summer night walk

(tt) I went to the IFC cinema on 6th Ave

to see a fascinating film about a tacky scandal from the 1970's.

Don't miss it (but you might have to have a wash after...)

Walked to and from the picture house.

NYU is presenting a celebration of the plays of Eugene O'Neill

as depicted by Al Hirschfeld

The drawings are displayed in windows so forgive the reflections

Colleen Dewhurst in Ah, Wilderness!

            Louis Wolheim in The Hairy Ape

Gwen Verdon in the musical. New Girl in Town based on Anna Christie

Thelma Ritter in same

Wendy Hiller and Franchot Tone in Moon For The Misbegotten

Jason Robards in The Iceman Cometh

Al Pacino and Ben Gazzara in different productions of Hughie

Peter Gallagher in Long Day's Journey Into Night

Zoe Caldwell in Long Day's Journey

After the movie I walked home via Washington Square trying to keep my teacher's lessons in my head. I shook a fair bit!

Washington Square

Some poles in Astor Place are being tizzed up with plastic tags

Here is one of the artists doing the tizzing

Here are a few neighbourhood sights we take for granted

This shop is closing

Had your veggies today?

This is Daniel's shop where we take our fetid sheets

The local bug house

A lovely building on 14th St seen from our corner

Goodnight my darlings all

Passione

We saw this today. It's a history of the music of Naples directed by John Turturro. Passionate indeed.

ALWAYS: Irving Berlin

The final instalment of JAZZ IN JULY at the 92Y was a family affair: artistic director Bill Charlap on piano, his wife Renee Rosnes on a second Steinway grand and his mother Sandy Stewart on vocals.
I'm a huge fan of the Stewart/Charlap cd "Love is Here to Stay" and the Rosnes/Charlap cd "Double Portrait" so I booked for this concert months ago and got front row seats.

Sandy Stewart's dramatic vocals are reminiscent of Morgana King and the first song of the show, "Always" was a master class in phrasing and breath control which actually elicited bravos from the audience. She also scored with a sultry "Change Partners" and a dark bitter reading of "Remember?"

The other vocalist was new to us but not for long. We were so knocked out by Sachal Vasandani's performances in act one that we bought two of his albums in the foyer at intermission.

We were sitting directly in front of Joe Locke who played vibes with such emotional involvement that it bordered on a sexual experience. His performance on "Suppertime" was breathtaking.
The entire programme had us grinning from ear to ear all night, certainly fostered by the family feeling onstage as well as the consummate artistry of each musician. Fabbo.

evening in tompkins park

(tt)   You have to get out of the brownstone ovens even if there is an air conditioner so the streets and parks are full of people playing and sitting and dogging. Tompkins Park is nearby so it drew me for a cooler.
On the way I passed a school with a playground fitted for skateboard stunting. One friendly kid noticed my Canon and  with a certain conspiratorial pride drew out exactly the same model. "You go, man"  "Why, thank you very much"

Here is Tompkins Park which is on Ave A at 10th St

This bird knew!

Half full or....?

A lot of parks have a dog run. They remind me of school playgrounds. There are bullies and show offs and wimps and proud parents and naughty kids. This one was auditioning for a modelling job.

The new tower at World Trade Centre is flying upward. It isn't quite the measure that New Yorkers will use to determine South from North when they emerge for a less than familiar subway station but it won't be long.
In the meantime the old sisters still haunt a few walls.

Along 10th there are some interesting flea stores and psychic parlours.

There was a thin layer of dust over these beauties. Mrs Ken looks like she is the last bride on earth.

Wonder what roadside this sign stood by. How many travellers did it guide? Was it a prop for a movie? I love knowing that this exact configuration will not be there tomorrow after they have cleared the sidewalk at the end of trading.