April Gornik and Joss Stone

Last night we had a whirlwind night. First to the art opening of April Gornik’s latest works, then off to see Joss Stone open for Simply Red at the Beacon (does Simply Red actually still exist?) and then a late night dinner at the classic Cafe Luxenbourg on the upper west side.

April Gornik is a very accomplished artist. Her work has been purchased by the Met, the Whitney and the MOMA just to name a few museums. She is also very sweet, smart, witty and an accomplished yoga girl. Her oil works show the beauty of landscapes. Her style is consistent with masters who have painted landscapes for years. Personally, I like her black and white charcoals at this latest exhibit. They look like photos from afar. If you are in the neighborhood of East 57th Street, it is worth going up to the Danese Gallery and seeing her work.

Joss Stone rocks. She opened for Simply Red last night. We only went to see Joss Stone. What a treat! Out comes a beautiful, tall, long blond haired girl wearing lilac cords a long sleeved black t-shirt and barefeet. She is obviously a little taken back by the huge audience coming to see her. She seems a tad nervous but once she starts belting out the songs, it is incredible. She has a sexy, smoky voice which sounds more like Etta James and Lauryn Hill than a 15 year old white girl from England. She giggles when people cheer for her. She hopes you like what she sang. Truly refreshing to see a real talented star in the making, instead of a one hit wonder pop star. She even writes her own music. You go girl!

Cafe Luxenbourg was our final destination. It is a classic westside institution. Loud but good vibe. French bistro food. If you are up that way, you can’t go wrong having dinner at Cafe Luxembourg.