MOMMIE is a remarkable photographic portrait of three generations of women in the family of photographer Arlene Gottfried and an intimate story of the inevitable passage of time and aging. Pictured within, we are introduced to Gottfried’s 100 year old immigrant grandmother, fragile mother, and reluctant sister over the breathtaking course of 35 years.

An artist turning their eye on their own immediate family is a well explored theme, but Gottfried has achieved the sublime with a multi-decade long commitment to document the intimate lives of her nearest kin. Gottfried succeeds in creating a complete twentieth century portrait of four lives inextricably interwoven through relation, sickness, need, love, and the absence of her father—who passed away while Arlene was still young.

Living as many mid-century Jewish New York families did, the Gottfrieds were not wealthy and lacked any trappings of luxury. Close examination of their world on Avenue A in Manhattan’s Lower East Side reveals a dimly lit small apartment, cartons of budget saltines and groceries, chipped paint, damaged floor tiles, guarded loose change, and well worn clothes – details natural to the lives of many families of immigrants in New York.

Mommie is testament to the passage of time, changes in the generations, losing loved ones and a familial experience at once both similar and unique to all.

Source: Amazon

Link: http://time.com/4580692/best-photobooks-2016/

WINTER AT WESTBETH has its international premiere in competition at DOC NYC on the 16th Nov 5pm and 17th November at 10.15am at IFC Center.

The film is a year in the lives of three of the long term residents , Dudley Williams, dancer, Ilse Gilbert poet, and Edith Stephens, filmmaker. The director is Rohan Spong.

>Info on the trailer, tickets, times: Winter at Westbeth

WINTER AT WESTBETH

The film has screened a handful of times in Mr Spong’s native Australia. It received standing ovations even (!) and the first major review is here:
Winter at Westbeth review http://m.screendaily.com/5106025.article

Trip Cullman, Director, Broadway: Josh Harmon’s Significant Other Off_Broadway: Leslye Headland’s The Layover at Second Stage, Hailey Feiffer’s A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Gynecology Onocology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at MCC, and many other plays and world premiers.

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM
FREE
New School Drama Theater
151 Bank Street
b/w Washington and West St
New York, NY 10014

More on Karen Ludwig at: https://westbeth.org/artist/karen-ludwig-actor-director-teacher/

Thursday September 29th, 8pm

KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW
Doug Wieselman, clarinets & saxophones
Gina Leishman, alto & bari sax, accordion, piano, vox
Peter Apfelbaum, tenor sax
Steven Bernstein, trumpet, slide trumpet
Art Baron, trombone
Marcus Rojas, tuba
Kenny Wollesen, drums

ROULETTE
509 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn 11217
(a couple of blocks from BAM)
http://roulette.org/visit/

” KGC’s music yields pleasure on its own terms … its bent but beautiful structures providing cover from the mainstream culture’s hail of mediocrity.” – Derk Richardson, SF Bay Guardian full review

“Their music is intriguing, haunting, occasionally hilarious, and irresistible.” – Larry Kelp, East Bay Express

“What they bring together is not only a global vision and singular skills in composition and arranging, but a highly talented group of performers.” — JAZZIZ magazine full review

“Composed lyricism and some effortlessly cool blowing by some of New York’s best jazz players.” – The Wire

“Tremendous musical chops and a terrific sense of play” – Wine X

“Imagine Mingus, Carla Bley and Sun Ra sharing stories about Stravinsky in some Brooklyn bar.’ – Jazz Times

“The Kamikaze outfit takes the high dive into a dangerously shallow tank shared by circus music and serious composition, and emerges victorious” – SF Bay Guardian

“..a group that really defines my idea of what ‘jazz’ should be, and that is it’s heavily compositionally influenced.” – Arthur Moorehead, New World records, in PULSE magazine full review

“The Kamikaze Ground Crew, with saxes and accordion, was wild but grounded, taking us further into Berlioz’s manic heart than most orchestras ever could.”
– Greg Sandow, Wall St. Journal (Berlioz Birthday Bash)

New York artist Valerie Ghent returns to the R&B flavor of her 2012, iHeart Radio hit, “Love Enough For A Lifetime [Day To Day Dream],” in her newest release, Velours. She and her international band host a CD release concert 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 back at a favorite haunt, New York City’s Joe’s Pub.

Her band features musicians from France and New York: drummer Bernard Davis, percussionist Gary Fritz, bassist Damon Banks, guitarist Jérôme Buigues, keyboardist/harmonica player Pierre Sibille, backup vocalists Alfa Anderson and Dennis Collins, along with some special guests. Admission is $20/$25 at the door.

Read more about Valerie Ghent here: http://www.axs.com/valerie-ghent-releases-french-inspired-velours-at-joe-s-pub-106998