Jaleel Shaw
This year’s ace uptown-downtown affair jumps off in Harlem on Aug. 23 with “Bird Is the Word,” a premiere by saxophone legend Jimmy Heath and his big band. Stellar sax man Kenny Garrett and fascinating vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant top the bill on Aug. 24.

“Over the course of a stellar career that has spanned more than 30 years, saxophonist Kenny Garrett has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. Garrett has always brought a vigorous yet melodic, and truly distinctive, alto saxophone sound to each musical situation.

Cecile McLorin Salvant’s unique interpretations of unknown and scarcely recorded jazz and blues compositions have helped her win the coveted Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010. She focuses on a theatrical portrayal of the jazz standard and composes music and lyrics which she also sings in French, her native language as well as in Spanish.

World-renowned drummer Kim Thompson has taught and performed in over 33 countries, in addition to playing locally in many New York City’s most prestigious jazz clubs. With many music credits to her name, including being a part of Beyoncé’s all female band; Thompson has become the CEO of her own music production company, KT Music Productions.

Alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw has quickly risen to become one of the premiere Jazz musicians today. The New York Times says Mr.Shaw’s music showcases his “stout, self-assured alto saxophone playing and his smartly conceived original compositions, without the taint of commercial pressure.”
Marcus Garvey Park Amphitheater
subway: #2/3 to 125th St. Enter park at at Madison Ave at 124th St.
at 3PM / FREE
http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/calendar/charlie-parker-jazz-festival

George Coleman Quartet 
George Coleman, a tenor saxophonist with a brusque but soulful style, advances his vision of hard bop with a band that includes Harold Mabern on piano. (Chinen-NYT)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St.
At 7 and 9 p.m. / $38 cover
(212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com

SCOTT WENDHOLT-ADAM KOLKER QUARTET
“This lean and feisty foursome combines the powerful synergy of the trumpeter Wendholt and the saxophonist Kolker, along with the joined-at-the-hip rhythm team of VICTOR LEWIS, on drums, and UGONNA OKEGWO, on bass.” (NewYorker mag)
SMALLS, 183 W. 10th St.
At 10:30PM / $20
212-252-5091 / smallsjazzclub.com

JEFFERY BROUSSARD AND THE CREOLE COWBOYS
The accordionist and singer JEFFERY BROUSSARD, following in the footsteps of his father, Delton, leads the Creole Cowboys and delivers classic zydeco with contemporary gusto. This will attract zydeco fans from all over the metro area.
CONNOLLY’S—ZYDECO
, 121 W. 45th St. (btw 6th / b’way)
Dance lesson 7PM; Music 8:30PM / $24
212-685-7597 / letszydeco.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – 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 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 W. Side Hwy., all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very early or 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, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.
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Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, AUG 23, 2013.

“Gateway to Himalayan Art” (through Jan. 16, 2014)
“Do you enjoy the Rubin but feel a bit lost within the dizzying array of deities that figure in its works? This exhibition is the perfect initiation to the wide cast of characters that, by turns, traipse gleefully and skulk threateningly through Himalayan art. Don’t miss the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room—one of the most popular galleries at the museum—which houses nearly 130 objects of spiritual and ritual significance, including sculptures, scroll paintings, ornamental silks, instruments and atmospheric flickering lamps.” (TONY mag)
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W 17th St. at Seventh Ave
Mon, Thu 11am–5pm; Wed 11am–7pm; Fri 11am–10pm; Sat, Sun 11am–6pm
Fri 6–10pm FREE. other times $10, seniors & students $5.
212-620-5000 / rmanyc.org

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
This year’s ace uptown-downtown affair jumps off in Harlem on Aug. 23 with “Bird Is the Word,” a premiere by saxophone legend Jimmy Heath and his big band. Stellar sax man Kenny Garrett and fascinating vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant top the bill on Aug. 24.
Marcus Garvey Park Amphitheater 
subway: #2/3 to 125th St. Enter park at at Madison Ave at 124th St.
at 7PM / FREE
www.cityparksfoundation.org/calendar/charlie-parker-jazz-festival/

Jane Ira Bloom Quartet*
“Revisiting music from “Mental Weather” (Outline), an album released five years ago, the soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom connects with Dawn Clement on keyboards, Dean Johnson on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. The group performs under the auspices of Chamber Music America, which originally commissioned the work.” (Nate Chinen-NYT)
Bryant Park, 40th Street and Avenue of the Americas
At 6 p.m. / FREE
768-4242, bryantpark.org

THEATRE: FringeNYC (thru 08/25)
(New York International Fringe Festival)
“Now in its 17th year, the multi-arts festival is the biggest of its kind in North America. Theatre companies from all over the world (185 in total) converge on downtown Manhattan to mount performances at venues like The Players Theatre, SubCulture, and Theatre 80.

With 200 shows over 16 days at 20 venues, from the dark to the comical, starships to strip clubs, if you fancy yourself an adventurer, FringeNYC is absolutely worth exploration.” — Mindy Bond, Flavorpill.
Can’t tell the players without a scorecard. The NYTimes has a guide.

Billy Hart Quartet (thru Saturday)
“The perceptive and well-traveled drummer Billy Hart, 72, released one of last year’s best jazz albums, “All Our Reasons” (ECM), with this longtime working group, otherwise composed of strong individualists in their 40s: the tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, the pianist Ethan Iverson and the bassist Ben Street.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8th /9th Ave)
At 8:30 and 11 p.m., $30 and $40 cover, with a $10 minimum.
(212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
 

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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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 Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you may want to see:

“Reinventing Abstraction” (through Aug 31)
“Curated by poet and critic Raphael Rubinstein, this show looks at a group of painters who, to varying degrees, undertook an individualistic, even eccentric, approach to abstraction during the 1980s, when the attention of the art world was otherwise focused on Neo-Expressionism, Neo-Geo and appropriation art. Carroll Dunham, Mary Heilmann, Bill Jensen, Elizabeth Murray, Joan Snyder and Terry Winters are some of the artists with works on view.” (TONY mag)
Cheim & Read, 547 W 25th St, btw Tenth and Eleventh Aves
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / FREE
212-242-7727 / cheimread.com

Desire (LAST DAY!)
On Bob Dylan’s 1976 Desire album cover, we see him decked out in a fedora, fur-collared coat, and scarf tie, gazing off into the distance—but what is he looking at? This alluring image, taken by Ruth Bernal, serves as the curatorial inspiration to Desire, a group show of more than 20
female artists. Check out compelling and provocative work like Yoko Ono’s Touch Me cut-up canvas, Vivienne Griffin’s peephole op-art ink drawing, and Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin’s watercolor paintings, one of which features a red penis and is titled A Million Ways to Cum. Want more? Don’t wait, this show closes soon. (Araceli Cruz. VillageVoice)
Yancey Richardson, 535 W. 22nd St.
10:00 a.m. every Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri.
646-230-9610 /http://www.yanceyrichardson.com

“Photo Brut” at ZieherSmith (LAST DAY!)
“Shows of so-called vernacular photographs (found photos, ranging from family-album fare to police mugshots) have become a gallery staple of late, for a number of reasons, including the appeal of their accidental aesthetics and their frequent detours into the uncanny.

This group show attempts to expand the category by giving it a snappy new label, and by offering up some bizarre images indeed—including a series of beauty-shop images showing only the backs of coiffed female heads; a cache of old Polaroids taken off television and featuring obscure performers whose names are carefully noted on the picture margins; and a 1940s backyard portrait of an otherwise unremarkable man whose erect penis is emerging from his trousers.” (TONY mag)
ZieherSmith, 516 W 20th St, btw 10th and 11th Ave.
Tue–Sat 11am–6pm / FREE
212-229-1088 / ziehersmith.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)
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Top Photography Exhibitions – NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide

  Museum of Modern Art
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photography and the American Civil War (through Sept. 2, 2013)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

   ICP
A Different Kind of Order: The ICP Triennial (through Sept. 22, 2013)
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

  Howard Greenberg Gallery
Bruce Davidson: “Time of Change” & “Staff Picks 2013”
(through Aug. 31, 2013)
41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406 / 212-334-0100

  Staley-Wise Gallery
It’s An American Thing (through Sept. 14, 2013)
560 Broadway, Soho / 212-966-6223

One more photo exhibition, this one in a special setting – the lovely, new Bklyn Bridge Park with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, and of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.
(easy to get to via subway: #2 or 3 express to Clark St., the 1st stop in Bklyn.)

‘The Fence’ in Brooklyn Bridge Park (through Oct. 1)
“When is a fence not a fence? When it is the backdrop for a free display of over 200 jury selected images of people, animals and daily life by 39 photographers from the United States and abroad. Presented for the second year by United Photo Industries, a Brooklyn arts cooperative, as a showcase for young photographers, the display consists of a 1,000-foot-long waterproof mesh banner superimposed with color and black-and-white photos.

The banner stretches through Brooklyn Bridge Park, from Pier 15, at Joralemon Street and the East River in Brooklyn Heights, to Main Street in Dumbo.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)
Pier 5, Joralemon Street and the East River
From 6am to 1am / FREE
(718) 215-9075 / fence.photovillenyc.org
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (08/21) and (08/19).

Today’s “Fab 4” / Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, AUG 22, 2013.

LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Lulacruza
“Shamanic Electronica. Lulacruza bring together Colombia and Argentina with the rest of the world in an electro ethnic ritual” – Rolling Stone

Lulzcruza is an electronic folk duo at the junction of the hypermodern and the ancient. Their music weaves together hypnotic female singing, South American instruments, found sound objects, field recordings, and electronic manipulation. The result is a cross-genre, world-esque music unfolding with mesmerizing vocals, aquatic textures and up-tempo, handcrafted South American rhythms.

Lulacruza is made up of Alejandra Ortiz (Colombia) and Luis Maurette (Argentina). Alejandra is an extraordinary songbird and plays the Colombian cuatro, shruti box, tar and kalimba. Luis Maurette complements with electronic processing and sequencing, as well as percussion, charango, and Amazonian flutes. Together they create catchy, powerful and intimate music that is hard to classify, but has been called pop, folk, electronic, Latin, ambient, world, new age, ethnic, experimental, and even jazz.
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, 61 W 62 St
At 7:30PM / FREE
212-875-5350 / atrium.lincolncenter.org

Sunset Salsa
Enjoy an evening of salsa dancing and music as the sun sets.
The best instructors from NYC lead a free lesson from 6:30pm-7:30pm, followed by open dancing from 7:30pm-9:00pm.
Hudson River Park,  at 14th Street Park in Meatpacking District
at 6:30PM / FREE
1-212-627-2020

Anat Cohen and Choro Aventuroso* – Today’s Top Pick
Ms. Cohen, a clarinetist of irresistible rhythmic aplomb, has had some memorable triumphs playing choro, a popular Brazilian music with a strong downbeat and a lightly syncopated cadence. She puts her own spin on the style with Choro Aventuroso, presenting the group for the first time here, as part of the WBGO Jazz Series at 54 Below.” (Chinen-NYT)
54 BELOW, 254 West 54th St.
at 7 and 9 p.m. / $25 and $35 cover, with a $15 minimum
(646) 476-3551, 54below.com

Jimmy Cobb Trio* (through Aug. 25)
“Jimmy Cobb, the venerable hard-bop drummer, routinely leads small combos — but rarely a trio, and not often at the Village Vanguard, where he worked with Miles Davis in the 1950s. His band mates are the fastidious young Japanese pianist Tadataka Unno and the adaptable Italian bassist Paolo Benedettini.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave S, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./ $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check 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

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, wine bars, cocktail lounges,  tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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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. 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.

The focus for “3 Good Eating places” is on Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style
(pizza,  burgers,  food trucks/carts,  vegetarian/falafel,  soup & sandwiches,  salad bars,  hot dogs,  bbq,  picnic fixins’,  raw bars & lobster rolls – no reservations needed).

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There are also some casual dining, chain restaurant locations in this neighborhood that have decent food, provide a good hotel breakfast alternative, and have free Wi-FI:

A. Pret a Manger @ 821 Broadway (betw 12/13 st)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 42nd st; transfer to n/q/r to 14th st/union sq

B. Potbelly @ 41 W14th st (betw 5th/6th ave)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th st

C. Cosi @ 53 E 8th st (betw greene/mercer)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 42nd st; transfer to n/r to 8th st

◊ For a few more PremierPubs and Good Eating places see previous Featured Neighborhoods in the right sidebar.

◊ 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).

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, AUG 21, 2013.

Readings in Bryant Park – 
Donald Stoker – The Grand Design: Strategy and the U.S. Civil War
Donald Stoker discussses his field of expertise. “A signal contribution to understanding the dynamics of the war.” (Library Journal). Produced in partnership with Oxford University Press, Inc. (OUP USA) and the New-York Historical Society

“Word for Word Author” is an outdoor reading series that features bestselling authors, celebrity writers, and expert-panelists sharing anecdotes, answering questions from the audience, and signing copies of their latest books.
Bryant Park reading room, 6th Avenue at 42nd St.
(under the trees at the 42nd st side of the park)
At 7PM / FREE
(212) 768-4242 / bryantpark.org

Radiance: After Hours at El Museo
The Spanish Harlem museum is staying open every Wednesday night this summer, pairing Latino art masters with Latin beats. Pregame the party with a gallery talk by artists featured in “La Bienal 2013: Here Is Where We Jump,” an exhibition of emerging New York–based artists.

Then move to El Café, where South Bronx DJ Les Carbonell spins house, soul and Afrobeat with his crew 5ifty 5ive. Step into the modern, 4,625-square-foot courtyard for stunning sunset views of Central Park’s Conservatory Garden, and channel the tropics with specialty cocktails like the Radiance ($8), a mojito with fresh strawberries.
Any cultural event with mojito’s has to make this list every time.
El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Ave, (btw 104th and 105th Sts)
11am–6pm / Suggested donation $9, seniors & students $5
212-831-7272 / elmuseo.org

Hidden Lives, Human Possibilities: Walter Mosley
Moving away from his current fascination with the novella, Mosley returns to crime fiction and recurring dick Easy Rawlins in a new mystery titled Little Green. Having survived a big fall in 2007’s Blonde Faith, Rawlins tracks down a man who disappeared during a drug trip on the Sunset Strip in the late ’60s.

Tonight, the author appears in the “Hidden Lives, Human Possibilities” reading series to help Revolution Books raise money enough to remain in Manhattan.
Save Revolution Books!
Revolution Books, 146 W 26th St. (btw Sixth and Seventh Ave)
At 7PM / $35
212-691-3345 / revolutionbooksnyc.org

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center makes its first foray into Central Park, serenading the Naumburg audience with Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D (K. 285), Beethoven’s Serenade in D (Op. 25) and Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A (Op. 81).
Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, 72nd St. Central Park at Fifth Ave
At 7:30PM / FREE
212-310-6600 / centralparknyc.org

Dayna Stephens Group (+ Thur. Aug 22)
“Dayna Stephens, a tenor saxophonist and composer of judicious exuberance, draws from his accomplished new album, “That Nepenthetic Place” (Sunnyside), on a brief engagement with Ben van Gelder on alto saxophone, Lage Lund on guitar, Zach Ostroff on bass and Craig Weinrib on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 West 10th Street, West Village
From 9:30 p.m. to midnight / $20 cover
smallsjazzclub.com

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

“African Art, New York, and the Avant-Garde” (through Sept. 2)
‘The Civil War and American Art’ (through Sept. 2)
‘Photography and the American Civil War’ (through Sept. 2)
“Ken Price Sculpture: A Retrospective” (through Sept. 22)
‘The Roof Garden Commission: Imran Qureshi’ (through Nov. 3)
“Legends of the Dead Ball Era” (1900-1919) (through Dec. 1)
“Eighteenth Century Pastels” (through Dec. 29)
“Julia Margaret Cameron” (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

‘Subliming Vessel: The Drawings of Matthew Barney’ (through Sept. 2)
“Monika Grzymala, Volumen” (through Nov. 3)
Morgan Library & Museum: 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th St.
(212) 685-0008 / themorgan.org.

“New Harmony: Abstraction Between the Wars, 1919-1939” (through Sept. 8)
“Aten Reign” (through Sept. 25)
……the centerpiece of James Turrell’s first exhibition in a New York museum since 1980, recasts the Guggenheim rotunda as an enormous volume filled with shifting artificial and natural light. {see review below}
Guggenheim Museum: 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

Light and color wash the Rotunda. 
“Turrell works in a single medium: light. He has sliced into walls, designed seamless rooms with holes in the ceiling, and spent four decades building a giant naked-eye observatory in the Arizona desert—all to provide unexpectedly intimate and mysterious views of the sky, the sun, and the stars. For this segment of a three-part show running concurrently in L.A. and Houston, he’s turned the museum’s atrium into a giant light box. —J.D.” (NYmag)

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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
• 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.
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Top Photography Exhibitions – NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide

  Museum of Modern Art

XL: 19NewAcquisitions in Photography (through Dec. 31)
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photography and the American Civil War (through Sept. 2, 2013)
Julia Margaret Cameron (through Jan. 5, 2014)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through Jan. 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

   ICP
A Different Kind of Order: The ICP Triennial (through Sept. 22, 2013)
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

  Howard Greenberg Gallery
Bruce Davidson: “Time of Change” & “Staff Picks 2013”
(through Aug. 31, 2013)
41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406 / 212-334-0100

  Staley-Wise Gallery
It’s An American Thing (through Sept. 14, 2013)
560 Broadway, Soho / 212-966-6223

One more photo exhibition, this one in a special setting – the lovely, new Bklyn Bridge Park with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, and of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.
(easy to get to via subway: #2 or 3 express to Clark St. 1st stop in Bklyn.)

‘The Fence’ in Brooklyn Bridge Park (through Oct. 1)
“When is a fence not a fence? When it is the backdrop for a free display of over 200 jury selected images of people, animals and daily life by 39 photographers from the United States and abroad. Presented for the second year by United Photo Industries, a Brooklyn arts cooperative, as a showcase for young photographers, the display consists of a 1,000-foot-long waterproof mesh banner superimposed with color and black-and-white photos.

The banner stretches through Brooklyn Bridge Park, from Pier 15, at Joralemon Street and the East River in Brooklyn Heights, to Main Street in Dumbo.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)
Pier 5, Joralemon Street and the East River
From 6am to 1am / FREE
(718) 215-9075 / fence.photovillenyc.org
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 08/19 and 08/17.

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, AUG 20, 2013.

Lost Bayou Ramblers*
The Lost Bayou Ramblers play their new Cajun music at the 5th annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, a fun, free, postwork fete.
Lost Bayou Ramblers was born deep in South Louisiana performing old style, predominantly acoustic Cajun music at clubs and festivals across the US, Europe, and Canada. After years of playing traditional style, the Lost Bayou Ramblers found themselves needing to grow. To create a new sound that combined not just the sounds of their heritage, but all the musical influences they grew up loving. It began with the recording of their new album Mammoth Waltz at Dockside Studios in Maurice, La. The idea was to incorporate more influences, sounds, technology, and stylings with the traditional Cajun instrumentation. The resulting 11 tracks speak for themselves.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase at this “After-Work Backyard Party” held every Tuesday from June 4th through August 27th. Look for an assortment of wines from City Winery, ice cold beer from Radeberger, ice cream and ice cream sandwiches from Jacques Torres, and hot dogs and other snacks offered by Great Performances.
City Winery, 155 Varick St., at Vandam St.
At 5:30PM / FREE
212-608-0555 / citywinery.com/newyork/

Julianna Barwick
“For her follow-up to The Magic Place, otherworldly chanteuse Julianna Barwick stepped outside her solitary comfort zone and headed to Iceland at the request of Sigur Rós collaborator (and Jonsi beau) Alex Somers. The product of their partnership, Nepenthe, is a beautiful and evocative album with a theme of hope and coping through difficult times. Tonight, the Southern-raised Brooklynite celebrates her Dead Oceans release at a venue fitting her ethereal soundscapes, the Judson Memorial Church.” Mindy Bond, Flavorpil
Judson Memorial Church. 55 Washington SquareS
7pm / $15.00
212-477-0351 / judson.org

BOBBY  MCFERRIN:  SPIRITYOUALL
For decades Bobby McFerrin has broken all the rules. The 10-time Grammy winner has blurred the distinction between pop music and fine art, goofing around barefoot in the world’s finest concert halls, exploring uncharted vocal territory, inspiring a whole new generation of a cappella singers and the beatbox movement.

His latest album, spirityouall, is a bluesy, feel-good recording, an unexpected move from the music-industry rebel who singlehandedly redefined the role of the human voice with his a cappella hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea and the Vienna Philharmonic, his improvising choir Voicestra, and his legendary solo vocal erformances.
SummerStage Mainstage
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, midpark at 70th St.
AT 7:00 pm / FREE
212-360-2777 / summerstage.org
Cityparksfoundation.org

Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
Louis Langrée, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
MOZART: Symphony No. 36 (“Linz”)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto
Now in its 47th season, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival is a New York annual summertime classical tradition, celebrating the music of Salzburg’s favorite son.
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
At 8PM / $35

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

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.
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Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, AUG 19, 2013.

‘Making Room’ (through Sept. 2)
Living in tight quarters — something very familiar to New Yorkers — is the subject of this exhibition of architectural designs that includes an example of a furnished micro-studio apartment of 325 feet; imaginative designs for equally small living spaces elsewhere in the country and abroad are included in the show.
Museum of the City of New York, Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m./$10, $6 for students and 65+,
(917)-492-3395, mcny.org

THEATRE: FringeNYC (thru 08/25)
(New York International Fringe Festival)
Now in its 17th year, the multi-arts festival is the biggest of its kind in North America. Theatre companies from all over the world (185 in total) converge on downtown Manhattan to mount performances at venues like The Players Theatre, SubCulture, and Theatre 80.

With 200 shows over 16 days at 20 venues, from the dark to the comical, starships to strip clubs, if you fancy yourself an adventurer, FringeNYC is absolutely worth exploration. — Mindy Bond.

Can’t tell the players without a scorecard.
The NYTimes has a guide.

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
There’s a tradition in many New York City jazz clubs: Monday nights are reserved for big bands. The Village Vanguard, the most storied of clubs, has observed this practice since 1966. The Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, is definitely a big band with 4 trumpets, and 4 trombones to accompany 6 reed players.
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Avenue South, just below West 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 pm / $25
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

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

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums (WestSide & the BrooklynMuseum) 

‘Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series’ (through Sept. 8)
‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Jan. 26, 2014)
American Modern: Hopper to O’Keefe (through Jan. 26, 2014)
America’s cultural landscape shifted rapidly in the early 20th century.American Modern at the Museum of Modern Art looks at this change via some of the iconic works produced between 1915 and 1950. Artists highlighted include George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz and Andrew Wyeth. In organizing the art thematically, American Modern will highlight the connections between the artists’ works.
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St. (btw 5th /6th Ave.)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design’* (through Sept. 15)
Museum of Arts and Design: 2 Columbus Circle
212-299-7777 / madmuseum.org.
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‘Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn’ (continuing)
This eclectic, imaginatively thought-out one-gallery immersion experience in world art, all from Brooklyn’s collection and installed in the museum’s revamped Great Hall, serves as a teaser to the fabulous collections in the galleries beyond.
‘Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui’ (through Aug. 18)
‘the Bruce High Quality Foundation: Ode to Joy’ (through Sept. 22)
‘Divine Felines: Cats of AncientEgypt’ (through Dec. 29)
Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park,
(easy ride from midtown on #2 or #3 subway to Eastern Pkway/Bklyn Museum)
(718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

Top Photography Exhibitions – NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide

  Museum of Modern Art
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photography and the American Civil War (through Sept. 2, 2013)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

   ICP
A Different Kind of Order: The ICP Triennial (through Sept. 22, 2013)
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

  Howard Greenberg Gallery
Bruce Davidson: “Time of Change” & “Staff Picks 2013”
(through Aug. 31, 2013)
41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406 / 212-334-0100

  Staley-Wise Gallery
It’s An American Thing (through Sept. 14, 2013)
560 Broadway, Soho / 212-966-6223
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One more photo exhibition, in a special setting – the lovely, new Bklyn Bridge Park with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, and of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.
(easy to get to via subway: #2 or 3 express to Clark St., the 1st stop in Bklyn.)

‘The Fence’ in Brooklyn Bridge Park (through Oct. 1)
“When is a fence not a fence? When it is the backdrop for a free display of over 200 jury selected images of people, animals and daily life by 39 photographers from the United States and abroad. Presented for the second year by United Photo Industries, a Brooklyn arts cooperative, as a showcase for young photographers, the display consists of a 1,000-foot-long waterproof mesh banner superimposed with color and black-and-white photos.

The banner stretches through Brooklyn Bridge Park, from Pier 15, at Joralemon Street and the East River in Brooklyn Heights, to Main Street in Dumbo.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)
Pier 5, Joralemon Street and the East River
From 6am to 1am / FREE
(718) 215-9075 / fence.photovillenyc.org
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (08/17) and (08/13).

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, AUG 18, 2013.

‘Grand Central Sketchbook: Designers Dream’ (through Dec. 1)
Grand Central Terminal, as envisioned by artists in charcoal drawings, pencil sketches and watercolors, is the subject of this exhibition, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the historic terminal. Also on view is “ElectriCity: Powering New York’s Rails,” a display of items from the museum collection — including switches and circuit breakers — that illustrates how electricity powers the subway system.
New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Bklyn Heights,
Tuesdays-Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays/Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m
.$7, $5 for 2 to 17 and 62+, free for members and 62+ on Wednesdays.
694-1600, mta.info/mta/museum

‘Forever Tango’ (through Sept. 15)
Luis Bravo’s popular tango sensation is now running on Broadway. In his review for The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay wrote that the music was the highlight of the show: “Some of the most irresistible tangos here are those played with no dancing. You can feel the tango’s sensual march, its percussive footwork, its romantic drive.”(Burke-NYT)
Walter Kerr Theater, 219 West 48th St.
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.,
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.,
$30 to $199.
(212) 239-6200, forevertango.us, telecharge.com

Lou Donaldson Quartet
“Bebop, blues and boogaloo are all fair game for Lou Donaldson, 86, who was honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master this year. His working quartet includes Akiko Tsuruga on organ, Randy Johnston on guitar and Fukushi Tainaka on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave So, at 11th St, West Village
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./$25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
255-4037, villagevanguard.com

Roni Ben-Hur Tribute to Wes Montgomery and Grant Green
“Roni Ben-Hur, a literate guitarist, pays homage to two giants of his instrument, each one an inventive and soulful influence. The band assembled for this task includes a veteran drummer, Victor Lewis, along with the vibraphonist Steve Nelson, the trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, the pianist Bruce Barth and the bassist Santi Debriano.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St.
At 9 and 11 p.m./ $30 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com

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

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

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

There are other casual dining options in this neighborhood that provide good food, especially as alternatives to overpriced hotel breakfasts, and most importantly,
have free Wi-FI:

>Pret a Manger @ 11 W 42nd st (Betw 5th/6th)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 42nd st / times square

>Potbelly @ 30 Rockefeller Plaza (Betw 49/48 st)
Subway: #1 to 50th st

>Pret a Manger @ 1200 6th ave (Betw 47/48)
Subway: #1 to 50th st

For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and extended descriptions of 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide”

Today’s “Fab 5” / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, AUG 17, 2013

Jazz Age Lawn Party – Today’s Top Pick
“Put on your favorite Gatsby attire and head out to Governors Island for a Prohibition era–themed weekend at the eighth annual Jazz Age Lawn Party. Fops, dolls, and even the little ones (the party is free for children under 12) can see classic cars, listen to retro music broadcast from antique gramophones, have a vintage-style portrait made, or do the Charleston in the dance-off. In addition to era-appropriate performances by Michael Arnella and His Dreamland Orchestra and others, there will also be a “Taste of the ’20s” menu. While you may bring your own picnic, no outside alcoholic beverages will be permitted—it’s Prohibition, remember?” (VillageVoice)
Governors Island, Colonel’s Row
From 11AM-5PM/$35, with VIP packages, $49 and $149
jazzagelawnparty.com
Directions: Ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Bldg., 10 South St.,
adjacent to the SI Ferry in Lower Manhattan.
schedule for free ferry service: governorsislandalliance.org

THEATRE: FringeNYC
(New York International Fringe Festival) (thru 08/25)
“Now in its 17th year, the multi-arts festival is the biggest of its kind in North America. Theatre companies from all over the world (185 in total) converge on downtown Manhattan to mount performances at venues like The Players Theatre, SubCulture, and Theatre 80.

With 200 shows over 16 days at 20 venues, from the dark to the comical, starships to strip clubs, if you fancy yourself an adventurer, FringeNYC is absolutely worth exploration.” — Mindy Bond.
Can’t tell the players without a scorecard.
The NYTimes has a guide.

Summer Streets
This is the last Saturday when portions of Park Avenue will be closed to traffic and open for recreation as part of the 6th annual Summer Streets program sponsored by the Department of Transportation.

Seven miles of streets from the brooklyn bridge to central park are open for only pedestrians to enjoy. Everything is free, including a zip line, rock wall climbing, bike + roller blade rentals, bike helmet giveaways, yoga + fitness classes, a seven-block-long art installation in the park ave tunnel, and more.

Enjoy the recreational and cultural events, as well as rest stops along the route: Lafayette Street, from the Brooklyn Bridge to 14th St., and Park Avenue, from 14th to 72nd St.
From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m./ nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets.

Gabriel Misse and Analia Centurion* (through Sunday)
“The celebrated tango dancers, based in Buenos Aires, have returned to New York for a series of milongas, performances and, for those moved to try what they do, in-depth seminars. Any time spent in the company of this charismatic couple — whether as spectator or student — is said to be exhilarating.” (Burke-NYT)
Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 West 46th Street, 11th floor, At various times / prices vary
575-0222, dardogallettostudios.com

Joey DeFrancesco with the City Rhythm Orchestra
Mr. DeFrancesco, the soulful Hammond B-3 organ virtuoso, teams up with a big band long active in his hometown, Philadelphia.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton
At 8:30 and 11 p.m./$30 and $40 cover, with a $10 minimum.
(212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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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 Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you may want to see:

“Reinventing Abstraction” (through Aug 31)
“Curated by poet and critic Raphael Rubinstein, this show looks at a group of painters who, to varying degrees, undertook an individualistic, even eccentric, approach to abstraction during the 1980s, when the attention of the art world was otherwise focused on Neo-Expressionism, Neo-Geo and appropriation art. Carroll Dunham, Mary Heilmann, Bill Jensen, Elizabeth Murray, Joan Snyder and Terry Winters are some of the artists with works on view.” (TONY mag)
Cheim & Read, 547 W 25th St, btw Tenth and Eleventh Aves
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / FREE
212-242-7727 / cheimread.com

Desire (through August 23)
On Bob Dylan’s 1976 Desire album cover, we see him decked out in a fedora, fur-collared coat, and scarf tie, gazing off into the distance—but what is he looking at? This alluring image, taken by Ruth Bernal, serves as the curatorial inspiration to Desire, a group show of more than 20
female artists. Check out compelling and provocative work like Yoko Ono’s Touch Me cut-up canvas, Vivienne Griffin’s peephole op-art ink drawing, and Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin’s watercolor paintings, one of which features a red penis and is titled A Million Ways to Cum. Want more? Don’t wait, this show closes soon. (Araceli Cruz. VillageVoice)
Yancey Richardson, 535 W. 22nd St.
10:00 a.m. every Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri.
646-230-9610 /http://www.yanceyrichardson.com

“Photo Brut” at ZieherSmith (through Aug 23)
“Shows of so-called vernacular photographs (found photos, ranging from family-album fare to police mugshots) have become a gallery staple of late, for a number of reasons, including the appeal of their accidental aesthetics and their frequent detours into the uncanny.

This group show attempts to expand the category by giving it a snappy new label, and by offering up some bizarre images indeed—including a series of beauty-shop images showing only the backs of coiffed female heads; a cache of old Polaroids taken off television and featuring obscure performers whose names are carefully noted on the picture margins; and a 1940s backyard portrait of an otherwise unremarkable man whose erect penis is emerging from his trousers.” (TONY mag)
ZieherSmith, 516 W 20th St, btw 10th and 11th Ave.
Tue–Sat 11am–6pm / FREE
212-229-1088 / ziehersmith.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)
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Top Photography Exhibitions – NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide

  Museum of Modern Art
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014)
11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400

  Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photography and the American Civil War (through Sept. 2, 2013)
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969 
(through January 26, 2014)
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710

   ICP
A Different Kind of Order: The ICP Triennial (through Sept. 22, 2013)
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street / 212-857-0000

  American Museum Natural History 
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies          
(through May 31, 2014)
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278 

  Howard Greenberg Gallery
Bruce Davidson: “Time of Change” & “Staff Picks 2013”
(through Aug. 31, 2013)
41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406 / 212-334-0100

  Staley-Wise Gallery
It’s An American Thing (through Sept. 14, 2013)
560 Broadway, Soho / 212-966-6223

One more photo exhibition, this one in a special setting – the lovely, new Bklyn Bridge Park with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, and of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.
(easy to get to via subway: #2 or 3 express to Clark St., the 1st stop in Bklyn.)

‘The Fence’ in Brooklyn Bridge Park (through Oct. 1)
“When is a fence not a fence? When it is the backdrop for a free display of over 200 jury selected images of people, animals and daily life by 39 photographers from the United States and abroad. Presented for the second year by United Photo Industries, a Brooklyn arts cooperative, as a showcase for young photographers, the display consists of a 1,000-foot-long waterproof mesh banner superimposed with color and black-and-white photos.

The banner stretches through Brooklyn Bridge Park, from Pier 15, at Joralemon Street and the East River in Brooklyn Heights, to Main Street in Dumbo.” (Anne Mancuso-NYT)
Pier 5, Joralemon Street and the East River
From 6am to 1am / FREE
(718) 215-9075 / fence.photovillenyc.org
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (08/15) and (08/13).