Reviews & Articles

Chez Josephine was the brainchild of Jean-Claude Baker from Burgundy, who named his restaurant after his adoptive mother, Josephine Baker. Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald was an American-born naturalized French citizen famed as a dancer, singer, and actress.

I frequently dine around Manhattan while checking out the latest shows, jazz, and classical music venues. Friends recently reminded me that unique, excellent restaurants and sites could be found minutes away in Jersey City.

I’ve often enjoyed Pershing Square Café’s wonderful breakfast specials and especially their legendary pancakes. After enjoying an early evening of swinging jazz across town at Birdland Jazz Club, I walked east from 8th Ave through Times Square on 42nd Street, past Bryant Park and Grand Central towards peaceful Tudor City. Nestled next to Grand Central where Park Avenue intersects 42nd Street is the Pershing Square Café. Tonight, it looked like the perfect quiet ...

Swinging big band music was hot in Manhattan! From the moment the Tony Kadleck Big Band began their set at the Birdland Jazz Club, we tapped our toes and jumped to a tasteful, tight, polished sound, solid rhythm section, cats burnin’ solos, and sophisticated superb arrangements by trumpeter and band leader Kadleck.

The program opened with Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor “Organ” (1886). When the organ spoke at the first poco adagio along with lush strings and harmonies, the amalgam of sound was exquisitely sublime, inspiring reverence and spirituality from Saint-Saëns’ melodic prose.

n keeping with the founder’s wish, 25 pieces of artwork were displayed, allowing members and guests to mingle as they enjoyed the compositions showcased in the library. Among the renowned artists in attendance was Peggy Kinstler, spouse of famed portrait artist Everett Raymond Kinstler, showing her 24” x 12” photograph entitled “Everett and Friends Viewing Sargent’s ‘The Children of Edward Darley Boit.”

I highly recommend the Bryant Park Grill with its excellent food. Be sure to make a reservation because even on a Wednesday night it was crowded!

The Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) stage transformed into a ballroom for the dazzling January 19th double performance of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) Live 2023 tour, co-hosted by American television personality Gabby Windey and English-born dancer and choreographer Emma Slater.

Existentialism seemed to dominate undertones dealing with the passage of time, mechanically repeating the practices of our predecessors, and our insignificance in the vastness of the universe and history.

Trombonist/composer Conrad Herwig and the Latin side all-stars ascended the stage to deliver their first musical offering. Splendid charts, extended improvisation, artistic interaction, virtuoso performances, a tight horn section, and a solid rhythm section immediately lit the room. A powerhouse of Latin rhythmic fire by drummer Robby Ameen and percussionist Mauricio Herrera on congas ignited an astounding sojourn.

Raconteur and narrator Louis Mofsie (Hopi/Winnebago) guided us through the majestic proclamations of dances, storytelling, and music representing the magnificence and provenance of these rich cultures. The coruscating colors and movements portrayed themes associated with rituals, reverence, and prayers to a Creator for blessings, health and thanksgiving, gladness for the life-giving forces of animals and rain, community pride, and honor to their warriors who protect them.

Brine honored the music of The Smiths through an auto-biographical perspective revealing universal human needs like love, friendship, and realized ambitions. We discovered Brine’s Bible Belt roots in North Carolina and the paths leading him to New York City. The exceedingly talented Brine danced, sang, and spoke in ways that evoked uncontrollable laughter, empathy, or sublime wistful affection.