Another NYTimes "Best Of" Pick: Avant Garden
Avant Garden Social Patio, Bar, Lounge, 411 Westheimer, Houston, TX
Come join me Wednesday evenings with Jimmy Pizzitola at the popular night spot, Avant Garden on the Westheimer curve in Houston's Montrose arts district. We kicked it off there in May, and it really is turning out to be a lot of fun with a strong audience of people who are into songs. While I've been away, Jimmy's been performing with a talented cello player and a violinist, and I'm really looking forward to hearing them together for the first time. Jimmy's repertoire includes some of my favorites by Sam Baker, Del Reeves, and Blaze Foley, as well as the GREAT originals from his new album, Poet on the Run. The famous music critic, Joe Nick Patoski recently wrote, "I'm digging the Jimmy P... he covers Blaze great, but it's his songs that close the deal for me. Between the sentimental romance and the vivid imagery in Poet On The Run, Jimmy P.'s got it going on" (March 5, 2010). I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, Poet on the Run is on my list of "top albums ever recorded." No kidding. It's really THAT GOOD. Check out Jimmy's site and listen to some tracks at http://www.poetontherun.net . . . At the Avant Garden shows, I'll be doing songs from my forthcoming release, Perfectly Legal: Songs of Sex, Love and Murder, as well as some Johnny Cash covers like Get Rhythm and Sunday Morning Coming Down, plus a few by Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams, Sr. and whoever else I might decide to throw into the mix. This will be a GUARANTEED GOOD TIME, but it is a good idea to call ahead just to make sure that we'll be there because every now and then they book private parties on Wednesday evenings. Y'all come! ABOUT AVANTE GARDEN: Avant Garden has been a mainstay of the Houston arts scene for years, and the New York Times named it one of the top "must visit" venues in Houston.