Music and Travel
The Royal Albert Hall is one of the world’s most iconic venues with the unique history and incredible architecture. It was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and since then all the greatest artists and performers have appeared on its stage. It was the first time I attended the concert at RAH and it was very memorable experience, auditorium is simply breathtaking and the sound is so clear.
Vienna in spring is something amazing, with all those flowers and trees blooming around!
Vienna is the city of music, music is literally in the air, many famous composers lived here, and nowadays you can find many concert halls, operettas, music museums everywhere in the city. One of the most famous musical genius of all time Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent his successful and creative years in Vienna. You can follow his footsteps, for example visit Schonbrunn Palace where he used to perform as a kid or the gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral where he got married in 1782. Also it’s worth seeing the Mozarthaus, an impressive museum that includes Amadeus’ original apartment.
One of the most famous Mozart memorials is located in Burggarten.
Vienna is also famous to be a point of Ludwig van Beethoven’s life for more than 35 years. Firstly he traveled to Vienna to study under Mozart. His house where he lived between 1804 and 1815 has a very spectacular view of the University and the Ringstrasse boulevard. There are also several monuments of Beethoven around the city, but in my opinion the most beautiful one is located on Beethovenplatz, opposite the Wiener Konzerthaus.
You can find monuments of other legendary composers in “Unsere Garten” in Vienna, this place really makes you feel the music vibes of the city.
The colorful and unusual Hundertwasser House in Vienna is one of the main architectural highlights in Austria. The house was designed by Fredensreuch Hundertwasse between 1983 and 1985 and is known as an extraordinary building and a green oasis in the city with more than 200 trees on the balconies. I was so impressed by this building, it looks like a house from a fairytale where all dreams come true. “Art doesn’t reflect the visible, it makes it visible”. © Paul Klee. The Hunderwasser Village is located right opposite the Hunderwasserhaus and consists of a shopping center, a bar and a village square in the typical Hunderwasser style. This place is absolutely worth seeing.
If you want to visit some traditional Viennese places of interest you can’t miss Schonbrunn Palace, which was the former summer residence of the imperial family. This baroque complex contains a big beautiful park, the Palm House (which was opened in 1882), the Gloriette, a zoo and a Palace itself.
Another place which is impossible to miss while staying in Vienna is Stephansdom gothic cathedral and one of the tallest churches in the world which is located on the Stephansplatz (geographical centre of Vienna). Breathtaking view!
My next stop was Hofburg Palace which is the former imperial palace in the centre of Vienna. It was built in 13th century and expanded in the centuries. Until 1918, the Hofburg was the center of the gigantic Habsburg empire. And today, it is the official seat of the Austrian President.
One of the most famous Vienna’s addresses is probably Berggasse 19 where Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, lived for 47 years. The former apartment is now a museum, which shows the original furniture, selection of Freud’s private collection of antiques etc.
Vienna is not only a cultural and historical centre but also a very cosy and beautiful city full of great monuments, universities and green parks.
You should also try some traditional Austrian dishes, which include Wiener Schnitzel, potato salad, Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte, different types of chocolate and coffee (Melange becomes my favorite drink even if I’m not a fan of coffee). Every dish that I tried looked and tasted really good.
And finally! I can’t miss vinyl shopping anywhere I’m travelling to! Vienna is a good place for music shopping, you can find many shops selling different kinds of old and new vinyls. My favorite shop is Scout Records which is located on Capistrangasse, 3, found there some great LPs of Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale and Jon Lord.
Don Airey & Friends, what a great band! I was lucky to see them in Vienna for the second time, absolutely fantastic show, filled with so much energy and great music! If you have a chance to see their show, don’t miss it! Now I’m looking forward to their new album! 🙂
Many thanks to Don Airey, Carl Sentance, Laurence Cottle, Simon McBride, Jon Finnigan for the great show!
I was also photographing that concert, amazing experience!!
Buddy Guy plays at his Legends club in Chicago every January, Thursday-Sunday. I was lucky to see 8 his shows out of 16. Buddy is truly a Legend and amazing artist! He played more than 2 hours every night and seems that he wanted to play even longer. He sounds absolutely great and he always finds time to chat with the audience. He looks like he’s having a great time, and really enjoys what he’s doing. He smiles a lot, and the audience smiles back to him. Buddy’s band sounds fantastic too! It’s impossible to get tired of them, and even 8 shows weren’t enough for me!
Buddy also has some surprise guests who join him on stage. Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks joined Buddy for a great jam session.
And another blues Legend Bobby Rush, who just won Best Traditional Blues Album at the Grammys, joined Buddy on stage for 2 nights in a row. They performed a couple of songs together, both of them are great showmen!
A very talented young musician Quinn Sullivan usually joins his mentor Buddy Guy on stage at Legends during Buddy’s residency in January, this year wasn’t an exception!
I saw Buddy’s concerts before, but nothing can be compared with shows at his club. It’s his home and I felt like at home there. I hope he will continue his annual residency next year, I will be there for sure!
“Meet me in Chicago where Buddy gotta play the blues..”
Chicago Bluesman Toronzo Cannon is a very talented and charismatic guitarist, singer and songwriter. “He is trying to tell the truth every time he sings the blues” © I think this quote from Buddy Guy’s lyrics fully describes the way Toronzo writes his music. His songs are very personal, his life is an inspiration. I think this fact makes him such a unique artist and proves his connection with the audience. I’ve seen Toronzo just once, he was playing at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, and I was impressed by his show so much. Toronzo and his band sound absolutely great!
Some more information about Toronzo and his band can be found here:
https://www.toronzocannon.com/
If you have never heard of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, I would highly recommend to check them out! They are not only playing the blues but living the blues. Their live shows are full of energy, joy and electrifying sound. They are performing everywhere around the USA and worldwide, but I have seen them in their hometown Chicago at Buddy Guy’s Legends. It was a night full of smiles, great music and fun! I really hope to see them again!
Here is some more information about the band, upcoming tour dates, discography etc.: http://www.alligator.com/artists/lil-ed-and-the-blues-imperials/
Chicago is the city of amazing music, great people, breathtaking views, beautiful museums, parks and delicious food. Even if it’s cold and foggy in January sometimes, you can still fully enjoy the city exploring its major touristic places or streets of neighborhoods. I think everyone can find something interesting in this Windy city.
Chicago was and still is a sweet home for blues, that’s why I spent most of the time listening to my favorite music, shooting concerts, and what is the most valuable for me, learning photography from the greatest photographer and the nicest person Paul Natkin who made this trip absolutely unforgettable.
Jane-M Photography 