Performances
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* Cover is given where known


* There is a one-drink
minimum per set
* Reservations for shows downstairs can only be made by phone:
212-989-9319

ART ON THE WALLS

Monday
May 22
6:00PM  UNMANAGEABLE PEOPLE, STORIES OF
Karen Heuler, host

Jen Conley Gail Conboy Elizabeth Catalano Margot Landau
Stories about Unmanageable People

You can't quite get them to do what you want, and maybe you shouldn't try. Karen Heuler hosts a reading about personal, sibling, ping pong and small-town issues. Actually, ping pong isn't really the problem. Featuring fiction by Jen Conley, Gail Conboy, Elizabeth Catalano, and Margot Landau.
 Cover $6 (includes one house drink)

8:30PM  21 CENTURY SCHIZOID MUSIC: COREY DARGEL - CD RELEASE
Corey Dargel Sheila Donovan César Alvarez
21 Century Schizoid Music: Corey Dargel - CD RELEASE image
21st Century Schizoid Music presents the official NYC release performance/party for composer, lyricist, and singer Corey Dargel's debut album LESS FAMOUS THAN YOU, a collection of songs about falling in love with famous (or semi-famous) people. Scheduled for release on the 1st of May by London pop label Use Your Teeth, LESS FAMOUS THAN YOU has been hailed by Time Out New York's Steve Smith as "surely the contemporary-classical smart-pop breakthrough hit of2006." Dargel's first set features songs composed in alternative tuning systems. His second set features songs from LESS FAMOUS THAN YOU with bandmates Sheila Donovan (voice, guitar, toys) and César Alvarez (saxophone, wooden flute, toys). LESS FAMOUS THAN YOU will be available for $10 (reg. $15).

Composer, lyricist, and singer Corey Dargel's gentle assault on the pop idiom creates a tension which pervades his music: Deadpan and detached vocals reveal heartbreaking intimacies, awkward and obtrusive drum patterns struggle against fragile harmonies, vocals and music uneasily opposing each other as songs stumble to their ends. Emotional and intelligent, his songs evoke the fragility of Antony & The Johnsons and The Hidden Cameras, the electronic works of the late Macon Sumerlin, and the avant-pop approaches of Mark Amerika and Arthur Russell. Voted one of Time Out New York's "Top 25 People To Watch In 2006," Dargel's live performances have received glowing reviews in the New York Times and the Village Voice. He studied composition at Oberlin Conservatory with John Luther Adams, Pauline Oliveros, and Brenda Hutchinson.
 Cover $10   www.automaticheartbreak.com

Tuesday
May 23
6:00PM  BARRY WALLENSTEIN & FRIENDS
Angelo Verga, host

Barry Wallenstein, poetry;  John Hicks, piano;  Serge Pesce, guitar;  Curtis Lundy, bass;  Vince Chancy, french horn
This event will now be a tribute concert dedicated to the memory of John Hicks. Sadly, he died on May 10th.

Barry will be joined by Curtis Lundy, Hicks long time bass player & close friend, and Vince Chancy, french horn, a frequent player with Hicks.
 Cover $10 (includes one house drink)

8:30PM  NICK BISESI QUARTET
Nick Bisesi, tenor saxophone & compositions;  Neal Alger, guitar;  Patrick Williams, bass;  Eric Montzka, drums
Nick Bisesi Quartet  image
Nick Besesi has performed with such notables as Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, David Liebman, and Ramsey Lewis. His compositions range from gritty downtown industrial sounds to folkish melodies to East Indian scales. The quartet will feature music from Nick's latest CD Gemini.

Gemini exudes a sense of energy and freshness. Nick's knowledge and respect for the tradition of jazz is evident; but he clearly wants to chart his own path.
-Mark F. Turner, All about Jazz

Bisesi can't help but infuse the music with throaty emotion. -Neil Tesser, Miles Ahead, Listen Here, & Chicago Reader's Critics Choice

A talented and highly individual tenor-saxophonist.
-Scott Yanow, Author of nine books including Jazz On Film, Trumpet Kings, Bebop and Jazz On Record 1917-76

The maturity of his playing and writing is remarkable!
-David Liebman

Nick's polished sound and technique, combined with a fine ear and a lively imagination, make him a formidable player...
-David Franklin - Jazz Times

cover is $10 - $5 for students w/ID

For more information visit:   www.nickbisesi.com

Wednesday May 24 6:00PM  ICE

Our favorite poet/photographer puts on a mixed media event in conjunction with her showing upstairs in the side dining room. Ice will melt your heart.
 Cover $6 (includes one house drink)   http://www.icephotopoet.com
8:30PM  SOUL OF THE BLUES
Jon Sobel, host

Mark Tolstrup open jam!

LAST MINUTE UPDATE: Due to illness Carol Thomas has had to postpone, as did Jimmy Wolf. There will be a special JAM SESSION right after Mark Tostrup's set - so come on down and JAM!

SOUL OF THE BLUES, NYC's premiere *inexpensive* live blues and soul music series, happens the fourth Wednesday of every month at Cornelia Street Cafe.

for more information on the artists, please visit:

Mark Tolstrup

Carol Thomas

Jimmy Wolf


 Cover $10

Soul of the Blues image
Thursday
May 25
6:00PM  WORDS & MUSIC
Nora McCarthy, vocals/poems;  Dominic Duval, bass
words & music image
The Beyond Words Voice and Bass Duo Nora McCarthy and Dominic Duval

Visual compositions and a unique approach to jazz standards – old and new - with a touch of the avant garde, free - experimental improvisation, and poetry.

”Nora’s vocal identity, aside from a basic jazz orientation, defies classification, and makes spare use of reflexive stylistic mannerisms. In the placement of her voice, Nora can evoke the power of a Malian Diva’s fearless candor, or perhaps a Corsican Voceratrice’s call to invisible worlds in the language of dreams, or the earthiness of an early blues singer’s unvarnished autobiographical witness. She has been attentive to the fluid articulation, phrasing and timbre of the jazz trumpet, the instrument that most clearly has influenced her vocal development. Her shaping of pitch often foregoes the fluid note-bending of the jazz singer in favor of the full press of a sculptor’s touch against viscous clay.”… Ramsey Ameen, A Gathering of the Tribes Magazine, 2005.

McCarthy leads and co-leads several other groups including: “The Nora McCarthy Qu ‘ART’et; ConceptualMotion 20-piece Orchestra (which opened the Vision Festival X in 2005); A Small Dream In Red - voice and saxophone duet; and, The ACE (Afro-Caribbean-Experimental) Collective. Nora is also a featured member of Master Conductor Lawrence D. (Butch) Morris’ “Chorus of Poets”.

New Yorker Dominic Duval is one of the finest and most prolific bassists on the contemporary scene, having played and recorded with some of the greatest names in jazz and new music. Duval's continuing tenure with pianist Cecil Taylor's trio has cemented his reputation as one of contemporary music's more important figures. Duval is comfortable and can be seen performing in any number of genres, including modern classical, jazz or music which defies classification.

Duval leads and co-leads a number of ensembles himself, including the critically-acclaimed C.T. String Quartet, Trio X, "The Wedding Band", and the Dominic Duval String Ensemble. Duval's solo bass CD, Night Bird Inventions, was a Top 10 pick in the Coda Magazine critics poll, and his String Ensemble CD, State of the Art, was chosen one of the year's best in the Jazziz Magazine poll. Mr. Duval can be seen on tour through out the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. Watch for upcoming events in our news section, which will be updated regularly.
 Cover $10 (includes one house drink)   www.noramccarthy.com www.dominicduval.com

8:30PM  GNU VOX VOCAL SERIES: JEREMY RAGSDALE, SACHAL VASANDANI
David Devoe, curator

Sachal Vasandani, voice;  Jeremy Ragsdale, voice;  Mark Shilansky, piano
GNU VOX  Vocal series: Jeremy Ragsdale, Sachal Vasandani image
ABOUT SACHAL
"This man is really amazing!" With a "golden voice" and an ability to execute complex ideas with subtlety and nuance, "amazing" echoes the general reaction to Sachal Vasandani, a major new talent on the music scene.

"Sachal Vasandani's singing reveals emotion and intellect," says Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. "Versed in the blues, standards, and modern jazz... his sound is consistent and unique." The New York Times has called him "debonair" and Jazz at Lincoln Center has described him as "Red-hot... the finest young talent on the scene". All About Jazz has written, "Exceptional... a risk taker who tells a song's story with subtlety. A superior scat singer to boot."

With a flair for infusing the familiar with a fresh, original sensibility entirely his own and an ability to write songs of a diverse and popular style, Vasandani has captured the attention of the jazz world and is quickly climbing towards the top of the music scene. "I like to set a mood when singing," says Vasandani, "communication, honesty and the freedom to explore are very important to me." Vasandani's youthful energy and appeal is ultimately attractive to audiences of all ages and musical preferences.

ABOUT JEREMY RAGSDALE
Jeremy Ragsdale grew up surrounded by music in Annapolis, Maryland. After briefly studying Classical performance at New England Conservatory, Ragsdale transferred to Berklee College of Music.

Jazz Vocal Quartet SYNCOPATION, of which Ragsdale is a member, recently released their first widely distributed album, entitled "Of Blue", with Geneon Entertainment. The group has toured Japan numerous times, and has appeared domestically at the Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival and the Tri-C Jazz Fest.

Jeremy is currently working on his own solo album, to be released early this Summer. The album will feature brand-new big band arrangements by his father, Scott Ragsdale. Keep checking www.jeremyscottragsdale.com for updates on the CD release!

This unique series features both emerging and established vocalists in styles ranging from straight ahead, modern to avant-garde and free jazz. Each vocalist will present personal material that showcases their abilities as interpreters, improvisers, composers and arrangers. The Cornelia St. Cafe provides an intimate setting to hear these exceptional artists at a reasonable price! myspace.com/ jeremyscottragsdale"
 Cover $10   www.jeremyscottragsdale.com www.sachalvasandani.com

Friday
May 26

6:00PM  PINK PONY POETRY
Jackie Sheeler

Thomas Lux
Jackie Sheeler's open mic poetry series. Arrive before 6 pm to sign up. This week's featured reader is Thomas Lux, poet & teacher.
 Cover $6 (includes one house drink)
8:30PM  DAN MCCARTHY QUARTET - CD RELEASE
Dan McCarthy, vibraphone;  Myron Walden, alto saxophone;  Matt Wigton, bass;  Greg Ritchie, drums;  Tuey Connell, banjo
Dan McCarthy Quartet - CD RELEASE image
Vibraphonist Dan McCarthy, a New York resident for only a year and a half, is proud to present the CD Release Party for his independent release "INTERWORDS". The record features Matt Wigton on bass, Greg Ritchie on drums, and special guest artist Myron Walden, playing saxophones. The record has already been getting great reviews by critics and fans alike, and will be available for sale at the Cornelia Street Cafe. "Just delightful" - Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star jazz critic. Joining Dan will be Matt, Greg, and Myron, as well as Tuey Connell playing banjo, who will be doing a short opening set with Dan, premiering their new band. For more information, or to purchase the CD visit
 Cover $10   www.danmccarthy.net

STREAMING LINK: mccarthy.suresong.com/stockholm.mp3

Saturday
May 27
6:00PM  POETICALLY INCORRECT - THE AMERICAN-CARIBBEAN WRITERS
Johnny "Chance" Acevedo



 Cover $8 (includes one house drink)
8:30PM  MARK HELIAS'S OPEN LOOSE
Mark Helias, bass;  Nasheet Waits, drums;  Tony Malaby, sax
MARK HELIAS's open Loose image
"The trio's name "Open Loose" refers not only to its musical style, but to Mark Helias' compositions which are written with plenty of space in them, and are designed to be interpreted openly and loosely. They allow for seamless transitions between composed passages and improvisation, never easy to achieve.
This threesome fully exploits the creative possibilities of the compositions, never opting for a clichéd theme-solos-theme format. The group has the knack of starting with a rather loose - sometimes even ramshackle - piece and slowly allowing it to evolve until it emerges as a tight theme.
Open Loose has been touring for six years and has released three CDs."
 Cover $10   www.markhelias.com
Sunday
May 28
6:00PM  THE LONELIEST NUMBER
Amelia Huckel-Bauer, host

The Loneliest Number image
A dozen or more actors perform monologues, off-off Broadway, and in our basement.

The loneliest number... an evening of monologues performed by New York City’s most talented and tragically underexposed young actors.
 Cover $6 (includes one house drink)

8:30PM  MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING/THE QUARTET OF HAPPINESS
Mostly Other People...
Peter Evans
, trumpet; 
Jon Irabagon, saxophone;  Moppa Elliot, bass;  Kevin Shea, drums; 

The Quartet of Happiness
Kelly Roberge, RIck Parker
, saxophones; 
Kendall Eddy, bass;  Austin McMahon, drums

 Mostly Other People Do the Killing/The quartet of happiness image
MOPDTK is a recent group formed in NYC. In this ensemble, I attempt to write compositions that reflect the strange relationship I feel to jazz history. On the one hand, I grew up listening to and still love traditional jazz, but on the other, I am deeply disturbed and disgusted with its current state of turpitude. This music, instead of attempting to reconcile these two simultaneous opinions, pits them against each other creating music that both blatantly mocks and reveres the jazz tradition. Perhaps Dada-Jazz?

The Quartet of Happiness

"A theatrical jazz experience"

  www.moppaelliott.com www.quartetofhappiness.com

9:00PM & 10:30PM  TEST
test image
The Centre for Fortean Zoology travelled to the Gobi Desert in 2005, fully intending to capture a specimen of the infamous, venomous, sand-dwelling monster. Richard Freeman discovered that everyone there has a personal Mongolian Death Worm story.
Monday
May 29
6:00PM  DARK

No downstairs literary event on this, the unofficial first day of summer. But if you want to read something outdoors, we won't object.
8:30PM  LA BALTEUBAND. ARGENTINE JAZZ
Emilio Teubal, piano & composer;  Felippe Salles, tenor & soprano saxophones, flute;  Kobi Solomon, clarinet & soprano sax;  Moto Fukushima, bass;  Chris Michael, drums
La Balteuband. Argentine Jazz image
La Balteuband is an instrumental ensemble lead by Emilio Teubal. His compositions are a succesfull blend of elements of jazz such as the improvisation, and elements of Argentine music such as the lyricism of the tango and the richness of Folk rythms like Chacarera and zamba.

The music La Balteuband waves between rhythmically and harmonically rich pre-composed structures, and improvised sections that highlights the musicality of each member of the band. This is something that makes each performance of the group so fresh and special.

The influences of Mr. Teubal as a composer goes from some of the main Latin american composers of all times like Astor Piazolla, Hermeto Pascual, Egberto Gismonti, to the great masters of the jazz tradition like Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Charles Mingus.
La Balteuband has perform in venues such as the Knitting Factory, nublu, Bowery Poetry club, Galapagos arts space, and has been included in the Argentine Jazz series that took place at El Taller Latinoamericano during the summer of 2005.

cover $8, $5 for Students w/ ID   www.emilioteubal.com

STREAMING LINK: http://emilioteubal.com/music/telaraniaweb.mp3

Drum kit donated by
CANOPUS DRUMS, Japan

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Cover is given where known
Many spoken words events are free
There is always a one-drink minimum per set; times are door opening times