By Robert Beck

It’s so much easier to get around in high summer. So many people are away. The traffic, the noise, everything is just…less. You can walk down the street without maintaining a defensive posture and stop to look at something without 15 people piling up behind you.

Summer is flowered dresses, late afternoon breezes, and Sunday evening music at Manny’s Bistro. Manny’s was one of the places I painted first for my column in the Rag. It used to be a popular French restaurant called Cassis, but then COVID happened, and the owners elected to close. The manager, Manny Colon, decided to bring it back. He kept what was right and raised the rest up a notch. It’s one of my favorite places to eat. The food is delicious and dependable, and I like that there are always flowers on the table.

The Sunday evening music is provided by Victor and his Vintage Vipers. Victor Neufeld has always loved to sing. He grew up on the Upper West Side, got married, and raised a family here. Victor worked at large news organizations in Manhattan and considers the peak of his career to be the years he spent as the executive producer of 20/20 at ABC.

Victor never completely stopped thinking about singing, and after retirement he did something about it. He took a cabaret workshop. He put together a trio. They started playing in bars. Then he expanded the band to four — five if you count Victor.

Three years ago, Victor was looking for a place for his band to play, and he talked to Manny. Playing out front made sense. Now people regularly come from distances to eat at Manny’s and listen to the Vipers on Sunday evenings.

Victor likes fedoras and tango dancing, which suggests he has the right spirit to front a band at an upscale French bistro. The keyboard player, David Pearl, made a name for himself playing at Cleopatra’s Needle and other establishments known for their entertainment. He lives on the UWS too. Bass player John DeCesare hails from Long Island City. Linus Wyrsh, who plays the sax and clarinet, lives on the East Side. And Tony Gallino drags his drum kit in from Long Island.

Victor’s Vintage Vipers play a lot of ‘20s to ‘40s Jazz. On a given evening, you might hear Duke Ellington’s, “It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” or “I’m Going To Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter,” by Ahlert and Young. Definitely some Cole Porter and Sinatra. American Songbook stuff. Reading that makes me start snapping my fingers. You can see where Victor’s fedora fits in.

Victor and John have fun with harmony, collaborating on the Everly Brothers’ “Bye, Bye, Love” or “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” or perhaps something from the Temptations. It’s the best part of summer Sundays on the UWS. You will find them at 225 Columbus, between 70th and 71st, on the sunny side of the street.

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See more of Robert Beck’s work and visit his UWS studio at www.robertbeck.net. Let him know if you have a connection to an archetypical UWS place or event that would make a good West Side Canvas subject. Thank you!

Note: Before Robert Beck started West Side Canvas, his essays and paintings were featured in Weekend Column. Read Robert Beck’s earlier columns here and here.

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