Category Archives: Music

THE ART OF LIVIN 2015 TOP 10 TEN SALOONS AND LOUNGES IN NYC

by

It’s been two years since I have updated my list and I thought it was time to do it again. Many of you that know me know I am a creature of habit and I don’t like change. That being said The Roof at Aretsky’s Patroon is still the champ at No. 1. Some of the staff is gone but the new staff picked up where the old left off and now that it is Autumn and not so hot The Roof will be even better. I am pleased to let you know that I have three new additions to my Top Ten and sorry all of them are above 34th Street. Coming in at No. 6 is Randolph’s. Randolph’s is a great blend of Old New York and Old Hollywood. At No. 8 is Monkey Bar. Monkey bar looks and feels like a scene out of Mad Men. At No. 9 the bar at Club Macanudo. The Club as I like to call it has a great staff and you can SMOKE! One honorable mention I would like to add is the roof top at the new Knickerbocker Hotel this is a great place and I am sure it will crack the top 10 for 2016. We also had some movers up and down so check out the complete list below:

  1. The Roof At Patroon’s – (160 East 46th Street) – Still Reigning Champ!! A small roof top bar at the top of Aretsky’s Patroon is a great midtown hide-a-way, with Great staff and Great Bar food (the best Pig’s in a Blanket & Onion Rings Anywhere).  Even though the Staff has changed they are still the best of anywhere period.  They know how to pour a drink and of course you are able to light up your Cigar after 2pm. It is a real credit to the owner and great gentleman and more importantly my friend Ken Aretsky
  2. Blue Bar – (59 West 44th Street) – Very Old School New York, located in the Algonquin Hotel (a NYC Landmark).  When you enter you step back in time to the New York City that I love and miss.  I have dubbed Christian the bartender as “THE BEST BARTENDER in NYC”.  His signature drink is his Old Fashion.  He remembers everyone’s drink and name.  A must go
  3. Bemelmans Bar – (35 East 76th Street) – Tucked inside the Carlyle Hotels is an old fashioned dark, low ceilings, great staff and great drinks.  Oh and by the way live Jazz nightly.
  4. King Cole Bar – (2 East 55th Street) – This New York City landmark.  Their signature cocktail is the “Bloody Mary” which is believed to have morphed from the “Red Snapper” which was served at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris.
  5. Campbell Apartment – (89 East 42nd Street Grand Central Station) – Another Old School Bar that has the charm of Prohibition era.  Make reservations it get very crowed
  6. Randolph’s – (65 West 54th Street) Randolph’s is nestled inside the Warwick Hotel this is a great old school lounge named after William Randolph Hearst who built the hotel for his mistress Marion Davies. The have real bartenders who know how to pour a cocktail.
  7. Carnegie Club – (156 West 56th Street) – One of the last Cigar Bars in New York.  Great drinks and atmosphere.  Cigar prices are a little steep, you can bring your own, but you will have to pay a cutting fee.  Saturday nights are the best.  Almost every Saturday night you can see two shows of Sinatra Saturday’s with Steve Maglio & the Stan Rubin Orchestra
  8. Monkey Bar – (60 East 54th Street) is another old school bar with great bartenders. It is a saloon that makes you feel like you just stepped onto the set of Mad Men. Great spot for food also.
  9. Cub Macanudo – (26 East 63Rd Street) The semi-private club has a huge circular bar reminiscent of the Original Toots Shor’s place on 51st. The staff is incredible they service is terrific and the bar tenders are getting better.
  10. The Bar at Patroon’s – (160 East 46th Street) – A small cool little bar on the ground floor of Aretsky’s Patroon.  Same Great staff as the Roof, but small quiet, great place for a business cocktail.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINO

by

Today is Dean Martin’s 98th Birthday. Pretty much everyone knows Dean so there is really not much more I could add about him that most people don’t know. We all know he was a huge singer, movie star, stage star, radio star, and yes TV Star. His variety show in the 60’s and 70’s was one of the top shows on TV.   We all know that he drank Ice Tea on stage and not bourbon. Something else most people know he was a savvy businessman. He sold out of the CalNeva Casino just before the Casino commission shut it down. He also was smart enough to get stock based compensation from NBC as part of his comp for his show. In fact when NBC sold to RCA, Dean Martin was the largest individual stockholder of NBC. We all know Dean was Frank Sinatra’s best friend. This is all nothing new.

What you don’t know is that I cannot remember a time in my life that I did not know and listen to Dean Martin. Yes I have memories of “Before Frank” not many but I do. If you have ever read this Blog you know that Frank Sinatra is my undisputed favorite, hell I even named my religion after him. But today it’s about my second favorite Mr. Dean Martin. My father loved Dean Martin and listened to him all the time. Unlike today when I drove with my Dad, we had to listen to his music not mine. I remember listening to the 8 – Track with the matchbook slipped inside so it would play. Songs like “King of the Road”, “Lay some Happiness on Me” which was my favorite as a kid and now my favorite is “Lil Ole Wine Drinking Me”.   I love most of his music including his standards such as “That’s Amore” and “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime” which was his biggest hit. When that song hit number one and he knocked the Beatles out of the top slot, rumor has it he wrote Elvis and Frank that he was tired of waiting for them to knock them off.

Dean and his music, comedy (he was very funny) and movies are so interwoven into my life that I really couldn’t imagine him not being around.

Dean died on Christmas Day 1995; it’s hard for me to believe it almost 20 years. Thank God for musical recordings, videos and yes You Tube. Because of them we can all enjoy the talents of the Great Dean Martin.

So I ask you at some point today to raise a glass of Bourbon or Scotch and toast to one of the Greatest Entertainer there ever was.   And remember HE WAS JUST TRYING TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN FOLKS!

The Concept Album – Sinatra at his Best

by

Last week, I went to the 21 Club with two young fine gentlemen who work at my Firm. One of my Partners also joined us. Spending time with these gentlemen gave me some hope that maybe someday the US will be restored and style will be back in the mainstream.  We discussed music and I was surprised at how little they knew about Sinatra’s music. Yes they knew the popular 20 hits that you here at every wedding and block party. So it dawned on me that maybe many of my readers have the same knowledge and I said to myself I need to change that.

During the 1050s while Sinatra was working at Capital Records he came up the idea (Yes it was his idea) of Concept Albums.  He would painfully layout songs and in what order they would be on the album in order to create a “concept” for that album.  What he created along with Nelson Riddle and other arrangers is just about the finest work of music ever recorded.  Here is a list of some of those concept albums.  I would encourage not only getting these albums, but you should listen to them the way Frank intended. Listen to them in the order Frank put them:

 

Album Name Company Year
A Swingin’ Affair Capital Records 1957
September of My Years Reprise Records 1965
Come Swing with Me Capital Records 1961
Point of No Return Capital Records 1961
Ring – A – Ding Reprise Records 1960
No One Cares Capital Records 1959
Come Dance With Me Capital Records 1958
Only The Lonely Capital Records 1958
Where Are Your Capital Records 1957
Songs for Swingin’ Lovers Capital Records 1955
In The Wee Small Hours Capital Records 1954
Close To You Capital Records 1957
Come Fly With Me Capital Records 1957
Nice and Easy Capital Records 1960
Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session!!! And More Capital Records 1961
Swing Easy/Songs for Young Lovers Capital Records 1954

 

And let’s not forget “The Rat Pack Live at the Sands” on Reprise Records 1963