The Night After Night Archives

7 Picks a Week, Nov. 25, 2022.

Raphael Payare (Photograph courtesy Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal)

My contributions to the latest installment of 7 picks a week, the arts and culture guide I compile weekly for Gothamist.

See mysticism and melancholy through a world-famous painter's eyes

"Exodus," an exhibition of recent works by the German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer, is so big one coast couldn't contain it. Part of the show is on view at Gagosian's space at 555 West 24th Street in Chelsea; the other part is housed at Gagosian at Marciano Art Foundation, in Los Angeles. Evoking themes from ancient mythology, the Book of Exodus and the writings of E.T.A. Hoffmann and Paul Celan, Kiefer conjures old gods, monuments and ruins in his characteristically haunting manner. Gagosian, through Friday, Dec. 23; gagosian.com

Be astonished by a jazz quartet's fiery flights

If you've ever had the experience of feeling so overwhelmed by the intensity of a group's cooperation that all you could do was smile and laugh in dumbstruck awe, you've got a good idea of what to anticipate in an encounter with John Zorn's New Masada Quartet. Playing material from Zorn's Masada songbooks – part Jewish theme, part free-jazz steam – the iconoclastic saxophonist's group with guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Kenny Wollesen is among the most joyous outfits he's ever led, and that joy is contagious. Roulette, Sunday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m.; roulette.org

See a rising-star conductor lead the New York Philharmonic for the first time

Conductor Rafael Payare, like his world-famous colleague Gustavo Dudamel, came up through the fabled Venezuelan training program El Sistema, and sprang from the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra to a globe-spanning career. At age 42, he is music director of two outstanding ensembles, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and should make an electrifying first impression on New York Philharmonic audience members with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 12, subtitled "The Year 1917." David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, Thursday, Dec. 1 – Saturday, Dec. 3, times vary; nyphil.org

7 Picks a Week, Nov. 18, 2022.

Jason Moran and The Bandwagon (Photograph courtesy of the artists)

My contributions to the latest installment of 7 picks a week, the arts and culture guide I compile weekly for Gothamist.

See how the Great Migration inspired a cellist to make a move

Already known as one of the finest young cellists of his generation, Seth Parker Woods reveals himself to be considerably more in this original multidisciplinary performance piece. Taking the Great Migration as his theme, Woods serves as soloist, narrator, and motion artist in a program comprised of poetry by Amiri Baraka and Dudley Randall, choreography by dancer Roderick George, film and contemporary pieces created by a wide variety of composers — including, in this newest iteration, new music by Ted Hearne and Devonté Hynes (a.k.a. Blood Orange). And if you can’t attend in person, livestream tickets are available. Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.; 92ny.org

View new films from around the world without leaving your sofa

Whether you're eager to revisit the bounty of global cinema screened at this year's 12th annual Queens World Film Festival earlier this month or you missed the entire thing, you've got a second chance to see a slate of films from across the country and around the world during a virtual encore festival that starts this Sunday. Sign up for a smorgasbord of shorts or a single feature for $10, or indulge in an all-you-can-watch festival pass covering more than 100 offerings for $50. Sunday, Nov. 20 – Sunday, Dec. 4; FilmFestivalFlix.com

Jump on the Bandwagon at the world's most storied jazz club

Befitting his status as a MacArthur Fellow, Jason Moran is an impressively multi-hyphenate creative: pianist, composer, educator, curator, record-label impresario, visual artist and collaborator to formidable fellow artists like Joan Jonas, Glenn Ligon, Ragnar Kjartansson and Kara Walker. But every year (pandemic willing), in what's become a Thanksgiving-week ritual as welcome as pumpkin pie and the big parade, Moran brings it all back home to the Village Vanguard for a stint with The Bandwagon, his tight-knit trio with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits. Tuesday, Nov. 22 – Sunday, Nov. 27 at 8 & 10 p.m.; villagevanguard.com

Swing by a Greenwich Village gallery for jazz-infused art

Speaking of jazz artists who also engage in visual media, “The Art of Counterpoint: 8 Musicians Make Art” features works by creators better known as jazz performers. The show, just opened at Zürcher Gallery, on Bleecker Street in the heart of Greenwich Village, includes works by historic icons Marion Brown, Bill Dixon, and Ted Joans, as well as living innovators Douglas R. Ewart, Oliver Lake, Matana Roberts, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and Wadada Leo Smith. You can view the catalog in advance here. Through Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023; galeriezurcher.com

7 Picks a Week, Nov. 11, 2022.

Nina Chanel Abney exhibition (Photograph courtesy Pace Prints)

Here are my contributions to the latest installment of 7 picks a week, the arts and culture guide I compile weekly for Gothamist.

Celebrate a hard-working jazz trio's 10th anniversary

Serendipity had a hand in the formation of Thumbscrew, when bassist Michael Formanek filled in as a substitute player in a band that featured guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. A decade later, the well-traveled working trio celebrates 10 years of uncommon chemistry and sly, nimble music, as heard on "Multicolored Midnight," its recently released seventh album. The Jazz Gallery, Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; jazzgallery.org (Steve Smith)

Gawk at the real trappings of royalty between episodes of "The Crown"

If you plan to queue up for a blockbuster exhibition this fall, “The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England” is the one to choose. The show covers a historic span from the ascent of Henry VII in 1485 to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, a time of creative fecundity and promiscuous patronage. The show includes more than 100 works – paintings, armor, manuscripts, and more – by gifted artists and craftsmen from throughout Europe, while also chronicling the emergence of a nascent British style. Metropolitan Museum of Art, through Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023; metmuseum.org (Steve Smith)

Hear dreamy music in the building Anna Delvey couldn't buy

Known as an adventurous cellist and founder of the American Chamber Music Ensemble, Clarice Jensen increasingly has turned her hand lately to writing mesmerizing solo and chamber compositions. She'll be joined by ACME colleagues this week to play music from her vivid, varied new album, "Esthesis," in the elegant building at 281 Park Ave South, made famous by the Netflix film "Inventing Anna." Fotografiska New York, Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.; fotografiska.com (Steve Smith)

7 Picks a Week, Nov. 4, 2022.

David Lynch (Photograph: Josh Telles)

On Friday, Nov. 4, we rebooted the web post previously called Weekend Arts Planner. We moved it up to Friday, in hopes that it could serve to actually help folks plan their weekends and not just the days beyond. And we opened it up to more voices and perspectives from throughout the WNYC newssoom, as well as friends from WQXR and All of It.

I'm very happy with the overall mix. The following are my own contributions…

Get creeped out by David Lynch’s visual art

If you’re a fan of the idiosyncratic filmmaker David Lynch, then you’ve got a strong idea of what to anticipate in “Big Bongo Night,” his first exhibition since signing with Pace Gallery. The show includes mixed-media sculptures, paintings, and a work on paper, all infused with the same qualities of creeping dread and disorientation that saturate his cinematic oeuvre. Pace Gallery, through Dec. 17; pacegallery.com (Steve Smith)

Hear elemental sounds from a band featuring two MacArthur geniuses

Jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Myra Melford has been assembling impressive bands for decades now — but her newest ensemble is a head-turner all the same. The group, called Fire and Water, features two recent recipients of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (a.k.a. “Genius Grant”), guitarist Mary Halvorson and cellist Tomeka Reid. Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Lesley Mok complete the lineup when the band comes to Roulette in Brooklyn to celebrate its debut CD, “For the Love of Fire and Water.” Roulette, Monday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.; roulette.org (Steve Smith)

Check out the first-ever solo museum show by Theaster Gates

It’s hard to believe that “Young Lords and Their Traces” is the first-ever solo museum survey devoted to the art of Theaster Gates, so widespread and pervasive are the Chicago artist’s work and influence. Active in the fields of sculpture, installation art and collaborative performance, Gates elevates the thinkers who shaped society, in his hometown and in the U.S., through paintings, sculptures, videos, and performances. New Museum, Thursday, Nov. 10–Feb. 5, 2023; newmuseum.org (Steve Smith)

Weekend Arts Planner (not), Oct. 29, 2022.

Mali Obomsawin (Photograph courtesy Jazz Gallery)

Weekend Arts Planner took a break during the last weekend of October, chiefly due to on-air scheduling issues. But these are the items I prepared for the occasion, as they appeared in the Gothamist article "11 fun things to do in NYC that have nothing to do with trick-or-treating" – and as I write this on Tuesday morning, only one of these things (the David Geffen Hall open house) is over and done.

Watch acrobats rappel down the face of David Geffen Hall

This weekend, Lincoln Center welcomes visitors for a two-day open house boasting a dizzying array of artistic talent. Musical acts include Brian Stokes Mitchell, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Justin Vivian Bond, Grand Wizzard Theodore, the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, and dozens more – even Kermit the Frog, appearing with Canada’s participatory Choir!Choir!Choir! Hands-on workshops include a puppetry session with Basil Twist, and the aerial company Bandaloop will dance across the facade of David Geffen Hall. Best of all: it’s free! It happens on Saturday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 30, starting at 10 a.m. both days. You can learn more and see the lineup here.

Discover the artist behind one of the world’s most famous works

Even if you don’t recognize the name Meret Oppenheim, you're probably familiar with the Swiss artist’s best-known work: “Object,” a modest cup, saucer, and teaspoon wrapped in gazelle fur, resulting in a Surrealist icon. Beyond her signature work, she was one of the most accomplished artists working in Surrealism, a style dominated by brash men, and “Meret Oppenheim: My Exhibition,” a thorough new career retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, showcases her range with a collection of nearly 200 objects. It’s on through March 4 and you can learn more here.

Listen to a rising jazz star

“Sweet Tooth,” released today by bassist, composer, and bandleader Mali Obomsawin, isn’t your typical debut by a promising jazz up-and-comer. Her album is filled with catchy tunes, rich harmonies, and vibrant improvisations, played by a band in which women musicians are uncommonly well-represented. But Obomsawin, a member of the New England-based Wabanaki Confederation, weaves elements of legend, lore, and contemporary issues into the half-dozen tracks of her album, which she’ll celebrate with a record-release concert at the Jazz Gallery on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and tickets start at $20. Learn more at the Jazz Gallery.

Weekend Arts Planner, Oct. 22, 2022.

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (Photograph: Ben Ealovega)

The latest episode of Weekend Arts Planner, my weekly chat with Weekend Edition host David Furst that airs every Saturday morning on WNYC, covers noteworthy doings presented by the Whitney Museum of American Art and Carnegie Hall.

Have a listen, or just read the text and follow the links, here.

Weekend Arts Planner, Oct. 15, 2022.

Wendell Pierce and Sharon D. Clarke in 'Death of a Salesman' (Photograph: Joan Marcus)

The latest episode of Weekend Arts Planner, my weekly chat with Weekend Edition host David Furst that airs every Saturday morning on WNYC, covers noteworthy doings presented by the Hudson Theatre and The Greene Space. (Full disclosure: the latter is a venue owned and operated by my employer, New York Public Radio).

Have a listen, or just read the text and follow the links, here.

Weekend Arts Planner, Oct. 8, 2022.

Etienne Charles (Photograph: Lawrence Sumulong for Lincoln Center)

The latest episode of Weekend Arts Planner, my weekly chat with Weekend Edition host David Furst that airs every Saturday morning on WNYC, covers noteworthy doings presented by the Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, and the New York Philharmonic. Have a listen, or just read the text and follow the links, here.

As many of you might know, these posts until recently also appeared on Gothamist. They will again, soon, but in a revised and expanded format. Stay tuned…

Goings On About Town, January 17, 2022.

The Goings On About Town section in The New Yorker has begun a gradual return to its conventional format, with live, in-person events taking greater precedence among the album reviews and online events that replaced them throughout pandemic quarantine months. (Click on the image to enlarge it, or hit the link to read the text on the New Yorker website.)

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Goings On About Town, January 3 & 10, 2022.

The Goings On About Town section in The New Yorker has begun a gradual return to its conventional format, with live, in-person events taking greater precedence among the album reviews and online events that replaced them throughout pandemic quarantine months. (Click on the image to enlarge it, or hit the link to read the text on the New Yorker website.)

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