Wednesday Jul 29
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6:00PM
SPEAKEASY: STORIES FROM THE BACKROOM
Sherry Weaver, host
Peter Aguero's BTK BAND ;
Sexy Women , Darlene White, Tracy Rowland, Cyndi Freeman, Jennifer DeMeritt & Michele Carlo
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SpeakEasy is . . .
A new twist on the ancient tradition of oral history.
SpeakEasy is people telling stories-- true stories. Period. No scripts. No crib notes. No rehearsals.
SpeakEasy has a dynamic and constantly changing cast of storytellers that include such greats as Mike Daisey, Jonathan
Ames, and Reno, along with homemakers, lawyers, dog walkers, street magicians and writers
You never know what you'll hear. So join us for what could be a life changing experience!
Peter Aguero's BTK BAND plays with Sexy Women telling Sexy Stories: Darlene White, Tracy Rowland, Cyndi Freeman, Jennifer DeMeritt & Michele Carlo!
Cover $10
www.speakeasystories.com
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8:30PM
DON'T STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE--THE ART OF THE JOKE
Robin Hirsch, host
Paul Hecht;
Larry Josephson;
Jess Korman
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A. P. Herbert, the prolific English writer of light and occasional verse (Sir Alan to his friends) was a much sought after after-dinner speaker, a kind of more urbane George E. Jessel, the Toastmaster-General of the United States. He used to preface many of his jokes by saying "Don't stop me if you've heard this one."
For more than fifteen years, legendary jokesmiths Hecht, Josephson & Korman have been discussing, sometimes in the presence of the cafe's Minister of Culture, the notion of joke, not as an excuse for a punchline, but as the ever more refined telling of a story. Tonight we put this theory to the test.
Our text tonight is taken, not from Bergson, not from Freud, but from Groucho on his years of training in vaudeville:
"We learned the importance of delivery. One cannot pull phrases at random and sling them together in a sloppy manner with no consideration as to style. The suspenseful building of the structure toward the punchline will, hopefully, make the audience respond with laughter. These phrases must be carefully chosen and planned in order to gain the audience's response. It takes many years on the stage, in front of a live audience, to learn this art, to learn how to deliver those carefully chosen words in the most artless way. Finally, if you are dedicated enough, you learn, subconsciously, HOW TO TELL A STORY.
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Thursday
Jul 30
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6:00PM
DRAFTED
Dennis Cieri
An explorer at heart, Dennis Cieri had delved into a variety of art forms during his career. He wrote and directed Greetings from the Internet, a peculiar chatroom journey into the wilds of the Internet. He also had co-authored and directed Three Deaths and a Date, a comedy/drama where nobody dies, which was well received at the New Jersey Wildwood Film Festival.
Outside the film industry, Dennis is a prolific painter with an impressive arsenal of modern expressionistic works and several shows under his belt. In his other lives, he owned bookstores and published The Media Showcase and Literary New York magazines. He
rarely gets bored, but if he does, he finds himself traveling to exotic lands and if everything else fails, there’s always wine, women and song.
Dennis a born and bred New Yorker lives in New York City with his family.
Drafted is Dennis's newly released book:
The year was 1971, Richard Nixon was president, “Attica” was a chant, The Weather Men blew things up, Alan Shepard hit a golf ball miles on the moon and Hamburgers got a helper! Let’s see… We also had the Pentagon Papers, we were All in the Family and I
was a meathead, Woody made us all Bananas, Lennon asked us to
Imagine, a fiddler fiddled on a roof, the Vietnam war raged and I was drafted.
But in the words of my father, I could never do anything right, not even get drafted. I always had to open my big mouth...
Cover $10
(includes one house drink)
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8:30PM
SOUL OF THE BLUES FESTIVAL
Jon Sobel, host
Dee Stone;
Robert Ross
8:30 -
Dee Stone
A prolific lyricist, Dee sings about love, liberation,
spirituality, and the human condition. Sometimes controversial, always
honest, she performs an interesting mix of edgy r&b, jazz, funk, and
spoken word.
10 - Robert Ross
"A fine singer, a snappy lyricist, and an even better
blues rock guitarist... cut from the same cloth as B.B. King, Muddy
Waters, and Johnny Winter. Time after time Ross delivers the goods." -
NY Daily News. He has put out seven albums and worked with the likes
of John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, and Dr. John. The great
Albert King called Ross "so fast, lightning would have to get on
roller skates to catch him." But he's "equally at ease with softer
and subtler nuance as he is tearing into harder-edged 12-bar blues." -
The Long Island Press
Cover $10
http://www.souloftheblues.com
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Friday
Jul 31
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6:00PM
SON OF A PONY
Jackie Sheeler, host
Fifth Friday blues? The cure is Jackie Sheeler and her signature open mic.
Arrive early to sign up. Featured poet TBA.
Cover $7
(includes one house drink)
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8:30PM
SOUL OF THE BLUES FESTIVAL
Jon Sobel, host
Breakaway;
Ramon Taranco
9:00 -
Breakaway
A mainstay of the L.I. scene and a Soul of the
Blues favorite. The hard-driving men of Breakaway play beautiful
blues originals with "heavy Les Paul leads, sharp harmonica solos and
three part harmonies" - Good Times
10-12 - Ramon Taranco & His Havana Blues Revue
Ramon Taranco & His Havana Blues Revue - "[His 2007 album,
'The Adventures Of Bo Segovia,' finds Taranco evolving into a fine
Blues/Rock writer with strong Jazz elements...a mature and subtle
composer truly come into his own." - Wildy Haskell - WILDY'S WORLD
Cover $10
http://www.souloftheblues.com
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Saturday
Aug 01
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6:00PM
THE LIAR SHOW
Andy Christie
Martin Dockery ;
Juliet Wayne , The Moth;
Ryan Britt, Nerve.com;
Andy Christie , NY Times; WFUV
Four writers, actors & comics tell short personal stories. But one of them is making it all up. Interrogate the cast to expose the lie and win an unbelievable T-shirt.
"A Winner. 4 Stars." 2008 Edinburgh Festival
TimeOut NY Critics Pick
Cover $10
http://www.TheLiarShow.com
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8:30PM
SOUL OF THE BLUES FESTIVAL
Jon Sobel, host
Izzy and Chris ;
John D'Amato;
Jordan Valentine
9 -
Izzy and Chris
"While their style is infused with the deep
tradition of the Delta sound (and technique), what they bring to the
art is as fresh and original as any blues jam should be - it's done
in their voice."
10 - John D'Amato
"I’m almost too exhausted to write this review
after being pulled hither and yon by D’Amato’s relentless, breakneck
licks. He just keeps spewing out wilder and wilder phrases until you
succumb to giddy delight or vertigo. It’s totally fun and technically
impressive, but John—have some mercy.” - Guitar Player Magazine
11 -
Jordan Valentine & the Sunday Saints
Reawakening the sounds of New Orleans ’60s R&B as well as Southern soul and Delta grooves, “Miss
Valentine [sounds] like Otis Redding’s long lost daughter raised on a
steady diet of Billie Holiday…” - Brian Mosher, The Noise Magazine
Cover $10
http://www.souloftheblues.com
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Sunday
Aug 02
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6:00PM
MONOLOGUES & MADNESS
Tulis McCall, host
MONOLOGUES MOST MEMORABLE
A Rich Sampling of Past Performers 2006-2009
Because, as Ed Koch once said, New York has “a million of everything,” McCall decided to share her passion for monologues with anyone who felt, as she does, that one person talking is the purest art form we have. In 2006, she approached Angelo Verga, Curator of the Spoken Word at Cornelia Street, with her idea. Verga gave it a thumbs-up, and McCall put out the word to several friends. The response was immediate, and the friends brought friends of their own. Word soon spread, because actors cannot keep a secret. These days Monologues and Madness on Mondays is SRO at Cornelia Street and has become the premier monologue venue in New York City. No slamming, no judges, just new writing and a great audience.
Cover $7
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8:30PM
THE BROOKLYN PROJECT
Benje Daneman, trumpet;
Sam Lester, guitar;
Jeff Koch, bass;
Brett Chalfin, drums
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The Brooklyn project is an ongoing collective of local musicians, led by drummer Brett Chalfin and bassist Jeff Koch. The two started the collective after graduating from the Jazz Program at the Berkeley Carroll High School, led by bassist and composer Adam Bernstein. The Brooklyn Project preserves traditional Bebob and newer, straight ahead jazz, while infusing eclectic Brooklyn roots, such as hip-hop and latin rhythms to create its own voice.
Cover: $8/$6 w/ Student ID
www.myspace.com/thebrooklynproject
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Monday
Aug 03
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6:00PM
MONOLOGUES & MADNESS
Tulis McCall, host
MONOLOGUE MAYHEM
Just The Way You Like 'Em
Fresh Out of The Box (2-4 minute monologues)
Because, as Ed Koch once said, New York has “a million of everything,” McCall decided to share her passion for monologues with anyone who felt, as she does, that one person talking is the purest art form we have. In 2006, she approached Angelo Verga, Curator of the Spoken Word at Cornelia Street, with her idea. Verga gave it a thumbs-up, and McCall put out the word to several friends. The response was immediate, and the friends brought friends of their own. Word soon spread, because actors cannot keep a secret. These days Monologues and Madness on Mondays is SRO at Cornelia Street and has become the premier monologue venue in New York City. No slamming, no judges, just new writing and a great audience.
Cover $7
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8:30PM
PIANO FESTIVAL: SIMON MULLIGAN'S CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
Simon Mulligan, piano;
Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello
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Pianist Simon Mulligan and cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach will join forces, playing music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin and others
Cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach has performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America. She has collaborated with conductors Mstislav Rostropovich, James DePreist and Peter Oundjian, and with The Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Fort Worth Symphony , the Charleston Symphony, the Lake Forest Symphony (Chicago). Her recording with pianist Fabio Bidini of the Franck and Rachmaninoff Sonatas is released on the Encore Performance label. With the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Ms. Gerlach performed solo cello music on a month-long tour of India and at New York’s City Center, and she has collaborated in a duo with New York City Ballet principal dancer, Damian Woetzel, at the Caramoor Festival. As a chamber musician, Ms. Gerlach has performed at numerous festivals including Marlboro, Aspen, Piccolo Spoleto and Caramoor, where she is a Texaco Rising Star. She is a member of Concertante, a string sextet based in New York City.
British pianist Simon Mulligan celebrated his début aged 19 at London's Barbican Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; a month later he recorded his first compact disc under the direction of Yehudi Menuhin. This led to a seven-year collaboration and friendship, culminating in what was to be Lord Menuhin's final concert in Dusseldorf, March 1999. Described by The Times of London as 'the most abundantly gifted of pianists', Simon performs and records internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. He has made over twenty recordings for compact disc, including performances of Martinu's Triple Concerto (conducted by Menuhin), Rozsa’s Spellbound concerto with the BBC Symphony conducted by Slatkin, Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition, his own Suite for Piano and Orchestra, the Beethoven Sonatas, and the Nocturnes of Chopin. As a chamber musician, Simon collaborates with many notable artists, including violinist Joshua Bell, with whom he has appeared at New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, Hamburg’s Musikhalle, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, the 2002 Grammy Awards, and a recent performance for President Obama at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC.. In other fields, Simon has supported Van Morrison, Dame Shirley Bassey and Liza Minnelli, and was invited to perform for Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
www.SimonMulligan.com
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Tuesday
Aug 04
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6:00PM
MONOLOGUES & MADNESS
Tulis McCall, host
MAXIMUM MONOLOGUES
Mighty Two-Minute Monologues
Because, as Ed Koch once said, New York has “a million of everything,” McCall decided to share her passion for monologues with anyone who felt, as she does, that one person talking is the purest art form we have. In 2006, she approached Angelo Verga, Curator of the Spoken Word at Cornelia Street, with her idea. Verga gave it a thumbs-up, and McCall put out the word to several friends. The response was immediate, and the friends brought friends of their own. Word soon spread, because actors cannot keep a secret. These days Monologues and Madness on Mondays is SRO at Cornelia Street and has become the premier monologue venue in New York City. No slamming, no judges, just new writing and a great audience.
Cover $7
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8:30PM
PIANO FESTIVAL: SIMON MULLIGAN
Simon Mulligan, piano;
Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello
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Pianist Simon Mulligan and cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach will join forces, playing music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin and others
Cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach has performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America. She has collaborated with conductors Mstislav Rostropovich, James DePreist and Peter Oundjian, and with The Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Fort Worth Symphony , the Charleston Symphony, the Lake Forest Symphony (Chicago). Her recording with pianist Fabio Bidini of the Franck and Rachmaninoff Sonatas is released on the Encore Performance label. With the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Ms. Gerlach performed solo cello music on a month-long tour of India and at New York’s City Center, and she has collaborated in a duo with New York City Ballet principal dancer, Damian Woetzel, at the Caramoor Festival. As a chamber musician, Ms. Gerlach has performed at numerous festivals including Marlboro, Aspen, Piccolo Spoleto and Caramoor, where she is a Texaco Rising Star. She is a member of Concertante, a string sextet based in New York City.
British pianist Simon Mulligan celebrated his début aged 19 at London's Barbican Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; a month later he recorded his first compact disc under the direction of Yehudi Menuhin. This led to a seven-year collaboration and friendship, culminating in what was to be Lord Menuhin's final concert in Dusseldorf, March 1999. Described by The Times of London as 'the most abundantly gifted of pianists', Simon performs and records internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. He has made over twenty recordings for compact disc, including performances of Martinu's Triple Concerto (conducted by Menuhin), Rozsa’s Spellbound concerto with the BBC Symphony conducted by Slatkin, Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition, his own Suite for Piano and Orchestra, the Beethoven Sonatas, and the Nocturnes of Chopin. As a chamber musician, Simon collaborates with many notable artists, including violinist Joshua Bell, with whom he has appeared at New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, Hamburg’s Musikhalle, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, the 2002 Grammy Awards, and a recent performance for President Obama at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC.. In other fields, Simon has supported Van Morrison, Dame Shirley Bassey and Liza Minnelli, and was invited to perform for Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
www.SimonMulligan.com
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Wednesday Aug 05
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6:00PM
INTERCULTURAL POETRY SERIES
Julia Istomina, host
Andrey Gritsman
POEM FOR THE OCCASION.
Never presented or published before.
A poem written precisely for this event, an in-gathering of hosts & friends of the Intercultural Series.
Cover $7
(includes one house drink)
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8:30PM
PIANO FESTIVAL: SIMON MULLIGAN & JAMES WEIDMAN
Simon Mulligan, piano;
James Weidman, piano;
w/ Charene Dawn, vocals
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8:30PM Simon Mulligan
10PM James Weidman with special guest Charene Dawn, vocals
Simon Mulligan
British pianist Simon Mulligan celebrated his début aged 19 at London's Barbican Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; a month later he recorded his first compact disc under the direction of Yehudi Menuhin. This led to a seven-year collaboration and friendship, culminating in what was to be Lord Menuhin's final concert in Dusseldorf, March 1999.
Described by The Times of London as 'the most abundantly gifted of pianists', Simon performs and records internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. His recent recording of Beethoven sonatas will soon be released on Sony Masterworks. His previous solo album for Sony Classical, “Piano” won great acclaim throughout Europe, South America and the Far East, and featured in various television, radio, and internet campaigns. He has recorded more than fifteen discs, including performances of Martinu's Triple Concerto (conducted by Menuhin)
As a jazz pianist, he has led several of his own groups since he was 13, performing at festivals throughout the UK, Europe, Shanghai and Barbados. His new jazz quartet album, “Playlist”, will soon be released by Sony.
James Weidman
A valued and talented pianist, James Weidman has been a sideman and
accompanist in many settings over the past 20 years, from Abbey Lincoln and
Steve Coleman to Kevin Mahogany and Joe Lovano. He has also proven to be an
increasingly significant bandleader and composer. His most recent CD, Three
Worlds (released September 2009 on Inner Circle Music), is arguably his
finest recording to date.
James Weidman’s music fits into the modern mainstream of jazz without being
predictable. With original chord changes and voicings, his mastery is
demonstrated with various changes in rhythm and time.
www.SimonMulligan.com
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www.jamesweidman.com
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