NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 08/08/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ AUGUST 08, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Broadway in Bryant Park (Thursdays through August 16)
Bryant Park / 12:30pm–1:30pm, FREE
“For lovers of musical theater, the Broadway in Bryant Park concert series is one of the best things to do in the summer in NYC. Presented each year by the radio station 106.7 Lite fm, it’s a great way to spend a Thursday lunch hour: It’s outdoors, it’s free and it features performances from some of the best Broadway musicals, as well as Off Broadway shows. Bring a blanket, sit in the sun and let your inner show-tune fan out to play in the park for a while.” (TONY)

Featuring musical numbers from hit shows:
Beautiful
A Musical About Star Wars
Oklahoma!
Pretty Woman

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> John Mayall
>> Under Siege
>> BILL FRISELL
>> Tessa Lark and Michael Thurber
>> INGRID LAUBROCK
>> Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward
>> Michael Feinstein: I Happen to Like New York

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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Music, Dance, Performing Art

John Mayall (Aug.8-10)
@ The Iridium / 8PM, $55+
“Blues rock legend John Mayall is the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, which helped launch the careers of members of Cream, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, and more. Mayall is still at it today, and the chance to see him is a real treat. He begins a three-night stand at the Iridium tonight.” (brooklynvegan)

Under Siege (Aug.8-10)
A superstar’s take on the fight for ancient China.
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, $65+
“Choreographer Yang Liping abbreviates the story and expands the spectacle of China’s third-century B.C. civil war into a visual extravaganza that combines dance, music, and martial arts against a cinematic backdrop by Oscar-winning production designer Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).” (Justin Davidson, NYMagazine)

BILL FRISELL (Aug. 6-11)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Blue Note Records announced this week that it had signed Frisell, a homey eminence of downtown guitar experimentalism. He has often appeared on the label as a sideman over the years, but “Harmony,” due this fall, will be his first as a leader. Whatever he has in store with that release, his recent albums for ECM — luminous duo affairs with the bassist Thomas Morgan — probably offer a good clue of what to expect at these shows, where he and Morgan will be joined by the drummer Rudy Royston.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Tessa Lark and Michael Thurber
Tessa Lark, violin
Michael Thurber, bass
Atrium, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Inspired by Bach’s Two-Part Inventions, violinist Tessa Lark, a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, and intrepid bassist Michael Thurber have created their own set of duos, drawing upon their roots in classical music, Appalachian fiddling, jazz, and R&B. This lively, hourlong concert showcases Lark and Thurber’s original compositions alongside the inventive mastery of Bach.”

INGRID LAUBROCK (Aug. 6-10)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Laubrock can manipulate her tenor saxophone with everything from thin, breathy lines to harsh slaps of the tongue. Despite her expressionist tendencies, she never lets go of her devotion to cool, lyrical clarity. Laubrock kicks off a five-night run at the Stone on Tuesday with Mary Halvorson on guitar, Kris Davis on piano and Tom Rainey on drums. She will convene a different combo on each of the following nights — featuring all-stars of the avant-garde — before wrapping things up with a quintet performance on Aug. 10 dedicated to the music of Anthony Braxton.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward (Aug.7-11)
Irish Repertory Theatre / 3PM, +8PM, $45-$50
“The Noël Coward touch was always a light one. His music scampers like a mouse; his lyrics bounce like balloons. In his plays, even suffering has an upward tendency. But when his work is excerpted and performed by others, that glancing quality can turn coy and saccharine, as it sometimes does in Barry Day’s two-handed cabaret Love, Noël.

Reading from Coward’s letters and covering nearly two dozen songs, cabaret stars Steve Ross and KT Sullivan pay Coward tribute. Sometimes Ross, the longtime king of café cabaret, is his own tuxedoed self, and sometimes he’s pretending to be Coward; an amused-seeming Sullivan takes on all the women. (She does a great, gloomy Marlene Dietrich.)” (TONY)

Michael Feinstein: I Happen to Like New York (Aug.7-23)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“The popular and polished standard-bearer of American song returns to the club that bears his name for a three-week run devoted to tunes that celebrate New York City; the set includes a salute to the masterfully ebullient singer-pianist Bobby Short, who defined the champagne wing of cabaret in his four-decade run at the Café Carlyle. Feinstein is joined by special guests Marilyn Maye (August 6–13), Melissa Manchester (August 15–20) and Jackie Evancho (August 21–23).” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

More smart stuff coming soon.

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/8 Guster, SummerStage Central Park
8/8 Dead On Live, Rockin’ The River Circle Line Cruises, Pier 83
8/9 “What’s Goin’ On” The Music of Marvin Gaye, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
8/10 My Morning Jacket, Forest Hills Stadium
8/10 Mountain Goats, SummerStage East River Park
Lincoln Center “Out Of Doors” festival: Roots of American Music:
8/10 Patty Griffin and Yola
8/11 David Crosby and Anais Mitchell

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
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WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of exhibitions)

‘T. REX: THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR’
American Museum of Natural History (through Aug. 9, 2020).
“Everyone’s favorite 18,000-pound prehistoric killer gets the star treatment in this eye-opening exhibition, which presents the latest scientific research on T. rex and also introduces many other tyrannosaurs, some discovered only this century in China and Mongolia. T. rex evolved mainly during the Cretaceous Period to have keen eyes, spindly arms and massive conical teeth, which could bear down on prey with the force of a U-Haul truck; the dinosaur could even swallow whole bones, as affirmed here by a kid-friendly display of fossilized excrement. The show mixes 66-million-year-old teeth with the latest 3-D prints of dino bones, and also presents new models of T. rex as a baby, a juvenile and a full-grown annihilator. Turns out this most savage beast was covered with — believe it! — a soft coat of beige or white feathers.” (Farago-NYT)

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‘2019 WHITNEY BIENNIAL’
at the Whitney Museum of American Art (through Sept. 22).
“Given the political tensions that have sent spasms through the nation over the past two years, you might have expected — hoped — that this year’s biennial would be one big, sharp Occupy-style yawp. It isn’t. Politics are present but, with a few notable exceptions, murmured, coded, stitched into the weave of fastidiously form-conscious, labor-intensive work. As a result, the exhibition, organized by two young Whitney curators, Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta, gives the initial impression of being a well-groomed group show rather than a statement of resistance. But once you start looking closely, the impression changes artist by artist, piece by piece — there’s quiet agitation in the air.” (NYT-Cotter)

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‘AUSCHWITZ. NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY’
at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (through Jan. 3).
“Killing as a communal business, made widely lucrative by the Third Reich, permeates this traveling exhibition about the largest German death camp, Auschwitz, whose yawning gatehouse, with its converging rail tracks, has become emblematic of the Holocaust. Well timed, during a worldwide surge of anti-Semitism, the harrowing installation strives, successfully, for fresh relevance. The exhibition illuminates the topography of evil, the deliberate designing of a hell on earth by fanatical racists and compliant architects and provisioners, while also highlighting the strenuous struggle for survival in a place where, as Primo Levi learned, “there is no why.” (NYT-Ralph Blumenthal)

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‘LIFE: SIX WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS’
at the New-York Historical Society (through Oct. 6).
“In the three-decade-plus golden age of Life magazine, only six of its full-time photographers were women. On the face of it, this exhibition at the historical society is half an excuse to air some gorgeous, previously unpublished silver prints, half a broad hint about how much talent we’ve lost to discrimination over the years. But cheery photo essays, produced by professional women, about other women hesitating to join the work force make a subtler point: that the actual mechanics of discrimination tend to be more complicated than they appear from a distance.” (NYT-Will Heinrich)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/06 and 08/04.

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Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/07) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 08/07/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ AUGUST 07, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Jesús Carmona- Amator: Electrifying Flamenco Choreography and Improvisation
+ Arooj Aftab
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“With his flawless footwork and ballet-infused moves, Jesús Carmona is “un fenómeno”—a phenomenon—of the flamenco world (New York Times). He brings his palpable charisma to the Damrosch Park Bandshell for a performance of his intensely beautiful Amator, a deeply personal work that draws upon his love of Spanish dance. Experience this masterful feat of electrifying choreography and improvisation, accompanied by onstage orchestration.

This evening of visceral musicality begins with Lahore-born, Brooklyn-based artist Arooj Aftab who is continuing the Sufi tradition with a style that combines Sufi-mystical poetry with the spirit of independent rock. Reworking classical Pakistani and North Indian forms, including thumri, khayal, and kafi, she creates a fascinating mix of sounds and cultures that will float through the night air with lightness and poise. Tonight, Aftab presents new music in collaboration with an exceptional ensemble featuring Maeve Gilchrist, Shahzad Ismaily, Gyan Riley and Greg Fox.

“The fast-slicing percussiveness of his feet is brilliant.”
– New York Times on Jesús Carmona

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward
>> Michael Feinstein: I Happen to Like New York
>> Accordions Around the World
>> Charenee Wade: Betty Carter at 90
>> Joshua Bell Plays Dvořák
>> MOLLY BURCH
>> Ruin and Redemption in Architecture: Dan Barasch

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward (Aug.7-11)
Irish Repertory Theatre / 3PM, +8PM, $45-$50
“The Noël Coward touch was always a light one. His music scampers like a mouse; his lyrics bounce like balloons. In his plays, even suffering has an upward tendency. But when his work is excerpted and performed by others, that glancing quality can turn coy and saccharine, as it sometimes does in Barry Day’s two-handed cabaret Love, Noël.

Reading from Coward’s letters and covering nearly two dozen songs, cabaret stars Steve Ross and KT Sullivan pay Coward tribute. Sometimes Ross, the longtime king of café cabaret, is his own tuxedoed self, and sometimes he’s pretending to be Coward; an amused-seeming Sullivan takes on all the women. (She does a great, gloomy Marlene Dietrich.)” (TONY)

Michael Feinstein: I Happen to Like New York (Aug.7-23)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $85+
“The popular and polished standard-bearer of American song returns to the club that bears his name for a three-week run devoted to tunes that celebrate New York City; the set includes a salute to the masterfully ebullient singer-pianist Bobby Short, who defined the champagne wing of cabaret in his four-decade run at the Café Carlyle. Feinstein is joined by special guests Marilyn Maye (August 6–13), Melissa Manchester (August 15–20) and Jackie Evancho (August 21–23).” (TONY)

Accordions Around the World
Bryant Park / 5:30PM, FREE
“Accordions Around the World is a weekly summer series featuring accordionists as well as bandoneon, bayan, concertina, and harmonium-players of different musical genres. Audiences have an opportunity to hear music from all over the world and to experience the wide range of this often overlooked and little-known instrument in an intimate performance setting. Choose to wander the park to explore different musical stylings or set up a picnic and the artists will rotate around the audience. The finale is Accordion Festival, a five-hour celebration of bands with at least one accordionist.” (nyc-arts.org)

Charenee Wade: Betty Carter at 90 (Aug.6-7)
Dizzy’s Club / 7;30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Ms. Wade is a jazz singer of commanding skill, an heir to the legacies of Betty Carter and Carmen McRae.” – The New York Times

‘Betty Carter blazed her own trail as one of the most original jazz vocalists of our time. Her flawless phrasing, unpredictability, and signature glissando placed her in a league of her own as a true “musician’s singer.” She was also one of jazz’s foremost mentors, and the elite “Jazz Ahead” program that she founded and led was a life-changing opportunity for rising star musicians—including tonight’s headlining vocalist, Charenee Wade. In celebration of what would have been Carter’s 90th birthday, Wade will interpret the music of one of her personal idols. Wade is a gifted interpreter, as demonstrated in her eclectic tributes to Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, and, on the occasion of her 85th, Ms. Carter.”

Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
Joshua Bell Plays Dvořák (Aug.6 and 7)
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center/ 7:30PM, $
“The annual summer festival winds down with a cruise through Bohemia: Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony, Kodály’s Dances of Galánta (loosely based on folk music from present-day Slovakia), and Dvorák’s Violin Concerto, all played by the ever-intense violinist Joshua Bell.” (NYMagazine,J.D.)

Elsewhere, but this sure looks worth the detour:

MOLLY BURCH
at Rough Trade NYC / 9 p.m.; $15
“She may be young, but this 28-year-old singer-songwriter’s voice suggests an old soul. Counting Dusty Springfield, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone among her inspirations, Burch studied jazz vocal performance in college and went on to make records that leverage her sultry, sepia-toned alto in service of stories about romance, loss and social anxiety. On “Wild,” one highlight from her latest album, she sings, “It’s in my nature to be guarded/I wish I was a wilder soul.” In her smoldering delivery, being strait-laced sounds positively glamorous.” (NYT-OLIVIA HORN)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Ruin and Redemption in Architecture: Dan Barasch
New York Public Library—Mid-Manhattan Library
476 Fifth Ave. (42nd St. Entrance) / 6:30PM, FREE
“The beauty and purpose in lost and reclaimed architecture.

Ruin and Redemption in Architecture illustrates the scale and diversity of abandoned buildings all around the world, and highlights transformations by some of the greatest architectural designers of the past 150 years. From Victorian gas holders, railway stations, factories, World War II bunkers, and Gothic churches to high-profile projects such as the High Line in New York and the Tate Modern in London.”

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

===============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
==============================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West

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

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

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” finally closed, now it’s “Mean Girls.”)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/06) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 08/06/2019 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ AUGUST 06, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
Joshua Bell Plays Dvořák (Aug.6 and 7)
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center/ 7:30PM, $
“The annual summer festival winds down with a cruise through Bohemia: Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony, Kodály’s Dances of Galánta (loosely based on folk music from present-day Slovakia), and Dvorák’s Violin Concerto, all played by the ever-intense violinist Joshua Bell.” (NYMagazine,J.D.)

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

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> BILL FRISELL
>> Charenee Wade: Betty Carter at 90
>> INGRID LAUBROCK
>> MAC DEMARCO
>> Is There Still Sex in the City?
>> The Lineup with Susie Mosher

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

BILL FRISELL (Aug. 6-11)
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Blue Note Records announced this week that it had signed Frisell, a homey eminence of downtown guitar experimentalism. He has often appeared on the label as a sideman over the years, but “Harmony,” due this fall, will be his first as a leader. Whatever he has in store with that release, his recent albums for ECM — luminous duo affairs with the bassist Thomas Morgan — probably offer a good clue of what to expect at these shows, where he and Morgan will be joined by the drummer Rudy Royston.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Charenee Wade: Betty Carter at 90 (Aug.6-7)
Dizzy’s Club / 7;30PM, +9:30PM, $35
“Ms. Wade is a jazz singer of commanding skill, an heir to the legacies of Betty Carter and Carmen McRae.” – The New York Times

‘Betty Carter blazed her own trail as one of the most original jazz vocalists of our time. Her flawless phrasing, unpredictability, and signature glissando placed her in a league of her own as a true “musician’s singer.” She was also one of jazz’s foremost mentors, and the elite “Jazz Ahead” program that she founded and led was a life-changing opportunity for rising star musicians—including tonight’s headlining vocalist, Charenee Wade. In celebration of what would have been Carter’s 90th birthday, Wade will interpret the music of one of her personal idols. Wade is a gifted interpreter, as demonstrated in her eclectic tributes to Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, and, on the occasion of her 85th, Ms. Carter.”

INGRID LAUBROCK (Aug. 6-10)
at the Stone / 8:30 p.m.; $20
“Laubrock can manipulate her tenor saxophone with everything from thin, breathy lines to harsh slaps of the tongue. Despite her expressionist tendencies, she never lets go of her devotion to cool, lyrical clarity. Laubrock kicks off a five-night run at the Stone on Tuesday with Mary Halvorson on guitar, Kris Davis on piano and Tom Rainey on drums. She will convene a different combo on each of the following nights — featuring all-stars of the avant-garde — before wrapping things up with a quintet performance on Aug. 10 dedicated to the music of Anthony Braxton.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

MAC DEMARCO
at Prospect Park Bandshell / 7:30 p.m.; $50
“Lovable antics and heartfelt songwriting have made this western Canadian singer a much-celebrated voice in indie rock. Despite his devil-may-care attitude and tendency to appear onstage in his underwear, DeMarco’s songs reflect on thoroughly adult topics like aging and love — though he does treat them with a certain, shrugging naïveté. DeMarco’s latest album, released in May, contains some of his most understated work and seems to reach for timeless appeal as much as contemporary resonance. Both modes will likely be on view at this benefit concert, which helps support BRIC’s free summer programming. Ex Hex, the garage rock outfit fronted by Helium’s Mary Timony, will also perform.” (NYT-OLIVIA HORN)

The Lineup with Susie Mosher, with guest musical director Michael Orland
Birdland / 9:30PM, $25
“Mosher is one of those talents you need to see to believe: warm, funny, biting, ferociously committed. In her weekly series at the downstairs Birdland Theater, she invites a gaggle of performers from Broadway and beyond to show their talents. Guests at the July 30 edition include Billy Stritch, Gene Reed, Ilene Kristen, Diana DeGarmo, Rose Colella, Richard Hillman, Anais Reno, Julie Kurtzman, Candice Woods, Murray Hill and David Perlman.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Is There Still Sex in the City?: Candace Bushnell Presents Her Latest
Barnes and Noble Union Square, 33 East 17th St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“Twenty years after her sharp, seminal first book Sex and the City reshaped the landscape of pop culture and dating with its fly on the wall look at the mating rituals of the Manhattan elite, the trailblazing Candace Bushnell delivers a new book on the wilds and lows of sex and dating after fifty.”

More smart stuff coming soon.

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

and one the NYTimes likes:

coming soon

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

For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 08/04 and 08/02.
=====================================================

Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/05) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square / Theater District)

Posted on 08/05/2019 by GregD

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > MONDAY/ AUGUST 05, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

GEORGE CABLES TRIO
at Smoke / 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.; $15
“With a pianist as comfortably situated in jazz’s mainstream tradition as Cables, you might expect his music to sound like a seminar, or a rehashing of old devices. Instead, it hits you in a more direct way: as evocation, or maybe image. Track how Cables, 74, lets time shrink and expand, tossing out his notes in quick clumps and then spreading them out, so that the rhythm nearly loses its swing. Or imagine his harmonies as a 3-D object, with four or six or eight sides depending, the light hitting each chord differently. He appears here with the bassist Ed Howard and the drummer Victor Lewis.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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

6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> TAKACS QUARTET
>> The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party 
>> Monday Night Magic
>> Reel Talks: Maggie Hennefeld, Specters of Slapstick and Silent Film Comediennes
>> Jia Tolentino: Trick Mirror with Doreen St. Félix

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

TAKACS QUARTET
at Alice Tully Hall / 7:30 p.m.; $35+
“What remains so satisfying about this quartet is that its members are trustworthy in any repertoire. That goes for the core classics, like the Mozart and Beethoven on this program, and the Haydn on show in the preconcert recital. And it goes, too, for the slightly less explored areas of the repertoire that they tend to venture into, such as Erno Dohnanyi’s Piano Quintet No. 1, played here with the pianist Jeremy Denk.” (NYT-David Allen)

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30PM +10:30PM, $35
“World class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition.” (NYT)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $30
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.
“Part cabaret, part piano bar and part social set, Cast Party offers a chance to hear rising and established talents step up to the microphone (backed by the slap and tickle of Steve Doyle on bass and Billy Stritch at the ivories, plus the bang of Daniel Glass on drums). The waggish Caruso presides as host.” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Monday Night Magic
Players Theatre, West Village / 8PM, $42.50
“For more than two decades,, this proudly old-school series has offered a different lineup of professional magicians every week: opening acts, a headliner and a host, plus two or three close-up magicians to wow the audience at intermission. Housed for the past seven years at the unprepossessing Players Theatre, it is an heir to the vaudeville tradition.

Many of the acts incorporate comedic elements, and audience participation is common. (If you have young children, bring them; they make especially adorable assistants.) Shows cost just $37.50 in advance and typically last well over two hours, so you get a lot of value and variety for your magic dollar. In contrast to some fancier magic shows, this one feels like comfort food: an all-you-can eat buffet to which you’re encouraged to return until you’re as stuffed as a hat full of rabbits.” (TONY)

Reel Talks: Maggie Hennefeld, Specters of Slapstick and Silent Film Comediennes
Bryant Park/Bryant Park Reading Room, btw 40th & 42nd Sts. and Fifth and Sixth Aves. / 12:30PM, FREE
“Make ‘em laugh at this talk on the “specters of slapstick” and comediennes in the silent film era.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Jia Tolentino: Trick Mirror with Doreen St. Félix
Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St./ 7:30PM, FREE
“Jia Tolentino is a peerless voice of her generation, tackling the conflicts, contradictions, and sea changes that define us and our time. Now, in this dazzling collection of nine entirely original essays, written with a rare combination of give and sharpness, wit and fearlessness, she delves into the forces that warp our vision, demonstrating an unparalleled stylistic potency and critical dexterity.”

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
========================================================================

A PremierPub

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

IMG_2083Jimmy’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 just 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 wonderful old time jukebox, with a great selection of  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

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

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

Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/04) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 08/04/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ AUGUST 04, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Ben Wolfe is a bassist and composer who “swings with authority,” according to Wynton Marsalis.Wolfe’s annual return to Dizzy’s Club is always an anticipated occasion, and his shows this year will be extra special, serving as a combined birthday and album release celebration. From August 1–4, Wolfe will give audiences exclusive access to his upcoming album, Fatherhood, set for release on August 30.

Special guests include trumpet icon Randy Brecker (8/1-8/3), a six-time Grammy Award winner as a bandleader, and Warren Wolf, one of the leading voices on the vibraphone and protégé of the all-time great Bobby Hutcherson. The entire lineup is outstanding, and anyone interested in contemporary jazz should make sure to catch at least one of these sets.”

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

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> The New York Musical Festival 2019
>> Freddie Falls in Love – Al Blackstone
>> Avishai Cohen Trio
>> Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race
>> NYAFAIR • TriBeCa’s Contemporary Art Fair
>> More coming soon.

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

MORE COMING SOON.

The New York Musical Festival 2019 (LAST DAY)
Tonight: Closing Night Celebration
Sony Hall / 9:30; $30
“NYMFomaniacs, rejoice! The impressive annual feast of new musical theater takes over multiple venues on 42nd Street for its 16th annual edition. Selections include 30 productions, readings, concerts and other events. Among the full stagings: Riley Thomas’s My Real Mother, about the bond between a birth mother and the women who adopts her child; Cordelia O’Driscoll and Tom Williams’s Buried, a romantic comedy about serial killers; Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro’s Till, about the murder of a black teenager in 1955; and Yuri Worontschak and Paul Western-Pittard’s Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space, about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. Buried treasure could lie anywhere, so dig around.” (TONY)

Freddie Falls in Love – Al Blackstone (LAST DAY).
at the Joyce Theater / 2PM; $50+
“Dance as long-form narrative storytelling tends to be the domain of ballet and Broadway, but Blackstone brings it to the contemporary dance stage in his Joyce debut, “Freddie Falls in Love.” Blackstone, known for his choreography in “So You Think You Can Dance,” infuses his work with humor, theatrical flair and sharp technique — a combo that has earned him many fans. Here, his wordless tale about two people losing and finding love proves an entertaining journey, thanks to his brisk staging and charming performances by the Broadway alumni Melanie Moore and Matt Doyle, as well as a stellar ensemble.” (NYT)

Avishai Cohen Trio (Aug.1-4)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $20-$35
“Avishai Cohen, the Israeli bassist (not the fine Israeli trumpeter of the same name), has been drawing attention as a first-rank instrumentalist since he began associating with Chick Corea, in the late nineties. As a leader of his own small, inquisitive groups, Cohen aligns his superlative gifts with those of topnotch players; here, he reunites with a 2008 trio that featured the pianist Shai Maestro and the drummer Mark Guiliana, two questing improvisers who have since gone on to individual acclaim.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race (Aug.3-4)
Attend an ancient dragon festival
Flushing Meadows Park/ 9AM-5PM; FREE
“The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race — now in its 29th year in New York City — honors the story of Qu Yuan, an exiled poet and activist who drowned himself in 278 B.C. Legend (and the event page) has it that the local fishermen, in an attempt to save the poet, raced into the river, throwing rice into the water as an offering. On the days of the Dragon Boat Festival, you can snack on dumplings, watch over 120 dragon boats race across the lake, and see music and dance performances.” (thrillist)

GD: Great food and drink, especially the bubble tea.

NYAFAIR • TriBeCa’s Contemporary Art Fair (Aug.2-4)
NYA Art Center, 7 Franklin Place / 12-6PM, FREE
“Head downtown to check out this four-day fest that spans the NYA Gallery and features works from more than 100 artists and spanning several types of media.” (amNY)

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/4 Corinne Bailey Rae, Jose James and more, SummerStage Central Park
8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
================================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Jewish Museum

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’

“After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

“In Praise of Painting” (thru Oct.4, 2020)

“How great are the Met’s holdings in the Dutch golden age? Very. This long-term installation rings the lower level of the Lehman Wing with scores of lesser-known gems from the mid-seventeenth century, many of them rarely on view before, amid masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Ruisdael. The period, vivified here, began in 1648, when the end of the Eighty Years’ War with Spain brought a boom in wealth and morale, expressed by genre paintings that exalt the national ideal of gezelligheid—social warmth, comfort, belonging. A key figure was Gerard ter Borch, who had travelled widely and worked at the court of Philip IV, in company with Velázquez. Ter Borch’s lustrous, ineffably witty domestic scenes inspired a generation of masters, notably Vermeer, whose genius rather eclipsed his elder’s. The pictures often star ter Borch’s younger sister Gesina, preening in satins or enigmatically musing. Herself a painter, she is cutely funny-looking—pointy nose, weak chin—and desperately lovable. There’s much to be said for a world with such a family in it.”

===========================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 08/02 and 07/31.
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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/03) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 08/03/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ AUGUST 03, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

John Pizzarelli: A Tribute to Benny Goodman w/ Special Guest Ken Peplowski
Birdland / 8:30PM, +11PM, $40-$50
“John Pizzarelli charms audiences with his warmth, sense of humor, and musical chops. Through his multi-faceted career as a jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader, the son of the legendary New Jersey native guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, has become one of the most recognizable faces and voices in contemporary jazz for his interpretations of classic standards, romantic ballads and the cool jazz flavor he brings to his performances and recordings

Ken Peplowski has recorded approximately 50 CDs as a soloist, and close to 400 as a sideman – some of the artists he’s performed/recorded with include Charlie Byrd, Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops, Hank Jones, Peggy Lee, Bill Charlap, Woody Allen, Benny Goodman, and Madonna. He travels at least half of every year, playing clubs, concert halls, colleges, and pops concerts.”

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

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> “An Evening of Stand-Up Comedy: Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Julio Torres, Maeve Higgins, and more
>> PETER BERNSTEIN AND GILAD HEKSELMAN
>> BOY BLUE
>> Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf
>> Avishai Cohen Trio
>> Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race
>> NYAFAIR • TriBeCa’s Contemporary Art Fair

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

An Evening of Stand-Up Comedy: Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Julio Torres, Maeve Higgins, and more
Catch a comedy show without a drink minimum
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Lincoln Center’s “Out of Doors” festival brings the city’s best talent out of the theater and under the stars — on Saturday night, they’re hosting a free stand-up comedy show at the Guggenheim Bandshell in Damrosch Park. Headlined by Roy Wood, Jr., the show also features The Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng and Saturday Night Live’s Julio Torres, fresh off his first season of HBO’s beautiful, weird Los Espookys. It’s a big venue for a stand-up, but the lineup has more than enough star power to command the stage.” (thrillist)

PETER BERNSTEIN AND GILAD HEKSELMAN
at the Jazz Gallery / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $25-$35
“Here’s a two-for-one deal for fans of masterful jazz guitar. With an ore-like tone and a deep sense of assurance, Bernstein, 51, refers back to classic jazz guitar influences like Grant Green and Pat Martino. Hekselman, 36, owes a lot to the more nebulous tone of Kurt Rosenwinkel, though he has a knack for playful misdirection and blues inflection that gives him an identity of his own. Occasionally Bernstein and Hekselman come together in a quartet, sparring over jazz standards. For this date they are joined by the bassist Ben Street and the drummer Eric McPherson.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

BOY BLUE (Aug. 1-3)
at Gerald W. Lynch Theater / 7:30 p.m.; $45
“This East London hip-hop group, last seen at the 2018 White Light Festival, returns to Lincoln Center for an encore of its acclaimed political and virtuosic “Blak Whyte Gray.” Presented this time by the Mostly Mozart Festival, the company explores themes of oppression, identity and transcendence. Michael Asante (also known as Mikey J) is credited with creative direction and music, while Kenrick Sandy (who goes by H2O) is the piece’s choreographer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf (Aug.1-4)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Ben Wolfe is a bassist and composer who “swings with authority,” according to Wynton Marsalis.Wolfe’s annual return to Dizzy’s Club is always an anticipated occasion, and his shows this year will be extra special, serving as a combined birthday and album release celebration. From August 1–4, Wolfe will give audiences exclusive access to his upcoming album, Fatherhood, set for release on August 30.

Special guests include trumpet icon Randy Brecker (8/1-8/3), a six-time Grammy Award winner as a bandleader, and Warren Wolf, one of the leading voices on the vibraphone and protégé of the all-time great Bobby Hutcherson. The entire lineup is outstanding, and anyone interested in contemporary jazz should make sure to catch at least one of these sets.”

Avishai Cohen Trio (Aug.1-4)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $20-$35
“Avishai Cohen, the Israeli bassist (not the fine Israeli trumpeter of the same name), has been drawing attention as a first-rank instrumentalist since he began associating with Chick Corea, in the late nineties. As a leader of his own small, inquisitive groups, Cohen aligns his superlative gifts with those of topnotch players; here, he reunites with a 2008 trio that featured the pianist Shai Maestro and the drummer Mark Guiliana, two questing improvisers who have since gone on to individual acclaim.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race (Aug.3-4)
Attend an ancient dragon festival
Flushing Meadows Park/ 9AM-5PM; FREE
“The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race — now in its 29th year in New York City — honors the story of Qu Yuan, an exiled poet and activist who drowned himself in 278 B.C. Legend (and the event page) has it that the local fishermen, in an attempt to save the poet, raced into the river, throwing rice into the water as an offering. On the days of the Dragon Boat Festival, you can snack on dumplings, watch over 120 dragon boats race across the lake, and see music and dance performances.” (thrillist)

GD: Great food and drink, especially the bubble tea.

NYAFAIR • TriBeCa’s Contemporary Art Fair (Aug.2-4)
NYA Art Center, 7 Franklin Place / 12-6PM, FREE
“Head downtown to check out this four-day fest that spans the NYA Gallery and features works from more than 100 artists and spanning several types of media.” (amNY)

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/3 Barbra Streisand, Madison Square Garden
8/4 Corinne Bailey Rae, Jose James and more, SummerStage Central Park
8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, VERY SAD.
I HAVE LEFT THIS REVIEW ON MY SITE AS A KIND OF MEMORIAL.
As reported in the “Gothamist”:
“Caffe Vivaldi, one of the last bohemian bastions of the West Village, is set to close this weekend. During its 35 years on Jones Street, the casual cafe won the hearts of locals and celebs alike, including Oscar Isaac, Bette Midler, and Al Pacino.

Despite that friendly communal atmosphere, the owners ultimately struggled to survive under their notorious vulture landlord Steve Croman, who they say waged a harassment campaign against the restaurant, and eventually tripled their rent.”
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
========================================================
NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available FALL 2019).
◊ Order before NOV. 30, 2019 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

=====================================================
Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (08/02) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 08/02/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ AUGUST 02, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Definitely not Manhattan’s WestSide, but this is Sarah McLachlan and this is Forest Hills Stadium, a lovely venue easy to get to from Penn Station on the LIRR.

Sarah McLachlan and The New York Pops
at Forest Hills Stadium / 7:30PM, $65
“Sarah McLachlan is one of the most celebrated singer songwriters in entertainment with over 40 million albums sold worldwide. She has received three Grammy Awards and twelve Juno Awards over her career and was recently inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.”

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

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> “From Paris With Love” Salute To Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel
>> BOY BLUE
>> Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf
>> Avishai Cohen Trio
>> The New York Musical Festival 2019
>> Medieval Herbs and Remedies: Foraging in the Shadow of the Cloisters
>> NYAFAIR • TriBeCa’s Contemporary Art Fair

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

“From Paris With Love” Salute To Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel ,Charlez Aznavour & More Feat. So French Cabaret
Club Bonafide / 8PM, $29
“Brush up on your French accent
If you love “La Vie en Rose,” Club Bonafide has a lot more French jazz standards where that came from. Featuring the best of Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel (most famous on this side of the Atlantic for “Ne Me Quitte Pas”), and Charles Aznavour, the band So French Cabaret will play French hits from the 30’s and 40’s. The club’s a bit of a throwback, too, with its bistro tables and red velvet curtains — the perfect place to take somebody you’d like to kiss in the French fashion.” (thrillist)

BOY BLUE (Aug. 1-3)
at Gerald W. Lynch Theater / 7:30 p.m.; $45
“This East London hip-hop group, last seen at the 2018 White Light Festival, returns to Lincoln Center for an encore of its acclaimed political and virtuosic “Blak Whyte Gray.” Presented this time by the Mostly Mozart Festival, the company explores themes of oppression, identity and transcendence. Michael Asante (also known as Mikey J) is credited with creative direction and music, while Kenrick Sandy (who goes by H2O) is the piece’s choreographer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf (Aug.1-4)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Ben Wolfe is a bassist and composer who “swings with authority,” according to Wynton Marsalis.Wolfe’s annual return to Dizzy’s Club is always an anticipated occasion, and his shows this year will be extra special, serving as a combined birthday and album release celebration. From August 1–4, Wolfe will give audiences exclusive access to his upcoming album, Fatherhood, set for release on August 30.

Special guests include trumpet icon Randy Brecker (8/1-8/3), a six-time Grammy Award winner as a bandleader, and Warren Wolf, one of the leading voices on the vibraphone and protégé of the all-time great Bobby Hutcherson. The entire lineup is outstanding, and anyone interested in contemporary jazz should make sure to catch at least one of these sets.”

Avishai Cohen Trio (Aug.1-4)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $20-$35
“Avishai Cohen, the Israeli bassist (not the fine Israeli trumpeter of the same name), has been drawing attention as a first-rank instrumentalist since he began associating with Chick Corea, in the late nineties. As a leader of his own small, inquisitive groups, Cohen aligns his superlative gifts with those of topnotch players; here, he reunites with a 2008 trio that featured the pianist Shai Maestro and the drummer Mark Guiliana, two questing improvisers who have since gone on to individual acclaim.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

The New York Musical Festival 2019 (Until Aug 4, 2019)
Various locations and times, $32
“NYMFomaniacs, rejoice! The impressive annual feast of new musical theater takes over multiple venues on 42nd Street for its 16th annual edition. Selections include 30 productions, readings, concerts and other events. Among the full stagings: Riley Thomas’s My Real Mother, about the bond between a birth mother and the women who adopts her child; Cordelia O’Driscoll and Tom Williams’s Buried, a romantic comedy about serial killers; Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro’s Till, about the murder of a black teenager in 1955; and Yuri Worontschak and Paul Western-Pittard’s Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space, about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. Buried treasure could lie anywhere, so dig around.” (TONY)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Medieval Herbs and Remedies: Foraging in the Shadow of the Cloisters
Meet at the chess tables at the Anne Loftus Playground, Dyckman Street (200th St) and Broadway. / 5-7PM, $25
“Discover the dozens of edible and medicinal herbs, greens, roots, fruits, berries, and mushrooms that grow unrecognized in Fort Tryon Park.

Foraging expert “Wildman” Steve Brill leads a session on the edible urban environment. Learn how to spot medicinal herbs and edible berries while taking in some Met Cloisters history.” (ThoughtGallery)

NYAFAIR • TriBeCa’s Contemporary Art Fair (Aug.2-4)
NYA Art Center, 7 Franklin Place / 12-6PM, FREE
“Head downtown to check out this four-day fest that spans the NYA Gallery and features works from more than 100 artists and spanning several types of media.” (amNY)

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/2 Sarah McLachlan, Forest Hills Stadium
8/2 Greensky Bluegrass, The Rooftop at Pier 17
8/3 Barbra Streisand, Madison Square Garden
8/4 Corinne Bailey Rae, Jose James and more, SummerStage Central Park
8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
===============================================================================

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

American Museum of Natural History

‘T. REX: THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR’  (through Aug. 9, 2020).
“Everyone’s favorite 18,000-pound prehistoric killer gets the star treatment in this eye-opening exhibition, which presents the latest scientific research on T. rex and also introduces many other tyrannosaurs, some discovered only this century in China and Mongolia. T. rex evolved mainly during the Cretaceous Period to have keen eyes, spindly arms and massive conical teeth, which could bear down on prey with the force of a U-Haul truck; the dinosaur could even swallow whole bones, as affirmed here by a kid-friendly display of fossilized excrement. The show mixes 66-million-year-old teeth with the latest 3-D prints of dino bones, and also presents new models of T. rex as a baby, a juvenile and a full-grown annihilator. Turns out this most savage beast was covered with — believe it! — a soft coat of beige or white feathers.” (Farago-NYT)

——————————————————————————————–

‘2019 WHITNEY BIENNIAL’
at the Whitney Museum of American Art (through Sept. 22).
“Given the political tensions that have sent spasms through the nation over the past two years, you might have expected — hoped — that this year’s biennial would be one big, sharp Occupy-style yawp. It isn’t. Politics are present but, with a few notable exceptions, murmured, coded, stitched into the weave of fastidiously form-conscious, labor-intensive work. As a result, the exhibition, organized by two young Whitney curators, Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta, gives the initial impression of being a well-groomed group show rather than a statement of resistance. But once you start looking closely, the impression changes artist by artist, piece by piece — there’s quiet agitation in the air.” (NYT-Cotter)

————————————————————————————————

‘AUSCHWITZ. NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY’
at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (through Jan. 3).
“Killing as a communal business, made widely lucrative by the Third Reich, permeates this traveling exhibition about the largest German death camp, Auschwitz, whose yawning gatehouse, with its converging rail tracks, has become emblematic of the Holocaust. Well timed, during a worldwide surge of anti-Semitism, the harrowing installation strives, successfully, for fresh relevance. The exhibition illuminates the topography of evil, the deliberate designing of a hell on earth by fanatical racists and compliant architects and provisioners, while also highlighting the strenuous struggle for survival in a place where, as Primo Levi learned, “there is no why.” (NYT-Ralph Blumenthal)

================================================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Posts in right Sidebar dated 07/31 and 07/29.

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

Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NYC Events, “Only the Best” (08/01) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 08/01/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ AUGUST 01, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “August NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Tulipa Ruiz
Atrium, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE, better get there early for a seat.
“Latin Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter Tulipa Ruiz has been called one of the great highlights of a new generation of Brazilian singers, whose accolades include Apple Music’s Best Pop-Rock album and #4 on Rolling Stone’s best Latin Albums of the year. Among many distinctions, Ruiz’s first album, Efêmera (2010), was considered album and song of year by Rolling Stone Brazil, Tudo Tanto (2012) was selected album of the year by Canal Multishow, and Dancê (2015) won the Latin Grammy for Best Brazilian Pop Album. Her most recent album, the acoustic TU (2018), which was co-produced by Gustavo Ruiz and percussionist Stephane San Juan, was recorded in New York and features singer Adan Jodorowsky (son of the celebrated Alejandro) and percussionist Mauro Refosco (Forro in the Dark, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Byrne) as some of the guest musicians.”

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> HERBIE HANCOCK
>> BOY BLUE
>> “BEN FOLDS AND VIOLENT FEMMES
>> Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf
>> Blood Orange
>> Avishai Cohen Trio
>> The New York Musical Festival 2019

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

HERBIE HANCOCK
at the Beacon Theater / 7:30 p.m.; $75
“Maybe no other living musician has stayed so consistently at the front of the creative pack. An early innovator in the realms of post-bop, jazz-funk fusion and electronic music, Hancock has exerted an influence that seems particularly au courant today, when the roles of the producer, performer and technologist have all blended together. Recently, he has been working with a coterie of younger musicians, such as Flying Lotus and Robert Glasper, whose work rides the wake of his own innovations. He will soon start to release new music from those collaborations, and he is likely to draw from that fresh repertoire at the Beacon, where he appears with the drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, the bassist James Genus, the guitarist Lionel Loueke and the multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin. The bassist and vocalist Thundercat will make a special guest appearance.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

BOY BLUE (Aug. 1-3)
at Gerald W. Lynch Theater / 7:30 p.m.; $45
“This East London hip-hop group, last seen at the 2018 White Light Festival, returns to Lincoln Center for an encore of its acclaimed political and virtuosic “Blak Whyte Gray.” Presented this time by the Mostly Mozart Festival, the company explores themes of oppression, identity and transcendence. Michael Asante (also known as Mikey J) is credited with creative direction and music, while Kenrick Sandy (who goes by H2O) is the piece’s choreographer.” (NYT-Gia Kourlas)

BEN FOLDS AND VIOLENT FEMMES
at Pier 17 / 6:30 p.m.; $61
“Folds’s boundless songwriting creativity has found a range of outlets across his 20-plus years in the spotlight. With his namesake trio, Ben Folds Five, he wrote clever, tense piano-rock songs, like “Army” and “Brick,” which foregrounded his scraggy, emotive voice. He’s also a producer, a podcast host and, as of next week when he releases a new memoir, an author (the night before Folds’s performance at South Street Seaport, the Strand will host a signing for the book at Cooper Union). At Pier 17, Folds will be joined by the brash folk rockers Violent Femmes, whose 1983 song “Blister in the Sun” has remained their calling card for more than three decades.” (NYT-OLIVIA HORN)

Ben Wolfe Quintet featuring Randy Brecker and Warren Wolf (Aug.1-4)
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $40
Ben Wolfe is a bassist and composer who “swings with authority,” according to Wynton Marsalis.Wolfe’s annual return to Dizzy’s Club is always an anticipated occasion, and his shows this year will be extra special, serving as a combined birthday and album release celebration. From August 1–4, Wolfe will give audiences exclusive access to his upcoming album, Fatherhood, set for release on August 30.

Special guests include trumpet icon Randy Brecker (8/1-8/3), a six-time Grammy Award winner as a bandleader, and Warren Wolf, one of the leading voices on the vibraphone and protégé of the all-time great Bobby Hutcherson. The entire lineup is outstanding, and anyone interested in contemporary jazz should make sure to catch at least one of these sets.”

Blood Orange
Kelsey Lu
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Blending together elements of R&B, funk, and ‘80s pop, Blood Orange is the most recent project of British producer and singer Dev Hynes. With a distinctive sound that ranges from upbeat funk and electronica to languid jazz, paired with spoken-word poetry and vocal sampling, he earned the record top-20 spots on both Noisey and Pitchfork‘s Best Albums of 2016. This evening he is joined by vocalist and cellist Kelsey Lu whose sublime” (Guardian) debut album, Blood, fuses disco, R&B, indie, and pop to showcase her classical training and experimental spirit.”

Avishai Cohen Trio (Aug.1-4)
Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St./ 8PM, +10:30PM, $20-$35
“Avishai Cohen, the Israeli bassist (not the fine Israeli trumpeter of the same name), has been drawing attention as a first-rank instrumentalist since he began associating with Chick Corea, in the late nineties. As a leader of his own small, inquisitive groups, Cohen aligns his superlative gifts with those of topnotch players; here, he reunites with a 2008 trio that featured the pianist Shai Maestro and the drummer Mark Guiliana, two questing improvisers who have since gone on to individual acclaim.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

The New York Musical Festival 2019 (Until Aug 4, 2019)
Various locations, $32
“NYMFomaniacs, rejoice! The impressive annual feast of new musical theater takes over multiple venues on 42nd Street for its 16th annual edition. Selections include 30 productions, readings, concerts and other events. Among the full stagings: Riley Thomas’s My Real Mother, about the bond between a birth mother and the women who adopts her child; Cordelia O’Driscoll and Tom Williams’s Buried, a romantic comedy about serial killers; Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro’s Till, about the murder of a black teenager in 1955; and Yuri Worontschak and Paul Western-Pittard’s Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space, about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. Buried treasure could lie anywhere, so dig around.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

More smart stuff coming soon.

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

8/1 Amythyst Kiah, Battery Park City River & Blues Festival, Wagner Park
8/1 The Chemical Brothers, Forest Hills Stadium
8/1 Herbie Hancock, The Beacon Theatre
8/1 Blood Orange, Lincoln Center Out of Doors
8/2 Sarah McLachlan, Forest Hills Stadium
8/2 Greensky Bluegrass, The Rooftop at Pier 17
8/3 Barbra Streisand, Madison Square Garden
8/4 Corinne Bailey Rae, Jose James and more, SummerStage Central Park
8/6 Mac DeMarco, Celerate Brooklyn
8/6 Keane, Bowery Ballroom
8/7 Chuck Leavell, The Gramercy Theatre

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St)

b_flat4There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.
But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

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

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

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

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

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music 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 E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat

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

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

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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

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NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/31) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 07/31/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ JULY 31, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “July NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

Maria Schneider Orchestra (July 30-31)
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $40
This year marks the 25th anniversary of “Evanescence,” Maria Schneider’s debut release with her orchestra. In the years since, her flocking and soaring compositions have become a kind of new gold standard among large-ensemble jazz composers. Earlier this year she accepted a Jazz Masters award from the National Endowment for the Arts, making her, at 58, the youngest woman to receive jazz’s premier honor. At the Standard, her orchestra will debut material that Schneider plans to include in an as-yet-untitled new album.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> AMARO FREITAS TRIO
>> Accordions Around the World
>> “The Motherlode”
>> Lillias White: Make Someone Happy
>> The New York Musical Festival 2019
>> Freddie Falls in Love – Al Blackstone
>> more coming soon

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

AMARO FREITAS TRIO
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $35
“A young pianist from Recife, Brazil, Freitas makes the keys dance and chatter, as if each note were ricocheting off all the others, taking on energy and momentum from the swarm around it. You can hear traces of the frevo dance tradition of his hometown, the contagious rhythms and layered compositions of Moacir Santos (who hailed from nearby Flores), and the influence of virtuoso American improvisers like Chick Corea. A rising star back home, Freitas is presented here in his New York debut as part of Brasil Summerfest. He will be joined by the members of his trio, the bassist Jean Elton and the drummer Hugo Medeiros.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Accordions Around the World
Bryant Park / 5:30PM, FREE
“Accordions Around the World is a weekly summer series featuring accordionists as well as bandoneon, bayan, concertina, and harmonium-players of different musical genres. Audiences have an opportunity to hear music from all over the world and to experience the wide range of this often overlooked and little-known instrument in an intimate performance setting. Choose to wander the park to explore different musical stylings or set up a picnic and the artists will rotate around the audience. The finale is Accordion Festival, a five-hour celebration of bands with at least one accordionist.” (nyc-arts.org)

“The Motherlode”
Damrosch Park, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza / 7:30PM, FREE
“NPR Music’s Turning the Tables initiative honors the voices of women and nonbinary musicians, functioning as both a critique of and a corrective to music’s male-centered canon. The series primarily lives online, as an ongoing dialogue of essays and listicles, but it comes alive in “The Motherlode,” a concert presented at Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors festival on July 31. Last year’s event, the “21st Century Edition,” highlighted artists of the present, but this year it trains its scope on the past, focussing on the groundbreaking and foundation-laying work of female musicians from the earliest recorded music up through the sixties. A group of striking performers, including Courtney Marie Andrews, Rhiannon Giddens, Xiomara Laugart, Ledisi, and Amina Claudine Myers, lend their talents to the show.” (Briana Younger, NewYorker)

Lillias White: Make Someone Happy (July 30-31)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $50+
“Nobody stops a show like Broadway’s Lillias White, who has built a career out of superpowered numbers in Once on This Island, Dreamgirls, How to Succeed…, The Life, Fela! and more. In her latest set at F/54, she raises spirits—along with the roof—with a collection of joyful songs from the worlds of jazz, film and theater.” (TONY)

The New York Musical Festival 2019 (Until Aug 4, 2019)
Various locations, $32
“NYMFomaniacs, rejoice! The impressive annual feast of new musical theater takes over multiple venues on 42nd Street for its 16th annual edition. Selections include 30 productions, readings, concerts and other events. Among the full stagings: Riley Thomas’s My Real Mother, about the bond between a birth mother and the women who adopts her child; Cordelia O’Driscoll and Tom Williams’s Buried, a romantic comedy about serial killers; Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro’s Till, about the murder of a black teenager in 1955; and Yuri Worontschak and Paul Western-Pittard’s Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space, about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. Buried treasure could lie anywhere, so dig around.” (TONY)

Freddie Falls in Love – Al Blackstone (through Aug. 4).
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM; $50+
“Dance as long-form narrative storytelling tends to be the domain of ballet and Broadway, but Blackstone brings it to the contemporary dance stage in his Joyce debut, “Freddie Falls in Love.” Blackstone, known for his choreography in “So You Think You Can Dance,” infuses his work with humor, theatrical flair and sharp technique — a combo that has earned him many fans. Here, his wordless tale about two people losing and finding love proves an entertaining journey, thanks to his brisk staging and charming performances by the Broadway alumni Melanie Moore and Matt Doyle, as well as a stellar ensemble.” (NYT)

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

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

More smart stuff coming soon.

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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

COMING SOON (WFUV)

7/31 NPR’s Turning The Table live: The Motherlode, Lincoln Center Out Of Doors
7/31 Joan Osborne and special guests, City Winery

============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
================================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition the New Yorker likes:

and one the NYTimes likes:

coming soon

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 07/29 and 07/27.
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Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.com

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.

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

NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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

NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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

NYC Events,”Only the Best” (07/30) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 07/30/2019 by GregD

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ JULY 30, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “July NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.
OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do this:

ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S
at Temple Emanu-El / 7 p.m.; FREE
“The free Naumburg Orchestral Concerts are always worth a visit, and this one is particularly so for a performance of songs by Florence Price, whose music is starting to receive a welcome renaissance. Jasmine Muhammad is the soloist. Also on the bill are Anna Clyne’s “Prince of Clouds,” Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.” (NYT-David Allen)

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

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Pauline Jean
>> Lillias White: Make Someone Happy
>> Maria Schneider Orchestra
>> The Lineup with Susie Mosher
>> MYQ KAPLAN: ‘ALL KILLING ASIDE’
>> The New York Musical Festival 2019
>> Freddie Falls in Love – Al Blackstone

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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

Music, Dance, Performing Art

Pauline Jean
Dizzy’s Club / 7:30PM, +9:30PM, $30

“…an amalgam of pure jazz vocalization steeped in Caribbean rhythm and soul.” – All About Jazz

“Blending jazz with Haitian rhythms and tonalities, Pauline Jean is a captivating vocalist and bandleader making her debut at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Audiences can expect a nice mix of contemporary jazz blended with several international influences that keep the music both approachable and fresh. Everyone in Jean’s band is in high demand both as a sideman and headliner at Dizzy’s Club and beyond, and it will be exciting to see them come together in support of her Jazz at Lincoln Center premiere performance.”

Lillias White: Make Someone Happy (July 30-31)
Feinstein’s/54 Below / 7PM, $50+
“Nobody stops a show like Broadway’s Lillias White, who has built a career out of superpowered numbers in Once on This Island, Dreamgirls, How to Succeed…, The Life, Fela! and more. In her latest set at F/54, she raises spirits—along with the roof—with a collection of joyful songs from the worlds of jazz, film and theater.” (TONY)

Maria Schneider Orchestra (July 30-31)
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $40
This year marks the 25th anniversary of “Evanescence,” Maria Schneider’s debut release with her orchestra. In the years since, her flocking and soaring compositions have become a kind of new gold standard among large-ensemble jazz composers. Earlier this year she accepted a Jazz Masters award from the National Endowment for the Arts, making her, at 58, the youngest woman to receive jazz’s premier honor. At the Standard, her orchestra will debut material that Schneider plans to include in an as-yet-untitled new album.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

The Lineup with Susie Mosher
Birdland / 9:30PM, $25
“Mosher is one of those talents you need to see to believe: warm, funny, biting, ferociously committed. In her weekly series at the downstairs Birdland Theater, she invites a gaggle of performers from Broadway and beyond to show their talents. Guests at the July 30 edition include Billy Stritch, Gene Reed, Ilene Kristen, Diana DeGarmo, Rose Colella, Richard Hillman, Anais Reno, Julie Kurtzman, Candice Woods, Murray Hill and David Perlman.” (TONY)

MYQ KAPLAN: ‘ALL KILLING ASIDE’
at the Assemblage NoMad / 7 p.m.; $15
“Kaplan took this solo show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last summer and is reviving it for New Yorkers in this one-night-only engagement. The stand-up, who has a master’s degree in linguistics, demonstrates his witty wordplay in this hourlong one-hander, which deconstructs not only language, but also his own comedy.” (NYT-Sean L. McCarthy)

The New York Musical Festival 2019 (Until Aug 4, 2019)
Various locations, $32
“NYMFomaniacs, rejoice! The impressive annual feast of new musical theater takes over multiple venues on 42nd Street for its 16th annual edition. Selections include 30 productions, readings, concerts and other events. Among the full stagings: Riley Thomas’s My Real Mother, about the bond between a birth mother and the women who adopts her child; Cordelia O’Driscoll and Tom Williams’s Buried, a romantic comedy about serial killers; Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro’s Till, about the murder of a black teenager in 1955; and Yuri Worontschak and Paul Western-Pittard’s Illuminati Lizards from Outer Space, about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. Buried treasure could lie anywhere, so dig around.” (TONY)

Freddie Falls in Love – Al Blackstone (through Aug. 4).
at the Joyce Theater / 7:30PM; $50+
“Dance as long-form narrative storytelling tends to be the domain of ballet and Broadway, but Blackstone brings it to the contemporary dance stage in his Joyce debut, “Freddie Falls in Love.” Blackstone, known for his choreography in “So You Think You Can Dance,” infuses his work with humor, theatrical flair and sharp technique — a combo that has earned him many fans. Here, his wordless tale about two people losing and finding love proves an entertaining journey, thanks to his brisk staging and charming performances by the Broadway alumni Melanie Moore and Matt Doyle, as well as a stellar ensemble.” (NYT)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

More smart stuff coming soon.

Continuing Events

“Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 10 through August 10, 2019. Harnessing Mozart’s innovative spirit as its inspiration, this edition will feature groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, international productions and acclaimed artists from a variety of genres, introducing the audience to emerging creative voices, commissions and premieres.  The program will include performances from Mark Morris Dance Company, a panel discussion on Mozart’s Magic Flute, a screening of the film The Great Buster: A Celebration, and much more. For a full festival lineup, visit the Mostly Mozart Festival event page.” (nyc-arts.org)

NYC Restaurant Week 2019: Start making your reservations.

“The more than three-week-long promotion featuring two-course lunches ($26) and three-course dinners ($42) at some of the city’s best restaurants is back for its summer edition starting July 22. This time around, the celebration features prix-fixe meals at more than 380 eateries, with deals through Aug. 16.

You can find links to menus and the restaurants involved here, but check out our picks for some of the most enticing deals below.” (amNY)

MM

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

7/30 The Wallflowers, City Winery (wait list only)
7/31 NPR’s Turning The Table live: The Motherlode, Lincoln Center Out Of Doors
7/31 Joan Osborne and special guests, City Winery

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2018 – awesome! BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

HarlHostStandNo food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

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

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Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Sid Gold’s Request Room – 165 W 26th St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

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NYT Theater Reviews – Our theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):

 

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