Last night I was fortunate to have a closeup view of pianist Eric Reed and fellow jazzcats Dan Wilson on guitar, Luca Alemanno strumming the bass, and Billy Drummond plying the sticks at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club. There’s still time for you to catch him tonight for the Sunday shows at 7:00 and 9:00 pm. This is the best of swinging New York groove—a quintissential late night sound. And check out his new album Black, Brown, and Blue, celebrating music by composers of color.
Liberty. 24″ x 16″ archival print. $800. Photograph by Philip Maier in collaboration with Karen Rempel.
This photograph is one of my absolute favorites from my first 50 photoshoots for Karen’s Quirky Style.
Phil captured this using the natural light in the room, which had a green “romantic effect.” He overcame difficult lighting conditions to achieve contrast and clarity as the green light was actually quite dim.
The End of an Era
Filmed at the Liberty Inn in the Meatpacking District, I think this photograph truly captures the feeling of a time and place in New York history. As I described in my February 2023 Karen’s Quirky Style column, when I learned that the Liberty Inn was closing, I was devastated that this last remnant of the New York of the seedy ’70s would be gone soon. And in fact, it closed less than a month later.
Why I Think This Is a Work of Art
This image is arresting. It immediately captures the viewer’s attention. The lines of the work lead naturally from lower left to upper right, drawing attention to the woman’s face. She’s kissing money and there’s money on the bed. This is provocative and tells a story even though there is only one character in the frame. The seediness of the open bathroom door with the edge of the toilet shown in the lower left, the plastic bag on the garbage can, the paper cup—all of these details suggest the temporary nature of the assignation. The woman’s come hither attitude, from her finger tips to her knowing look, promise the seduction will be worth the price. This is definitely a picture that tells more than a thousand words, and it’s also fun and playful to look at. The green light was a happy accident of that particular room’s decor, but the tie-in with the color of money is part of the fun.
The Salmagundi Club Does Not Agree
I recently submitted this piece to the Salmagundi Club’s open exhibition, called “Figurative.” I listed both Phil and myself as co-artists of the piece, as it was a collaboration that we created together, and he agreed I could submit it under both our names.
The prospectus stated:
The purpose of this exhibition is to showcase today’s exceptional contemporary figurative art. Situated in the heart of New York City’s vibrant art world, Salmagundi will present an overview of representational art that focuses on the human figure and face, as seen in the context of New York City and contemporary life. Works in all mediums including painting, photography, drawing, and sculpture are eligible for submission, if they explore themes of portraiture, nudes, clothed figures, and narratives that center on the human form. This exhibition will represent the current state of figurative art in New York City.
It seems to me that the work meets all of the criteria. There couldn’t be a stronger narrative centered on the human form. Of course, the decision of what is “exceptional” is up to the panel of judges who curate the exhibit.
This will no doubt sound biased, but I always attend the exhibitions at the Salmagundi, whether or not my work has been accepted, so that I can get a feel for what the judges are looking for. I am not infrequently astonished at the work they select, as the quality of some of the pieces is not always evident to my eye. By the same token, my friends, who are admittedly also biased, have said that some of my work is among the best in the group exhibits where I have been fortunate to have my art shown.
But There’s More
Not only was “Liberty” turned down, but my work has been turned down the last three times I have submitted it to an open exhibition at the Salmagundi Club.
I recently applied for artist membership to the Salmagundi Club, as I enthusiastically said I would do in an earlier entry on this site. Even though my work has already been displayed at the Salmagundi Club FOUR TIMES!! and I am an exhibiting artist member at the National Arts Club (which also has a juried application process) and I was enthusiastically endorsed by three members of the Salmagundi Club (two of whom are artists who viewed my work), my application was turned down.
Their letter stated: “The artwork submitted did not meet the particular club standards for artist membership.”
This seems odd when they have not once but four times deemed my work worthy to include in their group exhibitions.
I can only conclude that the artists on the Salmagundi jury lack an appreciation for a fresh artistic vision, and perhaps they lack a sense of humor as well. (Regarding the Salmagundi Art Heist.) Ah well, I have made some lovely new friends at the Salma who enjoyed my art caper—and in fact said it should be de rigueur for membership!—and they have issued an open invitation for Friday cocktail hour. Friendship and cocktails—now that’s the point of belonging to a club!
The first night I ever set foot on the soil of NYC, a Sunday in October 2014, as soon as the taxi brought me from La Guardia to the Washington Square Hotel, I dumped my bags and raced over to the Blue Note on West 3rd Street. I loved jazz, and I’d heard of this club, mostly because of its name-sharing with Blue Note Records (no connection, I learned much later during a talk at the Blue Note hosted by Village Preservation).
But on October 26, 2014, I was devastated to eagerly walk up to the entrance just before midnight and be told they were closing. Oww!!! New York closes down at midnight on a Sunday night? For real?? Luckily I discovered Groove at the end of the block and danced to live funk music with NYC students for a few hours before grabbing a slice at Ben’s (with cauliflower and broccoli on it!) and heading back to the hotel. I remember sitting at a window overlooking an airwell on the fourth floor in the hotel and eating the pizza and marvelling that I was really in New York.
I didn’t realize at the time that the Blue Note is more of a formal venue for well-established stars, with the set format of two shows nightly and no lounging around after that, thank you very much. I later discovered Smalls, which I wrote about in a story called Bringing Up the Jazzcats—open until 4 am with the true New York soul of jazz—late night jams and talented young hopefuls onstage nightly.
I actually went back to the Blue Note the next night—for the 8 PM set—and saw the amazing Bebel Gilberto. I met some lovely folks on line (New York speak for “in line” which is what we say in Vancouver) who took me to see Trevor McQueen at Birdland that night for the late show. Now this is what I expected of New York! The next night was Mötley Crüe at MSG, and I was completely besotted with the city.
Finding Hip Hop
Thanks for indulging my little trip down memory lane. As you may have read in Throw Your X Up, I went to a nine-hour hip hop concert in the Bronx in the summer of 2021, as part of Mayor de Blasio’s New York City Homecoming concert series.
I think of myself as a latecomer to rap and hip hop, but in September 2020 New York Magazine printed “The City and the Beats: 100 songs that tell the story of New York rap.” It took me a few months to listen to all 100 songs. I was sorry when I got to the end of the list. Hip hop had become part of my soul. I made this KQS NYC Beats playlist of my favorite hip hop songs, and I also listen to this chill Hip Hop 1995 XIII Instrumentals playlist by Jimmy Eden Moon all the time.
Flash Forward to February 7, 2023
So when I saw that Talib Kweli was at the Blue Note for a week in February 2023, I jumped at the chance to see more of this artistic life form.
I went to the Blue Note aiming to dance (this was hip hop after all) and sat at a side table where the server said I could get up and dance whenever I wanted to. Talib Kweli and DMC (Darryl McDaniels), as well as Bob James, gave us some of the best, most iconic hip hop, backed up with a trippy lineup of bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, and sax. Having this full back-beat meant some of the arrangements were different than the original recordings, bringing an undiluted aliveness and freshness. Once they started, I never sat down again.
These bells was beautiful! This music is so exciting and significant. I couldn’t help dancing a bit while recording so these vids are a bit wobbly. This is history happening right here!
My friend Jeff gave me the darlingest gift for my birthday this year:
Barbie Bowie! She looks just like me! The attention to detail of this doll is incredible, from the striped and polka-dotted tie to the platform brogues. The Barbie company made an exact replica of David Bowie as filmed by Mick Rock for his “Life on Mars” music video.
This was my singing debut, at the National Arts Club, where I also did my best to replicate Bowie’s “Life on Mars” look and sound.
It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life to meet Mick Rock at a photo exhibit of pictures he and other photographers had taken of David Bowie. I brought along a giant book of Mick’s photographs of Bowie, which he signed for me, and we hung out a bit. He did think I was gauche though. I was as eager as a puppy, and didn’t act as reserved as a cool New Yorker.
Me and Mick Rock, the photographer who did the “Life on Mars” video and many of the iconic Bowie photos in the early 70s.
I was really sad when Mick Rock died last year. His enormous book with a really cool holographic cover is behind Barbie in the top photo.
I was also honored to meet Carol Spencer at her Dressing Barbie book talk at the National Arts Club in 2020. She was a Barbie fashion designer for more than 35 years (early 60s to late 90s), and her book was published for Barbie’s 60th anniversary. I enjoyed many of her clothes, with no idea of the amazing woman behind them.
When I was a girl I loved playing with my Barbie, and it was hard to give her up when I reached the end of the elementary school years and other girls at school deemed Barbie too childish for us. I collected every color of the high-heeled loafers that went with the Barbie outfits in the late 60s and early 70s. I loved dressing Barbie in different outfits and imagining her going out on exciting dates. Little did I know I was in training for my Karen’s Quirky Style column!
Do you ever have trouble opening a takeout container?
This lid on this container from my local fave, Kubeh, was absolutely stuck. Hunger drove me to commit harikiri on the intractable plastic. The food was delish.
My jazzcat friend David was in town visiting from Wales and I joined him on a jazz binge this week. We took in two shows at Birdland and saw the Andrew Cyrille Quartet at the Vanguard.
Mr. David McLeod is blown away by Pizza.
An accomplished guitarist himself, Mac also jammed with some old friends at one of his favorite SoHo guitar shops, Rudy’s. The older geezers playing in the back blew away the young chaps who were magnetically drawn into the shop during the impromptu jam session.
We saw the John Pizzarelli Trio at Birdland, and I wanted to share this clip with you. The current lineup with Mr. Pizzarelli consists of Isiah J. Thompson on piano and Mike Karn on bass.
John Pizarelli playing “April Wind/Phase Dance” and “Antonia” on his Moll 7-string classical guitar at Birdland.
At the beginning of the pandemic, John Pizzarelli, the acclaimed New Jersey guitarist fondly known as Pizza, left NYC with his wife, the singer Jessica Molaskey, to stay at their cabin in upstate New York. Tragically, John lost both his parents to COVID-19 early in the pandemic.
Grieving and isolating with his wife in their lakeside cabin, John began fingering some of his favorite Pat Metheny songs every morning on the porch overlooking the lake.
The end result was Better Days Ahead: Solo Guitar Takes on Pat Metheny, which he released in 2021. John recorded the entire album on his iPad in his cabin, playing his well-known Moll 7-string classical guitar.
Jessica painted the picture of John wearing a mask that you see on the album cover. For the full story about the recording of the ode to Pat Metheny, see this Downbeat article.
Jeff Slate and DJ Crystal Clear invoking David Bowie at Hill Country Barbecue Market.
Live music, indoor dancing, Bowie!! New York is back with a favorite annual tradition. On Friday, April 8, Jeff Slate hosted a 75th birthday tribute to David Bowie with guest friends, including vocalists Shannon Conley, Crystal Durant (DJ Crystal Clear), and Michael T.
I was super-excited to go to a Bowie event again! Five years ago I went to a Bowie-themed roller disco night at Lakeside Rink in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, with dozens of people dressed as various Bowie incarnations from Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane to Thin White Duke to the Blind Prophet (from Blackstar). Expecting a lot of folks would turn up in costume, I put on my golden third eye, combed back my hair, and was ready to celebrate the universal Bowie soul with fellow lovers.
Ziggy Stardust makeup and the Kansai Yamamoto red rabbit romper! Photo by Crystal Durant.
The party was in the cellar of the Hill Country Barbecue Market in Nomad. Due to the O variant, this was postponed 4 months from Bowie’s actual birthday, January 8, to April 8. I showed up early and saw that the crowd queued up to enter the space where the band was doing a sound check was strictly post-fifties (like me). A few folks sparkled with glittery clothing, and some of the men were rock and rollers, but mostly just plain folks. I was a bit suprised that no one else had a gold circle on their forehead!
Here’s a 1-minute clip as DJ Crystal Clear takes us into the Bowie Zone on China Girl, and a trance dancer grooves up front. The band is having a blast!
It was such a fun night, with mostly Bowie songs but a few other classic rock tunes thrown in. Jeff said that he likes to include a few songs by musicians who were friends with Bowie. So we were treated to the Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat, and to the classic Led Zep rocker Rock and Roll. That was the one that pulled me onto my feet, and I can only hope that no one took live footage of me dancing! I really shook out all of the tensions from the past two years, letting it all roll out of my body, shimmying and shaking every inch, right down to my fingers and toes.
Michael T and Jeff Slate in a stardust moment.
What a blast! The crowd was there to celebrate and party, and that’s what we did. People were dancing in the aisles, at the sides, up front. The performers brought their unique interpretations to many favorite Bowie tunes, from deep cuts like Cracked Actor to the earth-shattering Life on Mars to his final masterpiece, Lazarus. I loved every minute of it.
Jeff Slate, Michael T, DJ Crystal Clear and Shannon Conley perform David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs.” Video by The Village Sun.
After the show, some of us went to an afterparty at Beauty Bar, by invitation of the gorgeous and talented Bowie impresario Michael T, who was DJing the late set at Beauty Bar after his performance at Hill Country. This was a much younger crowd of mostly 20-somethings, getting down to the 80s tracks that Michael T spun for us. They knew all the words to classics like The Romantics’ What I Like About You. I was blown away!
My youngest sister, Kat (who is in her 30s), explained to me that 80s music is so creative—all those drugs people were taking—and that this laid the foundation for all the music that came after. Interesting—I am sure rock and rollers in their fifites would say the same of the 1960s! And people a generation ahead would say the same of the 1950s, and so on going back to infinity or at least to the roots of recorded music.
I danced and had scintillating drunken conversations with my friends until about 2 AM, then walked home along 14th Street in a light rain. Carl, a vendor at a Halal food cart at Union Square, was sending delicious fried onion aromas into the empty street. I got falafel and rice to absorb some of the alcohol, and ate as I strode through the dark and gleaming streets of the Village. A perfect ending to a perfect New York night!
My friend, the fantastic New York photographer Philip Maier, has just released a fascinating book about Union Square.
Phil’s photos capture the past 20 years of New York history in this focal point of Greenwich Village. His artistic vision will touch you with humor, joy, grief, sadness, and his tremendous love of the city and the resilient, creative people who live here.
Scroll down Phil’s webpage to a link to download the book for free. Phil also gives you an option to donate to a charity if you wish.
If you want to purchase a photo from the book, don’t be shy about reaching out to Phil. He’d love to hear from you.
I have exciting news! I am honored to be welcomed as an exhibiting member of the National Arts Club. This means a jury of professional artists evaluated my work and deemed it worthy of hanging on those hallowed walls! I am really flabbergasted!
I’ll send updates closer to the date, but please save some time to visit the Club during the period from May 12 to June 15! My work will be on display there as part of a group exhibit.
This sparked a creative surge and I decided to try my hand at watercolors. It was the first time I’d used watercolors since I was about seven years old. My sister Kim, a very accomplished artist, shared Anna Mason’s pear tutorial. It was so fun to do! Anna is a very friendly, encouraging artist. She teaches a wet-on-dry technique that allows for layering of color.
I learned from her to look at hue, intensity, and shadow in a whole new way. My favorite part was mixing the colors on a white plate. It’s so pleasing to wet the pans of color and mix up different shades!!
