2009 April | uncoy

Wien Sud – Vienna’s Industrial South End

Wien Sud – Vienna’s Industrial South End

Published April 13, 2009

Vienna is a beautiful city. When you spend time in the central districts or in the north of the city, you might think it is the greenest place on earth, hardly a city at all.

The city’s most prestigious districts are all to the north: Döbling, the 19th district.

But if you go south it’s another story. Here are some photographs from the south of Vienna. Wien Sud is all railway tracks, ports, canals and airports. Even electrical plants and oil tanks (no pictures of the oil tanks this time).

wien energie

wien docks crane

The two photos above are not strange crops but enormous panoramas. More info, including large files.

There is a sort of strange beauty in industrial landscape so this post should not be seen as a condemnation but an investigation into the Vienna’s industrial look.

Opera Graz: Schwanen Trilogie – Darrel Toulon

Published April 9, 2009

If one takes Toulon’s word for it, Schwannsee Trilogie is about mortality and human striving for spiritual transcendency.

Tomasz Stanko Nordic Quintet at Porgy & Bess

Published April 6, 2009

Tomasz Stanko is a legend of Jazz trumpet. He’s won more prizes than you or I could forget. So what has he done with his later years?

Instead of getting toasty around the couch playing old standbys (often what happens to older jazz musicians and even more so with rockers), boring himself and us, Stanko puts together a new collective every two or three years with hand-picked younger recruits.

With fresh blood in his veins (Stanko refers to himself as a vampire), he infects his young with his talent and musical ingenuity. The result tonight is called the Tomasz Stanko Nordic Quintet.

The music was langorous and melodic. An easy to degust, but complex pleasure.

Alexi Tuomarila’s work on the piano was understated but overwhelming. Olavi Louhivuori showed more flash on drums but equal power. While less scintillating themselves, Jakob Bro and Anders Christensen on electric guitar and electric bass solidly held up the foundation under Stanko, Tuomarila and Louhivuori.

Not to be missed if you get the chance.

Here are some pictures of Tomasz Stanko Nordic Quintet in action at Porgy & Bess – I recommend clicking an image for the slideshow as that houndstooth jacket wreaks havoc with the ImageMagick thumbnail algorithms.

Month: April 2009

Wien Sud – Vienna’s Industrial South End

wien energie

wien docks crane

Opera Graz: Schwanen Trilogie – Darrel Toulon

Tomasz Stanko Nordic Quintet at Porgy & Bess

Alexi Tuomarila Tomasz Stanko (Leica 90mm 2.8)

Alexi Tuomarila Tomasz Stanko Jakob Bro (Leica 90mm 2.8)