Charlie Parker Jazz Festival set for Tompkins Square Park on Aug. 26

[Gary Bartz]

SummerStage announced its 2018 lineup yesterday... a list featuring more than 200 artists playing in venues citywide from May 17 to Oct. 7.

Included in the announcement: the 26th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, which includes a date in Tompkins Square Park on Aug. 26 from 3-7 p.m.

Per SummerStage:

Hailed as one of the greatest alto saxophonists since Cannonball Adderley, Gary Bartz has made a name for himself in the jazz community. Performing alongside his quartet, Bartz will be in concert at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival ...

Audiences attending the show are in for a treat, as they’ll also hear longtime gospel, blues, and jazz pianist, Amina Claudine Myers, the boundary-breaking trio The Bad Plus, and UNHEARD, a piece honoring Charlie Parker featuring musicians Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, and Adam O’Farrill commissioned in association with The Joyce and George Wein Foundation under the artistic supervision of The Jazz Gallery.

Find the full SummerStage rundown here.

Report: Original Fuku is closing on 1st Avenue

Momofuku founder David Chang is closing his first Fuku branch at 163 First Ave. near 10th Street at the end of the month.

Eater brought the news yesterday:

The fast-casual chicken chain will close its original location in the East Village space that Chang has historically used as a concept incubator. It’s outgrown the tiny space...

Fuku opened to long lines in June 2015...


[The line on East 10th Street around noon on June 12, 2015]

Since then Fuku has opened outposts in other NYC neighborhoods ... and in other cities.

The last day is April 30 for this Fuku.

Expect something else from Chang at No. 163.

Back to Eater:

The space, near and dear to Momofuku as the location that kicked off Chang’s empire, will continue to serve as an incubator — though what else the company has up its sleeves is TBD.

Wednesday's parting shot

11th Street near First Avenue via Derek Berg...

A look at 'Boom For Real,' Basquiat's life pre-fame

"Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat" follows Basquiat's life pre-fame and how New York City, the times, the people and the movements surrounding him formed the artist he became. It opens in theaters on May 11. The trailer and poster for the film arrived in our inbox earlier today...

Using never-before-seen works, writings and photographs, director Sara Driver, who was part of the New York arts scene herself, worked closely and collaboratively with friends and other artists who emerged from that period: Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, Glenn O’Brien, Kenny Scharf, Lee Quinones, Patricia Field, Luc Sante and many others.

Drawing upon their memories and anecdotes, the film also uses period film footage, music and images to visually re-recreate the era, drawing a portrait of Jean-Michel and Downtown New York City — pre AIDS, President Reagan, the real estate and art booms – before anyone was motivated by money and ambition.

And here's the official trailer...

4/20 at Ben & Jerry's on St. Mark's Place

The franchise here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue that opened in January is getting into the spirit of its first 4/20 Day...



There's an additional sign on the front window here at 24 St. Mark's Place showing their solidarity for the National Student Walkout planned on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting...



H/T @claireeboston!

Props for the Skateboard Gardener of 7th Street

In recent weeks, someone created a tree guard made out of skateboard decks here on Seventh Street between Avenue A and Avenue B ... and planted flowers ... the effort has inspired an admirer to leave behind a message of thanks, as these photos by EVG reader boxysean show...



"Thanks skateboard gardener! The flowers are awesome!"

Corner watch: 32 Avenue C

The sidewalk bridge on the southeast corner of Avenue C and Third Street (aka 32 Avenue C) celebrated its six-year anniversary last month...



A full-vacate order has been in place since August 2012. To paraphrase the DOB, the building is leaning/sagging.

At one point, there were plans for this corner... with the filing of permits with the city in July 2005 for a new 6-floor residential building here. The city disapproved the plans in May 2006, and nothing more happened with the project.

Most recently, the owner — listed as Fairfax Management — filed a permit last fall with the DOB to "rebuild exterior walls; replace windows and sistering of floor joists to address" the various violations on file. The city disapproved this plan on March 14.

Previously on EV Grieve:
There's activity at the long-dormant corner of Avenue C and East 3rd Street

Concern for 32 Avenue C


[EVG photo from March 2012]

Zen Yai Pho Shop now open on 6th Street

This outpost of the Sunnyside-based Zen Yai Pho Shop & Coffee opened this past weekend at 518 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

They offer a variety of pho, stir-fry noodles and rice bowls. (You can find their menu here.)

Last year the storefront saw the quick arrival and departure of both Baron's Dim Sum and Tasty Garden.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Zen Yai Pho Shop coming to 6th Street

There's now a public squash court on the Lower East Side

[Photo by @daniel.avila via Instagram]

In case you missed this announcement yesterday by the NYC Parks Department ... The city's (world's?) first outdoor public squash court debuted yesterday at Hamilton Fish Park, on Pitt Street between East Houston and Stanton.

Here are the guidelines via the NYC Parks website:

The public squash court is free to use, and is available for play on a first-come, first-served basis, except when the court has scheduled programming. The court is located on one of four of Hamilton Fish Park’s handball courts (the other courts remain available for handball use).

The court is for squash play only. Please bring your own equipment, and limit play to one hour. Goggles are recommended. Please do not wear open-toed shoes or flip-flops on the court.

NO FLIP-FLOPS!

Anyway, this isn't permanent — for now it's on a six-month trial basis, up through Oct. 18.

The idea for this emerged in late 2015 ... when a group of friends formed the Public Squash Foundation to help make the game more accessible to the public. (This Bloomberg piece has more background. And here's the Public Squash website.)

The court also has its own Instagram account...

#done opening 4.17.18

A post shared by Public Squash (@public_squash) on Apr 13, 2018 at 2:07pm PDT

Heeere's the Kubrick film of the week at City Cinemas Village East

As a reminder... City Cinemas Village East is celebrating the work of director Stanley Kubrick on Wednesday evenings in April.

Tomorrow night's "Heeere's Kubrick" feature — "A Clockwork Orange" from 1971.



The theater is on Second Avenue at 12th Street. Find more details here. The films start at 7:30 p.m.

And next week: "Full Metal Jacket" starring the late R. Lee Ermey.

Previously on EV Grieve:
'Heeere's Kubrick' at the City Cinemas Village East