jazz at lincoln center
Last night, along with fellow intern colleagues Silvia and Maidinuer, I went to Dizzy's Club at Lincoln Center for an evening of jazz and a view of Central Park at night. It was basically wonderful.
After work, we slipped into a fancy change of clothes and threw on some red lipstick, and off we went. I was especially excited to be sporting my new copper-colored pleated skirt bought over a (highly productive) lunch hour. It seemed like just the right occasion to wear it!
Unfortunately, we'd failed to plan enough time for dinner after our long hours at the office, but agreed we just needed to grab a bite before the show. Silvia suggested a beloved burrito spot but a block away from Colombus Circle, and nothing sounded more delicious than this. We swiftly exited the subway toward the counter, and ate dinner on the go. I can't quite imagine what people thought as they witnessed us three, all dressed up, running up Colombus Avenue with half-eaten burritos in our hand. We're a class act, that's for certain. We finished up our meal by Revson Fountain, sandwiched between the homes of the New York City Ballet and the Philharmonic Orchestra. I was struck by how beautiful the ensemble of buildings were, and was so very glad to be there with my friends and a most delightful burrito.
Alas, we arrived a few minutes late for our reservation at Dizzy's and lost the table with a view we'd been promised. Heartbreak.
We ultimately were seated at the bar toward the back of the room, with a somewhat limited line of visibility to the band. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I could hear the music just fine and could see every member of the band if I tilted my head just so. I was even able to watch night befall over Central Park, and I gotta say - she's a beauty at any time of the day. The glass is always half full, let us remember!
Now, I must preface: I'm a lover of jazz. Give me gypsy jazz, blues, bebop any day. I listen to jazz relentlessly, enjoy playing it on the piano myself, and am always on the hunt for new jazz musicians to discover.
When I found out about a show titled Big Band, my curiosity swelled and I got tickets. I must have skipped over the part in the show description about it being experimental Big Band jazz. Needless to say, we were perplexed by the total anarchy of it all: little shared rhythm amongst musicians, objectively inharmonious notes, endless dissonance. It was eclectic, to say the least.
I willingly affront the risk of sounding ignorant by stating this, so here goes it: I felt as though we were listening to mere noise, not music (a distinction I rarely make, I assure you).
But then -a sudden change. Out of nowhere, in the second half of the show, the band utterly charmed us with its finesse. The music veered toward further traditional swing, and I have to say I was bewitched. We sipped our Italian sodas and whiskey cocktails, jouncing our heads and tapping our toes to the beat. As we walked out, splitting our sides over the comedy of our unpredictable evening, we caught sight of a waning moon in all its golden glory, shining brilliantly over Manhattan. Though we city mice couldn't see the stars above, it was as if the glimmer of city lights were the perfect substitute. We were speechless in front of such beauty - pure magic, it was.
All this to say: our meal was rushed, our seats were nearly terrible and the music grated at times... but I'll forever cherish this special soirée with friends which turned out to be just what I needed to start off my week.
In other words: I love evening outings in New York City.
After work, we slipped into a fancy change of clothes and threw on some red lipstick, and off we went. I was especially excited to be sporting my new copper-colored pleated skirt bought over a (highly productive) lunch hour. It seemed like just the right occasion to wear it!
Unfortunately, we'd failed to plan enough time for dinner after our long hours at the office, but agreed we just needed to grab a bite before the show. Silvia suggested a beloved burrito spot but a block away from Colombus Circle, and nothing sounded more delicious than this. We swiftly exited the subway toward the counter, and ate dinner on the go. I can't quite imagine what people thought as they witnessed us three, all dressed up, running up Colombus Avenue with half-eaten burritos in our hand. We're a class act, that's for certain. We finished up our meal by Revson Fountain, sandwiched between the homes of the New York City Ballet and the Philharmonic Orchestra. I was struck by how beautiful the ensemble of buildings were, and was so very glad to be there with my friends and a most delightful burrito.
Alas, we arrived a few minutes late for our reservation at Dizzy's and lost the table with a view we'd been promised. Heartbreak.
We ultimately were seated at the bar toward the back of the room, with a somewhat limited line of visibility to the band. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I could hear the music just fine and could see every member of the band if I tilted my head just so. I was even able to watch night befall over Central Park, and I gotta say - she's a beauty at any time of the day. The glass is always half full, let us remember!
Now, I must preface: I'm a lover of jazz. Give me gypsy jazz, blues, bebop any day. I listen to jazz relentlessly, enjoy playing it on the piano myself, and am always on the hunt for new jazz musicians to discover.
When I found out about a show titled Big Band, my curiosity swelled and I got tickets. I must have skipped over the part in the show description about it being experimental Big Band jazz. Needless to say, we were perplexed by the total anarchy of it all: little shared rhythm amongst musicians, objectively inharmonious notes, endless dissonance. It was eclectic, to say the least.
I willingly affront the risk of sounding ignorant by stating this, so here goes it: I felt as though we were listening to mere noise, not music (a distinction I rarely make, I assure you).
But then -a sudden change. Out of nowhere, in the second half of the show, the band utterly charmed us with its finesse. The music veered toward further traditional swing, and I have to say I was bewitched. We sipped our Italian sodas and whiskey cocktails, jouncing our heads and tapping our toes to the beat. As we walked out, splitting our sides over the comedy of our unpredictable evening, we caught sight of a waning moon in all its golden glory, shining brilliantly over Manhattan. Though we city mice couldn't see the stars above, it was as if the glimmer of city lights were the perfect substitute. We were speechless in front of such beauty - pure magic, it was.
All this to say: our meal was rushed, our seats were nearly terrible and the music grated at times... but I'll forever cherish this special soirée with friends which turned out to be just what I needed to start off my week.
In other words: I love evening outings in New York City.
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