Hungarian Modernism at Shepherd & Derom Galleries

It is a good summer for fans of Cubism, Expressionism, and Abstract Art. There are big shows at the City museums and smaller gallery exhibitions that focus on art from these schools. Right now the Shepherd & Derom Galleries on East 79Th Street has a wonderful mix of artiest from Hungary. This is "a survey of Modernism in Hungary by artists who began their careers between the 1910s and 1920s and lived and worked through the turbulence of the century." In 1925 French, Dutch, German, Italian, Russian, and Hungarian artists were just coming on to the world stage with the Art d’Aujourd’hui exhibition in Paris. Hungarian Artists went to the city centers to cultivate this new kind of thinking. In this show are some beautiful examples in painting, drawings, and sculpture. The Shepherd & Derom Gallery has been the place for major museums and private collections to acquire works of 19Th century art since 1966. In 1977 they started a center to help museums and private collectors with maintenance and preservation of fine art. They have more than 2,000 European and American period frames. The exhibit has been extended through August and walk in's are welcome.

The Hungarian Artist --
István Beöthy (1897-1961), József Csáky (1888-1971), István Fárkas (1887-1944), Béla Kádár (1877-1956), Anton Prinner (1902-1983), László Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946), Alfred Reth (1884-1966), György Román (1903-1981), and Hugó Scheiber (1873-1950)

58 East 79Th Street - New York, NY 10075 - Tel: 212-861-4050 - Fax: 212-772-1314

Fred's Amsterdam Ave & 83st.

Dog and cat lovers alike will enjoy a bite from Fred. A bite to eat that is... Fred's is a warm and welcoming bistro on the Upper East Side. This place is all about mans best friend and is asking people to come, sit, and stay! This is driven home with pictures of dogs in all shapes and sizes decorating the subbasement dining room. Don't like walking downstairs to eat, then sit outside at one of the many tables on the sidewalk. The friendly Wait staff will come out to take your order.Their burgers are under $11 and come with fries and a side-salad, no skimping here. If salad is your "thing" then take notice of the many different salads full of more then the normal ingredients with signature dressings. With delivery and take out you can pick something up when walking your pup or order in within the "Leash Length." (66Th to 100Th st. Riverside to Central Park West)

Winnebago Man

In this day and age a man can be world famous and not even know it. With the help of the Internet and Youtube any-stupid-thing can be seen by 20 million people. This is what happened to Jack Rebney. You might not know him by name but he is the foul-mouthed RV salesman that has become an Internet sensation. Some people know him as the "Angriest Man Alive" or just as the “Winnebago Man.” In the 90's VHS tapes surfaced of outtakes from a promotional video for the popular motor homes. Without Youtube that might have been the whole story, but this new way to share Video clips made Jack a star. Who is this guy? What is he doing now? How has this effected Jacks life? These are the questions filmmaker Ben Steinbauer set out to answer. This is a funny look at not just Jack Rebney, but at how America has changed and will continue to change with technology.

Here is the clip...there are some funny, but very bad words that Blogger does not like so check it out on youtube --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDQQfBrSUs0

Peruvian Jazz at TUTUMA Social Club

Jazz is alive and well in the big city. Here In New York Jazz can be heard when strolling through Central Park. One can see Jazz programs at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall, but small Jazz clubs around the city are the best place for a music lover to experience Jazz in the Big Apple. TUTUMA Social Club on 56Th Street is one of these sweet spots for lunch or dinner, drinks, and Jazz. The heavy handed bar tenders make great drinks, and with no cover the music is always free. Free is good and they know it. That's why they have a fun little raffle after every set giving out a free drink or dessert to the lucky name pulled from the box. The music and food are a fusion of Perúvian and American style. This Afro‐Peruvian Jazz music gives us a link between contemporary Jazz and black music of coastal Perú. Trumpet player Gabriel Alegria's Afro-Peruvian Sextet plays every Sat. and Sun. thorough July and August. Gabriel Alegria is not only the Music Director at TUTUMA, but also is the Associate Director of Jazz Studies at New York University. His love of the arts started young and he went into music right out of high school. His family have been active in the arts in Perú for generations with a novelist and an acclaimed playwright, and now the family can be proud of this young composer. Check him out along with all the other ensembles at happy hour or late night downstairs at TUTUMA Social Club.


TUTUMA Social Club -- "Rising Stars" Mondays, Guitar Night Wednesday's, and Family Night Sundays with the Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet:
http://www.tutumasocialclub.com/

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector

In life there are ups and downs, highs and lows, agony and ecstasy. This is true for everybody. Some weirdo geniuses have very high ups and the lowest lows. Does Agony bring the genius that gives ecstasy? Phil Spector was a musical savant. He came up with a sound big enough to be called "The Wall Of Sound." Everybody wanted to find out his secret that brought hit after hit. ( "He's A Rebel" "Then He Kissed Me" – The Crystals, "Be My Baby" – The Ronettes, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'" – The Righteous Brothers, "Imagine" – John Lennon, "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" – Ramones ) Not just hits, songs that are different but still linked with that "thing." This music that Phil heard in his brain he had to mach with what came out of the studio. How was he able to produce pure magic? Know one may ever know. He is not the first to be loved for one thing but despised for another. His music changes peoples lives even now 40 years latter. He helped shape Rock-n-Roll and forever changed the way we listen to the radio. Lots of good things come from bad people. This film shows that maybe Phil is not bad, just misunderstood like the Rebel in his songs. This exclusive interview done during his second trial for the murder of a struggling actress seems like a "I told you so" from Phil. In it he is as funny as he is serious. This interview is stuck together with courtroom footage, news reports, and vintage video from the 60's and 70's. The music with the muted courtroom in the background is Enough to look at without the subtitles to read, you find your mind missing the point of one if not all three. Other then that, this is an eye opening documentary for the BBC. Just what the music public wants, history with dirty laundry. This time he gets off, but the next time he goes to court he gets19-years-to-life in prison. We know he did not write it but "He Fought the Law and the Law Won."

Held Over through August 3 Only!

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF PHIL SPECTOR at Film Forum -
http://www.filmforum.org/films/spector.html

Love Ranch

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Street Books - Valley of the Dolls Jacqueline Susann

Found - Coat check in Atlantic City
Picked up because - Wanted to read again

Vally of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann was a instant hit. Her tale of three friends brought together by life in 1940's New York City, was a sensation in 1966. Even now one can find it in every book store, or when getting coats from a casino in Atlantic City. This book is worth reading a second time. This is hard because when you lend it out to people it never comes back. That's what happens with really good books, they come in and out of your life. New York.. if you can make it there you can make it anywhere.. hard to say why this rings true. People come to New York to catch a dream. Each of Jacqueline's woman has a dream to achieve, each one has heart to break, and each find help in the "Dolls." Those beautiful little helpers that keep everything on track. This story is set when women were on the verge of liberation. It has all the dangers that have to be over come to make it on your own. Read it and then pass it on, its that good.

EARTH: Fragile Planet at the Society of Illustrators

In the Upper East Side there is a little vintage 1875 carriage house with a red door that has quite a collection. The Society of Illustrators was founded in February 1901 as a place to "promote the art of illustration and to hold exhibitions from time to time.” Now a century later they are doing that and more. With this new exhibit, open till July 31st, the society is putting the focus on the Earth and how delicate it is. This is displayed vary well in five categories one being the Earth itself. Then Air, Water, Wildlife and best of all Energy. This was a nicely put together with multi-media works from over 120 artist. A stone throw away from Park Ave on 63rd street you will find this red door and cool stuff behind it.

Society of Illustrators:

http://www.societyillustrators.org/Default.aspx

Don't show up July 9 - 10 the Galleries will be closed but You are invited to the Society of Illustrator's Annual End of the Year Barbecue a Pirate Barbecue on July 23, 2010

http://www.societyillustrators.org/Events-and-Programs/Special-Events/2010/Pirate-Barbecue/Pirate-Barbecue.aspx

Big Nicks Broadway & 77th St

New York City, the city that never sleeps. Where do you eat when not sleeping in NYC. Well Big Nick's Burger Joint & Pizza Joint is open 23 hours a day and serves everything under the sun and moon. Tucked away on Broadway just off of 77Th street Nick's is not big but has plenty of seating space. This "dinner" is a bustling place that has been open since 1962. Big Nick Cares is what it says on the menu. He cares about quantity, quality and keeping prices low. You can ask him because he is always around, or that's what the staff says.This joint is hopping with two doors. Behind door # 1 is the line for slices, and behind door # 2 is the counter with tables in the back. There is sidewalk seating but you miss half the experience by not sitting inside. The dim lighting and old pictures, this is New York. Their Burgers are yummy and they have stake or waffle fires. Also the pizza is nothing to sneeze at. The White Pizza is one of everyones faves. Nicks has much much more then Burgers and pizza. So much that you could eat there everyday for a year and a have something different. Know matter what time it is, its a good time at Big Nick's.