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

Selected Music / Upper West Side

Allan Harris / blues (no cover charge)
‘Guitarist & Vocalist Allan Harris who CNN referred to as one of the
“thee best male jazz vocalists in the country” “is a baritone crooner
with a husky edge who evokes Nat King Cole (and plays a mean Les
Paul guitar). He blends the sounds of Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk and R&B
into a fertile musical delta that reflects Mr Harris unfashionably
hopeful vision of a multicultural America” (NY Times) “Mr Harris
specializes in making every song into a party” (Wall Street Journal)
We hope you’ll join the Sunday night party at Smoke! “

Smoke, 2751 B’way (btw 105/106 st)
7pm & 9pm / no music charge
two-course dinner prix-fixe available for $29.95
10:30pm $20 minimum (dinner optional) / no music charge
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Duke Ellington Birthday Celebration
“A free outdoor concert with professional and student musicians is among the events commemorating the 114th anniversary of the birth date of Duke Ellington; the actual date is April 29. Taking part in the performance on April 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the statue of Ellington at Fifth Avenue and West 110th Street, are the percussionist and bandleader Bobby Sanabria and the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Big Band; students from the Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music and Art; and the Tap City Youth Ensemble. Sponsored by the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts an organization to promote the music and legacy of the jazz great. thedukeellingtoncenter.org.” — (ANNE MANCUSO, NYT)

from 1 to 3 p.m. / FREE
Fifth Avenue, at West 110th Street
thedukeellingtoncenter.org
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Catherine Russell
“Ms. Russell, a jazz singer with a husky tone but a bright temperament, draws here from her fourth album, “Strictly Romancin’ ” (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), with a band that includes the guitarist and banjoist Matt Munisteri.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola,  Broadway, at West 60th Street
at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $35 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 258-9595 / jalc.org
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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

“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.

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

Selected Events

World Tai Chi-Qigong Day “Multiply those daily practitioners in Central Park by several hundred and that is what the East Meadow in Central Park will resemble during this annual worldwide celebration of tai chi. Spectators can join in during this free event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.”  — (ANNE MANCUSO, NYT)

Central Park
enter the park at Fifth Avenue, at 97th Street
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. / FREE
(646) 698-3375
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Dance Under the Influence “In the tiny basement theater at the Museum of Arts and Design, the curator Valerie Gladstone culls together artists from distant reaches of the dance world. Where else would you see the New York City Ballet principal Jared Angle, the gender-bending duo Sara du Jour, the dance filmmaker Pontus Lidberg and the thoughtful Susan Marshall & Company on one stage? Improbable parallels may emerge, as they often do at this series, both in the performances and the discussion that follows.”  — (SIOBHAN BURKE, NYT)

Museum of Arts and Design 2 Columbus Circle, at Eighth Avenue
at 7:30 p.m. / $20, $12 for students
(800) 838-3006 / madmuseum.org ============================================

Celebrating Duke Ellington “Jazz at Lincoln Center has periodically paused to pay tribute to its most profound influence, and so this repertory concert —  featuring Wynton Marsalis and the organization’s resident orchestra —  can be pegged as both a habitual gesture and a crack team doing what it does best.+ — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway, at West 60th Street
at 2 and 8 p.m. / limited availability
721-6500 / jalc.org
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Vijay Iyer: Solo, Trio, Sextet “In his music for small ensembles, the pianist Vijay Iyer favors a surging, complex strain of postbop, steeped in portent and incident. This concert will feature him in a solo setting, and in a trio with Stephan Crump on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. It will also put him at the helm of a sextet, augmenting that rhythm section with several veteran partners: the trumpeter Graham Haynes, the soprano and alto saxophonist Steve Lehman and the tenor saxophonist Mark Shim.”— (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
881 Seventh Avenue, at West 57th Street
at 9 p.m. / $40 to $50
(212) 247-7800 / carnegiehall.org ============================================

Catherine Russell “Ms. Russell, a jazz singer with a husky tone but a bright temperament, draws here from her fourth album, “Strictly Romancin’ ” (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), with a band that includes the guitarist and banjoist Matt Munisteri.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola,  Broadway, at West 60th Street
April 25-28 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $35 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 258-9595 / jalc.org
=========================================

Souleymane Badolo With Cynthia Oliver
“Souleymane Badolo was born in Burkina Faso, and started his dance career with a traditional African troupe. Since moving to New York in 2009, he has worked with the contemporary choreographer Reggie Wilson, but his own pieces draw strongly from his history and heritage.

In “Buudou, BADOO, BADOLO,” he looks at the cultural legacy passed from his own great-great-grandfather. And his new “Barack,” is, press materials say, an acknowledgment of the people who have helped him in his move to New York. Opening the evening is a duet by Cynthia Oliver, persuasively titled “BOOM!” — (ROSLYN SULCAS, NYT)

New York Live Arts 219 West 19th Street, btw Seventh and Eighth Avenues
April 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. / $15 to $20, $16 for students and 65+
(212) 924-0077 / newyorklivearts.org =========================================

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

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums : 
(WestSide Manhattan & the BklynMuseum, easy via #2-3 subway)

‘Edvard Munch: The Scream’ (through April 29)
‘Projects 99: Meiro Koizumi’ (through May 1)
‘Claes Oldenburg: The Street and the Store’ and ‘Claes Oldenburg: Mouse Museum, Ray Gun Wing’ (through to Aug. 5)
‘Performing Histories (1)’ (through Aug. 5)
‘Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light’ (through Aug. 12)

Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St,
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org. ==========================================================

‘Radical Terrain’ (through April 29)
Rubin Museum of Art: 150 West 17th Street, Chelsea,
620-5000 / rmanyc.org.
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‘John Singer Sargent Watercolors’  (through July 28) [see review below]
‘Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui’ (through Aug. 4)
‘LaToya Ruby Frazier: A Haunted Capital’ (through Aug. 11)

Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park,
(718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

John Singer Sargent Watercolors
“The exhibition brings together 93 of his watercolors and 9 oil paintings from the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Both institutions acquired significant quantities of his work early on, the Brooklyn Museum from Sargent’s career debut show in New York in 1909 and the Boston museum from a solo show there in 1912. The beauty of Sargent’s watercolors is in how seemingly effortlessly yet exactly he captured outdoor light and complicated man-made and natural forms. In landscapes, close studies of fruit and flowers and portraits of women you see at once the supremely deft action of the brush and the illusions of a sun-drenched halcyon world that it conjures. Prepare for bedazzlement.”- (KEN JOHNSON, NYT)

Tonight’s Music  / Greenwich Village

JEM WARREN
“Jem Warren, a New York–based singer-songwriter grounded in acoustic guitar, keeps a diary of his life experiences in the form of song. He poetically expresses his perceptions of his world writing about everything from love and nature to politics and religion.

Jem is a regular in the music scene and performs at Rockwood Music Hall, The Living Room, The Bowery Electric, The Bitter End and has a monthly residency at Cafe Vivaldi. Jem continues to engage and affect audiences with his profound lyrical fragility, genuine storytelling and his melodic, haunting and hypnotic style.”

Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/W4th)
8:30 – 9:30; no cover.
691-7538 / caffevivaldi.com

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Kendra Shank
Kendra Shank…Voice, Ben Monder…Guitar, Dean Johnson…Bass, Tony Moreno…Drums
(Last Friday of Every Month)

“Delectable…” -TIME magazine “Ms. Shank is a risk taker who ventures fearlessly onto the high wire. Her jagged phrasing, willingness to stretch and manipulate time and her refusal to resolve phrases in conventional ways give her singing genuine originality.” – ALL ABOUT JAZZ
“Entrancing…” – VILLAGE VOICE

55 Bar – 55 Christopher st (btw. 7th ave S/Waverly place)
10pm; $10 cover, with a two-drink minimum.
929-9883 / 55bar.com

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Shakespeare Birthday Celebration
“The 449th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth — the actual day is April 23 — will be celebrated with an evening of readings and discussions with actors, scholars and others. James Shapiro, a Shakespeare scholar at Columbia University, will talk about Shakespeare and his sonnets; the actor Sam Waterston, who played King Lear in a 2011 production at the Public Theater, will then read some sonnets and discuss their significance to him; and Kathryn Schulz, the book critic of New York Magazine, will be part of a discussion about the influence of Shakespeare on contemporary literature. The evening will also feature Téa Obreht, author of “The Tiger’s Wife,” who will read a new poem influenced by Shakespeare’s sonnets.” — (ANNE MANCUSO, NYT)

Joe’s Pub
at 7 p.m. / $30.50, $24 for members
425 Lafayette Street, btw East Fourth Street and Astor Place
(212) 967-7555 / joespub.com

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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 – Greenwich Village

“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.

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

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, 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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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)
—————————————————————————–————-————-—
There are also some casual dining, chain restaurant locations in this neighborhood that have decent food and 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 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”.

Selected Events – Thursday, 04/25/13

Tribeca Talks® Industry: 
New Filmmakers in the Digital Age
Come and hear from new filmmakers on how they navigated the world of digital filmmaking.

“Sponsored by Panavision. Learn from doing. With expanding options in digital cameras and lens combinations, along with a transparency of production workflow strategies and processes, directors, producers and cinematographers are learning more from each other than ever before.

Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program supports filmmakers by providing grants for camera packages. Come and hear from new filmmakers on how they navigated the world of digital filmmaking. Panelists include director Lance Edmands (Bluebird), filmmaker/actor Alex Karpovsky, director Jenée LaMarque (The Pretty One), director Rob Meyer (A Birder’s Guide to Everything) and producer Tamara Anghie (Run and Jump). Moderated by Panavision’s Peter Brogna.

SVA Theater 2 Beatrice
333 west 23rd street (btwn 8th and 9th aves)
@ 2:30 PM / FREE w/ ticket
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Hilary Gardner
“Hilary Gardner, like the great ‘girl singers’ of decades past, brings elegance and wit to every song she sings.  She lends a touch of vintage cool to new material and makes the old songs sound fresh again.”
-Twyla Tharp, creator, director and choreographer of Broadway’s “Come Fly Away” and “Movin’ Out”

Caffe Vivaldi
32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/W4th st)
7:30pm / no cover
691-7538 / caffevivaldi.com
======================================

Souleymane Badolo With Cynthia Oliver
“Souleymane Badolo was born in Burkina Faso, and started his dance career with a traditional African troupe. Since moving to New York in 2009, he has worked with the contemporary choreographer Reggie Wilson, but his own pieces draw strongly from his history and heritage. In “Buudou, BADOO, BADOLO,” he looks at the cultural legacy passed from his own great-great-grandfather. And his new “Barack,” is, press materials say, an acknowledgment of the people who have helped him in his move to New York. Opening the evening is a duet by Cynthia Oliver, persuasively titled “BOOM!” — (ROSLYN SULCAS, NYT)

New York Live Arts
219 West 19th Street, btw Seventh and Eighth Avenues
April 25-27 at 7:30 p.m.
$15 to $20, $16 for students and 65+
(212) 924-0077 / newyorklivearts.org
=============================================

Mat Maneri Trio
“Mat Maneri is a violist with an elastic approach to pulse and pitch; in this trio, he has intuitive support from Ed Schuller on bass and Randy Peterson on drums.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street, btw Bleecker and West Fourth St
at 8:30 p.m. / $20 cover, includes a drink
(212) 989-9319 / corneliastreetcafe.com
=============================================

Elegant Ellington
“Ignoring for a moment that the title is a lesson in redundancy, this jazz-cabaret program should access the Duke Ellington songbook from a variety of angles. The singers on deck almost ensure that outcome: along with the scholarly Michael Feinstein, they include the literary crooner Kurt Elling, the bluesman Blind Boy Paxton and the up-and-comer Brianna Thomas.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Allen Room, Jazz @ Lincoln Center
Broadway, at West 60th Street
at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
$55 to $95 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 721-6500 / jalc.org
=========================================

Catherine Russell
Ms. Russell, a jazz singer with a husky tone but a bright temperament, draws here from her fourth album, “Strictly Romancin’ ” (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), with a band that includes the guitarist and banjoist Matt Munisteri. — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 
Broadway, at West 60th Street
April 25-28 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
$35 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 258-9595 / jalc.org
=========================================

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

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

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 MUSEUMS:
(Museum Mile & other Fifth Avenue area Museums)

“Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity” (through May 27)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: ‘James Nares: Street’ (through May 27)
“African Art, New York, and the Avant-Garde” (through Sept. 2)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: ‘Photography and the American Civil War’ (through Sept. 2)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1000 5th Ave,@ 82nd street
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

“Gutai: Splendid Playground” (through May 8)
“No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia” (through May 22)
 “The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo’” (through May 27)
Guggenheim Museum: 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

“Degas, Miss La La and the Cirque Fernando” (through May 12)
Morgan Library & Museum: 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th st
(212) 685-0008 / themorgan.org.

Tonight’s Music / Midtown West 

Barbara Cook
54 Below, 254 W 54th st Cellar
7:00 pm/$85 & 9:30 pm/$65;
Food & Beverage Minimum $30

“One of the all time great voices comes to our stage for two very special weeks this April and May, debuting a brand new evening of music! Her pure soprano, haunting tone, and warm onstage presence make any evening with Barbara Cook an unforgettable nightlife experience. Not only are Ms. Cook’s concert and cabaret performances the stuff of New York legend, but her life in the theatre has stretched from the creation of the leading female roles in the Broadway classics Candide, The Music Man, and She Loves Me, to her recent appearance in Sondheim on Sondheim, and a whole lot in between!”

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

“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.

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. 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 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 night 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).

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

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; 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.

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

Selected Events – Tuesday, 04/23/13

New York Public Library: ‘100 Years of Flamenco in New York’
“This exhibition traces the popularity of the dance form in the city, from the mid-1800s to the present, through engravings and photographs, printed materials, costume pieces and films and recordings. On April 15 at 6 p.m., a special event will include a film screening and a discussion with Deirdre Towers, a dance historian; Robert Browning, founding director of the World Music Institute; the dancers Maria Benitez and Jorge Navarro; and Clara Aich, a filmmaker.  — ANNE MANCUSO”, NYT

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Broadway, btw W 62nd and 65th Streets
at 6 p.m., a screening and discussion, FREE
(917) 275-6975, nypl.org/lpa
================================================================

Jean Rohe
“A sure-footed young singer-songwriter mixing aesthetic approaches from jazz, folk and chamber music, Ms. Rohe appears on Sunday with something she calls her End of the World Show, playing mandolin alongside the accordionist Liam Robinson, the percussionist Rogério Boccato and the percussionist James Shipp, among others. (Sharing the bill is Down Home, a worthy project of the saxophonist Petr Cancura.) On April 23 Ms. Rohe performs with no outside help, playing a new batch of songs.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Cornelia Street Café
at 10 p.m. / $20 cover, includes a drink
29 Cornelia Street, btw Bleecker and West Fourth Streets
(212) 989-9319 / corneliastreetcafe.com

Terell Stafford Quintet
“A bright and assertive trumpeter with a solid hard-bop footing, Terell Stafford has lately been hard at work trying to establish the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, an entity devoted to the music and musicians of his adopted hometown. He seems likely to draw partly from that legacy here, leading a band with a fellow Philadelphian, Tim Warfield, on saxophones.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Village Vanguard
178 Seventh Avenue South, at West 11th Street
at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 cover,
(212) 255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

Mike LeDonne Quartet
“Hammond B3 master Mike LeDonne, who was just nominated for Best Keyboard Artist 2012 by the prestigious Jazz Journalists Association, leads a jazz dream team of artists in this long-running house party. “…saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Joe Farnsworth are joining LeDonne to present their version of what in the trade is called “grits and gravy” jazz. This is groove music that’s fun and good for the soul.” – (Greg Thomas, NY Daily News)
Vincent Herring (alto saxophone) • Peter Bernstein (guitar) •
Mike LeDonne (B3 organ) • Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Smoke, 2751 B’way (btw 105/106 st)
7pm & 9pm / no music charge
two-course dinner prix-fixe available for $29.95
10:30pm $20 minimum (dinner optional) / no music charge

Ballet Hispanico
“For its 25th season at the Joyce Theater, the company has acquired a classic by the Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato, “Jardi Tancat.” The earthy, lyrical evocation of Mediterranean cultures, made 30 years ago, is paired with two works by younger Spaniards on Program A: a world premiere by Cayetano Soto and a Europop–driven romp by Inma García and Meritxell Barberá. Program B offers tastes of tango, flamenco and Cuban danzón in works by Eduardo Vilaro (with live Latin jazz by the Paquito D’Rivera Ensemble), Alejandro Cervera and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.” — (SIOBHAN BURKE, NYT)

Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at West 19th Street
at 7:30 p.m. / $10 to $59
(212) 242-0800 / joyce.org

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

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums & Galleries: 
(WestSide Manhattan & BrooklynMuseum, easy via #2-3 subway)

‘Edvard Munch: The Scream’ (through April 29)
‘Projects 99: Meiro Koizumi’ (through May 1)
‘Claes Oldenburg: The Street and the Store’ and ‘Claes Oldenburg: Mouse Museum, Ray Gun Wing’ (through to Aug. 5)
‘Performing Histories (1)’ (through Aug. 5)
‘Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light’ (through Aug. 12)

Museum of Modern Art:11 W 53rd St,
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.

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

‘Radical Terrain’ (through April 29)
Rubin Museum of Art: 150 West 17th Street, Chelsea,
620-5000 / rmanyc.org.

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

‘John Singer Sargent Watercolors’ (through July 28)
‘Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui’ 
(through Aug. 4)
‘LaToya Ruby Frazier: A Haunted Capital’ (through Aug. 11)

Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, (718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

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

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Birdland – 315 West 44th St (Btw 8th/9th ave)
9:30 pm, $20
Broadway impresario Jim Caruso hosts a combination open-mic, networking event and party in which the biggest stars on Broadway relax on their night off by performing their favorite songs in an informal setting.

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places 

“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.

Jimmy’s Corner
140 W 44th St (Betw 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.
———————————————————————————————————-
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

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

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.

The focus for “3 Good Eating places” is 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,  soup & sandwiches,  salad bars,  hot dogs,  bbq,  picnic fixins’,  raw bars & lobster rolls. No reservations necessary. ———————————————————————————————————-

There are also some casual dining, chain restaurant locations in this neighborhood that have decent food and free Wi-FI:

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

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

C. 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”.

Selected Events – Sunday, 04/21/13

Live Ideas
“New York Live Arts dedicates its inaugural festival of arts and ideas to the esteemed writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks, exploring notions of mind-body connection through the lens of his writings. The constellation of discussions and performances centers around theatrical, musical and choreographic adaptations of Dr. Sacks’s 1973 “Awakenings.” The full festival lineup is at newyorklivearts.org/liveideas.”  — (SIOBHAN BURKE, NYT)

New York Live Arts
219 West 19th Street, btw Seventh and Eighth Avenues
prices vary
(212) 924-0077, newyorklivearts.org
================================================================

Works & Process
“The only problem with the lively Works & Process series at the Guggenheim is that it tends to sell out to subscribers before the general public ever hears about its events. But all credit to the Works & Process organizers, who have seized on the possibilities of live-streaming with alacrity. It is my happy duty to report that although there are no more tickets for the two live programs of “American Ballet Theater — The Versatile Dancer,” you can watch the event on Sunday, and hear (perhaps) answers to the question, “What makes an ABT dancer?”

The event is moderated by John Meehan, who used to direct Ballet Theater’s studio company, and who will chat with (unnamed) artistic staff and dancers between excerpts from various pieces. These include a mouthwatering assortment: Mark Morris’s “Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes,” Antony Tudor’s “Leaves Are Fading,” Bournonville’s “Flower Festival in Genzano,” Frederick Ashton’s “Month in the Country,” Ratmansky’s “Carnival of the Animals” and more. And then there are the dancers: Isabella Boylston, Stella Abrera, Sascha Radetsky, Hee Seo, Alexandre Hammoudi, among others.

You can see the whole marvelous lot at 7:30 on April 21 at ustream.tv/worksandprocess.” — (ROSLYN SULCAS, NYT)

Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue, at East 89th Street
at 7:30 p.m., sold out
(212) 423 3500, guggenheim.org
================================================================

Hiromi: The Trio Project
“Drawing from her most recent album, “Move” (Telarc), the extravagantly dynamic pianist Hiromi Uehara pursues an aesthetic of hyper-dexterity with help from her regular partners, the bassist Anthony Jackson and the drummer Simon Phillips.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Blue Note,
131 West Third Street, btw Macdougal Street and Avenue of the Americas
at 8 and 10:30 p.m., $45 cover at tables, $25 at the bar, with a $5 minimum
(212) 475-8592, bluenote.net
================================================================

Tribeca Film Festival: Drive-In and Discussions
TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College
199 Chambers Street, near Greenwich Street
at 3 p.m., $25
tribecafilm.com/festival/events

“A series of film-related events continues at various  locations around the city.

Several conversations between actors and directors are planned. On April 21 at 3 p.m. the producer and director Jay Roach and the actor Ben Stiller, who have worked together on films including “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers,” will appear at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, near Greenwich Street.”  — (ANNE MANCUSO, NYT)

Gerald Clayton Trio
Village Vanguard
178 Seventh Avenue South, at West 11th Street
at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

“Gerald Clayton, a pianist of great touch and soulful exposition, just released “Life Forum” (Concord Jazz), an album ambitious in concept and texture, with a clear emphasis on his designs as a composer-bandleader. At the heart of the album is the excellent working trio he presents here, featuring the bassist Joe Sanders and the drummer Justin Brown”. — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Richard Galliano-Christian Howes Quintet
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 
Broadway, at West 60th Street
April 16-21 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
$30 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 258-9595, jalc.org

“The energetic violinist Christian Howes has a new album, “Southern Exposure” (Resonance), featuring Richard Galliano, the celebrated French accordionist, as a special guest. They revisit that terrain —  playing music inspired by a wealth of South American traditions —  in this run, with Josh Nelson on piano, George Delancey on bass and Cedric Easton on drums”. — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

New York Public Library: ‘100 Years of Flamenco in New York’
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Broadway, btw W 62nd and 65th Streets
at 6 p.m., a screening and discussion, FREE
(917) 275-6975, nypl.org/lpa

“This exhibition traces the popularity of the dance form in the city, from the mid-1800s to the present, through engravings and photographs, printed materials, costume pieces and films and recordings. On April 15 at 6 p.m., a special event will include a film screening and a discussion with Deirdre Towers, a dance historian; Robert Browning, founding director of the World Music Institute; the dancers Maria Benitez and Jorge Navarro; and Clara Aich, a filmmaker.  — ANNE MANCUSO”, NYT

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

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 MUSEUMS:
(Museum Mile & other Fifth Avenue area Museums)

‘The Path of Nature: French Paintings from the Wheelock Whitney Collection, 1785-1850’ (through April 21)
“Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity” (through May 27)
“African Art, New York, and the Avant-Garde” (through Sept. 2)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1000 5th Ave,@ 82nd street /
(212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org

“Zarina: Paper Like Skin” (through April 21)
“Gutai: Splendid Playground” (through May 8)
“No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia” (through May 22)
 “The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo’” (through May 27)
Guggenheim Museum: 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, /
(212) 423-3500, guggenheim.org.

“Drawing Surrealism” (through April 21)
“Degas, Miss La La and the Cirque Fernando” (through May 12)
Morgan Library & Museum: 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street, /
(212) 685-0008, themorgan.org.

Tonight’s Music / West Village – Chelsea

Tribeca Film Festival: Drive-In and Discussions
School of Visual Arts Theater, 333 West 23rd Street
(btw Eighth and Ninth Avenues)
at 3:30 p.m., $25
tribecafilm.com/festival/events

“A series of film-related events continues at various  locations around the city.

Several conversations between actors and directors are also planned. On April 20 at 3:30 p.m. Mira Nair, the writer, director and producer (“The Namesake,” “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”), will chat with the actress Bryce Dallas Howard (“The Help”) at the School of Visual Arts Theater, 333 West 23rd Street, Chelsea.” — (ANNE MANCUSO, NYT)

Kate and Keith Duo-Palooza
55 Bar, 55 Christopher Street
(btw Waverly Place and Seventh Avenue South_
from 6 to 9 p.m., no cover, with a two-drink minimum
(212) 929-9883,55bar.com

“Kate McGarry, an emotionally lucid and musically sure-footed singer, joins her husband, the guitarist Keith Ganz, in a set full of far-ranging material, likely to appear on an album soon.” — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Claudia Quintet
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street
(btw Bleecker and West Fourth Streets)
at 9 and 10:30 p.m., $20 cover, includes a drink
(212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com

“This precisely calibrated but willfully spontaneous chamber-jazz group led by John Hollenbeck, a drummer and composer, makes the layering of timbre a suspenseful event. The ensemble — now with Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Matt Moran on vibraphone, Red Wierenga on accordion and Chris Tordini on bass — will be playing new music intended for a forthcoming album.” — (NATE CHINEN. NYT)

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 – West Village

“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.

Corner Bistro
331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town. The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening,  in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you  can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).

Top Events / WestSide 04/13

Diana Krall
Beacon Theater
8 p.m., $75-$125
2124 Broadway, (btw W 74th and 75th Streets)
(212) 465-6500, beacontheatre.com

““Glad Rag Doll” (Verve), the most recent album by Diana Krall, is on one hand a nifty bit of pop archaeology, consisting of songs culled mostly from the ’20s and ’30s. It’s also a shrewd image tweak for Ms. Krall, with its dusty T Bone Burnett sound and its Ziegfeld Follies style. All of which bodes well for this stop on her current tour”. — NATE CHINEN, NYT

Gerald Clayton Trio
Village Vanguard
178 Seventh Avenue South, at West 11th Street
at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

“Gerald Clayton, a pianist of great touch and soulful exposition, just released “Life Forum” (Concord Jazz), an album ambitious in concept and texture, with a clear emphasis on his designs as a composer-bandleader. At the heart of the album is the excellent working trio he presents here, featuring the bassist Joe Sanders and the drummer Justin Brown”. — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

Richard Galliano-Christian Howes Quintet
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 
Broadway, at West 60th Street
April 16-21 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
$30 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 258-9595, jalc.org

“The energetic violinist Christian Howes has a new album, “Southern Exposure” (Resonance), featuring Richard Galliano, the celebrated French accordionist, as a special guest. They revisit that terrain —  playing music inspired by a wealth of South American traditions —  in this run, with Josh Nelson on piano, George Delancey on bass and Cedric Easton on drums”. — (NATE CHINEN, NYT)

New York Public Library: ‘100 Years of Flamenco in New York’
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Broadway, btw W 62nd and 65th Streets
at 6 p.m., a screening and discussion, FREE
(917) 275-6975, nypl.org/lpa

“This exhibition traces the popularity of the dance form in the city, from the mid-1800s to the present, through engravings and photographs, printed materials, costume pieces and films and recordings. On April 15 at 6 p.m., a special event will include a film screening and a discussion with Deirdre Towers, a dance historian; Robert Browning, founding director of the World Music Institute; the dancers Maria Benitez and Jorge Navarro; and Clara Aich, a filmmaker.  — ANNE MANCUSO”, NYT

Havana Film Festival New York
Directors Guild Theater, 110 West 57th Street, btw 7th/6th ave
at various times, $11 for a single screening, $40 for a day pass
hffny.com

‘This festival — the 14th — will feature screenings of more than 40 films highlighting Latino culture, as well lectures and other events, at locations around the city. Opening the festival on Friday at 6:30 p.m. is “Amor Cronico,” a 2012 documentary by the director Jorge Perugorría about the Cuban concert tour of the Cuban-American singer CuCu Diamantes. The screening will take place at the Directors Guild Theater and will be followed by a reception at the Iguana Night Club, 240 West 54th Street, Manhattan. Some of the other venues include the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village, and Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Avenue at 37th Street, Astoria, Queens. A full schedule is at hffny.com. — ANNE MANCUSO’, NYT

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

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums & Galleries: 
(WestSide Manhattan & Brooklyn via #2-3 subway)

‘Edvard Munch: The Scream’ (through April 29)
‘Projects 99: Meiro Koizumi’ (through May 6)
‘Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light’ (through Aug. 12)
Museum of Modern Art:11 W 53rd St,
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.

John Singer Sargent Watercolors
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park
718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org

“The exhibition brings together 93 of his watercolors and 9 oil paintings from the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Both institutions acquired significant quantities of his work early on, the Brooklyn Museum from Sargent’s career debut show in New York in 1909 and the Boston museum from a solo show there in 1912.

The beauty of Sargent’s watercolors is in how seemingly effortlessly yet exactly he captured outdoor light and complicated man-made and natural forms. In landscapes, close studies of fruit and flowers and portraits of women you see at once the supremely deft action of the brush and the illusions of a sun-drenched halcyon world that it conjures. Prepare for bedazzlement. (KEN JOHNSON) NYT”