See the previous week's performances.   April 05-April 12, 2012  See the next week's performances.
Thursday,  Apr 05 - 6:00PM 
ARTISTS SALON
Robin, Angelo, Josh, and Tom, hosts


This is a monthly opportunity for artists associated with the cafe--from every genre and every generation, past, present, and future--to gather informally, schmooze, re-invent the world, and hoist a glass of quelque chose (the only kind of chose to hoist). Our glorious curators are present, you can buttonhole them to find out what's cooking, you can introduce yourself to other toilers in the vineyard, invent projects and discover collaborators. All are welcome.
Thursday,  Apr 05 - 8:30PM 
RIBS AND BRISKET REVUE
Paul Shapiro, sax, clarinet, vocals;  Cilla Owens, vocals;  Glenn Turner, vocals;  Jerry Korman, piano;  Booker King, bass;  Tony Allen, drums
Ribs and Brisket Revue image
Paul Shapiro’s Ribs and Brisket Revue’ is featured on Shapiro’s CD “Essen” which was released last year on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records to rave reviews:

As a member of the Microscopic Septet in the 1980s and early 1990s, Shapiro was part of a small but vibrant community of jazz musicians who refused to submit to the narrow, neoconservative ethos of the day, and chose instead to celebrate the entire tradition, from early swing to the avant-garde. You can hear that joyous open-mindedness in all of Shapiro's subsequent work, including his two previous albums for John Zorn's Tzadik label, Midnight Minyan and It's in the Twilight, which subject traditional synagogue melodies to a variety of treatments, from rhythm and blues to modal jazz.

$20 (includes a drink)

  http://www.paulshapiromusic.com

Friday,  Apr 06 - 6:00PM 
THE KROPOTKINS IN NEW YORK CITY
Lorette Velvette, vocals, guitar;  Charlie Burnham, vocals, violin;  Dave Soldier, banjo, violin;  Dog (Mark Deffenbaugh), guitar;  Alex Greene, bass drum;  Jonathan Kane, snare drum
The KROPOTKINS in New York City image
The Kropotkins, a punk Delta blues New York-Memphis collaborative "super group" featuring

Lorette Velvette : vocals, guitar

Charlie Burnham : vocals, violin

Dave Soldier : banjo & violin

Dog (Mark Deffenbaugh) : guitar

Alex Greene : bass drum

Jonathan Kane : snare drum

with possible guests Bob Neuwirth and Ron Franklin from Memphis

"In 1994, inspired by the fife-and-drum blues of northern Mississippi and the bluegrass inventor Bill Monroe, the iconoclastic downtown composer and scientist Dave Soldier (he's a professor of neurology at Columbia) formed the Kropotkins, named after the Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin. While the group is conventional by the standards of some of Soldier's other projects (he once created enormous instruments for a group of Thai elephants to play), it can nonetheless seamlessly weave a Charles Ives cover into a set of soulful, if sometimes angular, country- or blues-tinged originals." ---- The New Yorker

$ 15 includes a drink

Friday,  Apr 06 - 9:00PM & 10:30PM 
RALPH ALESSI AND MODULAR THEATRE
Ralph Alessi, trumpet;  Loren Stillman, alto saxophone;  Drew Gress, bass;  Mark Ferber, drums;  Will Jennings, voice
RALPH ALESSI AND MODULAR THEATRE image
Ralph Alessi’s Modular Theatre is a band seemingly capable of reaching almost any musical territory. An underlying "jazz" sensibility is infused with any and everything from Hip Hop (texts ancient and spontaneous) to chamber music. The band just released it’s 2nd CD called "Open Season" on the RKMmusic label.

$25 (includes a drink)

  http://www.ralphalessi.com

Saturday,  Apr 07 - 6:00PM 
THE LIAR SHOW
Andy Christie, host

Peter Aguero Giulia Rossi Steven Berkowitz Erin Barker
The Liar Show image

Seek Truth. Get a T-Shirt.

4 Storytellers, 3 True Stories, 1 Pack of Lies. Uncover the liar and win a prize worth its weight in fool's gold.

This month, The Liar Show welcomes Peter Aguero (BTK Band; Moth Grandslam Champion), Giulia Rossi (Stripped Stories), Steven Berkowitz (Writer; The Moth), and Erin Barker (Producer, The Story Collider).

Hosted by Andy Christie (NY Times; The Moth Radio Hour)

$15.00 includes a drink

Saturday,  Apr 07 - 9:00PM & 10:30PM 
ELLERY ESKELIN - TRIO NEW YORK
Ellery Eskelin, tenor sax;  Gary Versace, organ;  Rudy Royston, drums
ELLERY ESKELIN - Trio New York image
"Eskelin loves the hard-boiled tenor tradition once embodied by Gene Ammons and Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, though, and because he remains in touch with the combination of the tender and the brusque central to the code even at his most abstract, these interpretations are as moving as they are thought-provoking." --Francis Davis, The Village Voice, NYC December 2011

$25 (includes a drink)

Sunday,  Apr 08 - 6:00PM 
ENTERTAINING SCIENCE
Roald Hoffman, Dave Soldier hosts

Jeff Lankov, piano;  Ken Perlin, animations
ENTERTAINING SCIENCE  image
Loops, Waves, and Textures

In the early 1970’s, John Adams began to write music that combined his interest in American popular music, the classics, and electronics. Inspired by the waveform transformation that occurs in a modulating circuit, Adams set out to write music “as if the piano was a generator of waveforms,” by using loops, phasing, and algorithmic devices. Pianist Jeff Lankov will perform Adams’ first exploration into minimalism, the revolutionary Phrygian Gates; as well as his “manic, bipolar scherzo,”American Berserk.

Waves are at the heart of what Ken Perlin does. Ken, who directs the NYU Games for Learning Institute, is an Academy Award winning computer scientist at NYU’s Media Research Laboratory who has created a goodly number of the techniques used in today's cinema. His interests include animation with personality, realistic textures, and educational computer games. For this event, he will be creating original graphically animated work inspired by Jeff's interpretation of John Adams' music.

$10.00 cover plus one drink minimum

Sunday,  Apr 08 - 8:30PM 
NILS WEINHOLD QUINTET
Nils Weinhold, guitar;  Adam Larson, sax;  Fabian Almazan, piano;  Raviv Markovitz, bass;  Bastian Weinhold, drums
Nils Weinhold Quintet image
Since moving to New York in 2008 guitarist Nils Weinhold has performed with artists such as Seamus Blake, Justin Brown, Francisco Mela, Gerald Clayton, Joe Lovano, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Joey Calderazzo, Greg Ward, Luques Curtis, Lars Dietrich, John Escreet, Linda Oh, Martijn Vink, Clemens van der Veen, Fabian Almazan, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Hampson, Ferenc Nemeth, Jane Monheit, John Riley and many more. He recorded several CD’s as a sideman, including Bastian Weinhold’s album “River Styx”, “Vantage Point” with Manhattan Experiment and “Sudden Appearance” with the Danjam Orchestra.

In 2011 he recorded “Shapes”, his first album as a bandleader with his quintet, featuring saxophonist Adam Larson, Fabian Almazan, Luques Curtis and his brother Bastian Weinhold on drums.

$20 cover (includes a drink)

  http://www.nilsweinhold.com

Monday,  Apr 09 - 6:00PM 
POETRY
Martin Mitchell, Angelo Verga, hosts

Steve Griffiths Mervyn Taylor Amy Holman Jay Chollick
Poetry image
Steve Griffiths was born by the sea in Wales, and lives in London. He will be reading in New York from his sixth poetry collection, Surfacing, published by Cinnamon Press. Surfacing begins underground, in an abandoned place, where there are stirrings, occasional explosions into an inexplicably dazzling light, an insistence on miracles of optimism, flashes of humour.

Amy Holman is the author of the poetry collections, Wrens Fly Through This Opened Window and Wait For Me, I'm Gone. Recent publications include Zocalo Public Square, The Same, and the anthology, Token Entry: Poems Celebrating the NYC Subway. She works as a literary consultant, and lives in Brooklyn.

Mervyn Taylor is a Trinidad-born poet who divides his time between Brooklyn, NY, and his island home. He has taught at Bronx Community College, The New School, and in the New York City public school system. He is the author of four volumes of poetry: An Island of His Own, The Goat, and Gone Away, all from Junction Press, and a recent collection, No Back Door (Shearsman Books, 2010).

Jay Chollick has had extensive feature readings in NYC and environs—out-of-state as well. Appears frequently on TV and Radio; has been extensively published in prominent literary journals and is a recipient of many awards

amazingly, $ 7 includes a drink

Monday,  Apr 09 - 8:30PM 
CLASSICAL AT THE CORNELIA: EVAN SHINNERS@BACH
Evan Shinners, piano
Classical At The Cornelia: Evan Shinners@Bach image
Classical At The Cornelia presents pianist Evan Shinners in an all Bach program.

"bona fide bach star" - TimeOut New York

Evan Shinners is becoming known as the voice of Bach for today's generation. Unconcerned with preconceptions of how bach should be played, or with conventions of what a finished recording should sound like, this wildly talented pianist and 2010 Juilliard graduate released @bach (december 2011 on new cull records), a compilation of two live, unedited performances recorded at Juilliard and Rockefeller University. The Huffington Post hailed @bach as "essential, one of the brattiest Bach recordings to come along since Glenn Gould himself."

Shinners currently performs 'all-bach' recitals throughout the United States, has made three tours of Taiwan, and has played in Europe and Canada over the last two summers. In January 2011, Shinners was seen and heard by over 10,000 Museum of Modern Art attendees during his residency at MoMA's "stop, repair, prepare: variations on ode to joy for prepared piano." Shinners was interviewed by CBS "eye on new york" and a review of the cover of The New York Times arts section declared, "Evan Shinners attacked the score with a bravura that might have pleased Liszt."

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Shinners began playing piano at age 9 and gave his orchestral debut at age 12. He holds undergrad and Masters degrees from Juilliard where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal. When he is not playing bach, Shinners can be found writing poetry and a novel, or playing rock in Brooklyn warehouses with his Julliard colleagues.

$15.00 includes a drink

  http://www.evanshinners.com

Monday,  Apr 09 - 10:00PM 
CLASSICAL AT THE CORNELIA: BACH AND HOW FAR BEYOND
Anne Rainwater, piano
Classical At The Cornelia: Bach and How Far Beyond image

Come hear contemporary pianist Anne Rainwater take on J.S. Bach, Maurice Ravel, Elliot Carter, and John Zorn. Drawing from repertoire that spans an extensive range of emotional expression and compositional ideas, Anne hopes to address today's pressing musical question: how far are we willing to push our ears and minds, especially when we listen to new and older music side-by-side?

Now residing in Manhattan, San Francisco native Anne Rainwater is a multi-talented artist known for her compelling interpretations of music from Bach to Zorn. An active freelancer and teacher, Anne has appeared at The Kennedy Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Rose Studio at Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, and the Galapagos Art Space, amongst others. In April 2010, she presented Messiaen’s Oiseaux Exotique with the TACTUS ensemble. Other recent varied appearances include a trio performance at Mass MOCA, a concerto premiere at UC San Diego, a live radio appearance on KZYX’s “The Mind of the Composer,” a residency at Louisiana State University, and recital appearances at the Mendocino Music Festival and with the Nevada County Composers Cooperative. She was also profiled in the inaugural issue of Siren: Rock’s First Magazine for Women. Anne holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music in Contemporary Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She has taught at the University of Miami and Marin Academy High School in California and is currently on faculty at Music Wise and the Riverdale Music Studio. Anne has recorded for Oberlin Conservatory’s Aural Capacity Series, as well as for Cat Crisis and Bourbon Thomas Records. When not at the piano, she can be found training for her next marathon, playing with her cat Ernie, reading fiction, or experimenting in the kitchen.

$15.00 includes a drink

Tuesday,  Apr 10 - 6:00PM 
CITY STORIES: STOOPS TO NUTS
Tommy Pryor, host

Slash Coleman Kurt Gerstmann Dave Lester, ;  Sherryl Marshall, ;  Susan Neuffer, ; 
City Stories: Stoops To Nuts image
The neighborhood’s awake and talented storytellers & musicians are ready to paint characters and scenes for you.

Slash Coleman is a professional storyteller best known for his award winning PBS special and off-Broadway production, “The Neon Man and Me.” He was recently featured at The International Storytelling Center, The National Storytelling Festival, and Pete Seeger’s Clearwater Festival. He is personal perspectives blogger for Psychology Today (His column is called “The Bohemian Love Diaries”) and a regular contributor to Storytelling Magazine.

Kurt Gerstmann had what the Chinese call an "interesting" life. A refugee at the age of one (Nazi Germany) he was smuggled out of Germany by nuns and spent time as a young boy in the Israeli Underground and Army. He ended up in Switzerland in a Medical school. A professional lifetime in Pathology (he's retired but volunteers time in NYU and Bellevue) provides the background to his stories some of which he told previously at the Cornelia Street Cafe.

Dave Lester is a Brooklyn-based kick-ass comedian and storyteller

Sherryl Marshall is a New York singer who has worn many musical hats in her career. She has recorded or performed live with everyone from Gloria Gaynor, Leslie Gore, Darlene Love, Chubby Checker to Peter Wolf, Southside Johnny, Johnny Rivers, Lou Gramm of Foreigner to Black 47, RuPaul, Al Kooper, Albert Collins to Joni Mitchell, Jane Siberry, Valerie Simpson, Ashford & Simpson, The Klezmatics and a host of others. She was a regular member of the Buster Poindexter show for ten years. She has sung her original compositions with many different New York bands over the years and her show "The Life and Times of Sherita Marshone the Argentine Bombshelter" was performed at the famous Bottom Line and the fabulous BAM cafe.

Susan Neuffer’s sordid past includes late nights singing and playing bass at CBGB’s with original rock bands, and graduate school at Harvard. She will be appearing as sweet Auntie Julia in Hedda Gabler later this month. She has appeared in independent films, web projects, musicals, and plays. Susan's also presented many solo cabaret shows. She made a respectable showing on Jeopardy! in 2010. Films include Work it Out, Red Tape, No Direction, and 8:46.

Thomas Pryor’s work was published in The New York Times, Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, Our Town, The Westside Spirit, and A Prairie Home Companion. His blog, “Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts,” is listed in The New York Times. Thomas appeared on public radio’s “This American Life,” and has columns in NearSay.com & AskaNewYorker.com. He was featured in Public TV Ch 13’s “Baseball: A New York Love Story.”

$7.00 includes a drink

  http://www.yorkvillestoopstonuts.blogspot.com/ http://www.slashcoleman.com

Tuesday,  Apr 10 - 8:30PM 
ERI YAMAMOTO TRIO
Eri Yamamoto, piano;  David Ambrosio, bass;  Ikuo Takeuchi, drums
Eri Yamamoto Trio  image
Eri Yamamoto celebrates her seventh trio recording, The Next Page, on AUM Fidelity. This trio has been together for many years, and they will be playing Eri's original music evoking a wide range of colors and mood.

$20 cover (includes a drink)

  http://www.eriyamamoto.com

Wednesday,  Apr 11 - 6:00PM 
POETRY
Lynn Emanuel Robin Behn Chard deNiord
Poetry image
Robin Behn is a professor in the MFA Programs at both the University of Alabama and Vermont College for the Arts.

Lynn Emanuel's latest book, NOOSE AND HOOK, is published by the University of Pittsburgh Press Poetry Series.

Chard deNiord's last two books, Night Mowin (2005) and The Double Truth (2011) were published by U of Pittsburgh Press. He is a professor of English at Providence College and the co- founder of the New England College MFA program in poetry.

$ 7 includes a drink

Wednesday,  Apr 11 - 8:30PM 
GERARD EDERY
Gerard Edery, guitar, vocals
Gerard Edery image
"Singer, guitarist, composer and multi-linguist Gerard Edery interprets the sublime poetry and music of the late Atahualpa Yupanqui. He reveals the cultural and emotional depth of his repertoire with reverent sensitivity, his vocal and instrumental virtuosity and innovative arrangements doing poetic justice to one of the major authors of South American folk music."

$20 (includes a drink)

  http://www.gerardedery.com

Thursday,  Apr 12 - 6:00PM 
MICHAEL LYDON: WORDS & MUSIC
Ellen Mandel, piano/vocals;  Bridget Beirne, vocals;  Dave Hofstra, bass
Michael Lydon: Words & Music image
MICHAEL LYDON, a rock writer with roots in the 60s, and an NYC singer-songwriter for decades, will bring both his writing and music to Cornelia Street, accompanied by pianist Ellen Mandel, singer Bridget Beirne, and bassist Dave Hofstra.

Lydon will read from his reporting on the Rolling Stones tour in 1969, his definitive biography of Ray Charles, and his essays on literature, and he'll play, sing, and whistle his own easy-going pop-jazztunes.

A founding editor of Rolling Stone, Lydon has many films on YouTube, and is "TheHandsomest Man in the World!!

$10 includes a drink   http://www.franklinstpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelLydon?feature=mhum

Thursday,  Apr 12 - 8:30PM 
SPOTLIGHT ON NEW TALENT: DEVIN GRAY'S DIRIGO RATAPLAN, CD RELEASE
Ellery Eskelin, tenor sax;  Dave Ballou, trumpet;  Michael Formanek, bass;  Devin Gray, drums, compositions
Brooklyn based drummer/composer Devin Gray leads an all star NYC line up through compositions written specifically for the band. Crafted around the individual strengths of these musical veterans, each composition unearths new possibilities exposing the members continuous contributions to America's original art form. Gray's style is often compared to Dutch master drummer HAN BENNINK, with traces of JOHN HOLLENBECK'S compositional chops. Dirigo Rataplan uniquely represents three musical generations experience with emphasis on Gray’s as the leader of the quartet. The debut recording from Brooklyn based drummer and composer Devin Gray offers a strong introduction to the future output of his artistic vision.

$20 (includes a drink)

  http://www.devingraymusic.com http://www.soundcloud.com/devingraymusic

Spotlight on New Talent: Devin Gray's Dirigo Rataplan, CD Release image Peter Gannushkin
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April 05-April 12, 2012   
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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