alisonboston.com

Went to Joe Zawinul’s Birdland in Vienna last evening, and I was delighted. Joe and his band The Syndicate were playing. I was entranced from start to finish. A truly international group of musicians, the concert fused Zawinul’s music with the traditional native sounds of the individual players.
All the musicians delivered both excellent playing and strong vocals. I was at first impressed by Brazilian guitarist Alegre Correa; then vocalist Sabine Kabongo (born in Belgium of parents from the Congo) came on stage, and I fell under her spell. I am sure she conjures magic when she sings. I didn’t think it could get any better, but when bassist Linley Marthe (from Mauritius) played a solo, the audience became giddy with excitement and anticipation. Percussionists Arto Tuncboyaciyan from Marakesh and Aziz Sahmaoui from Armenia, and drummer Karim Ziad from Algeria each contributed unique elements, making it an eclectic and exciting show.
It was Hungarian bassist and deejay György Turjanski who tipped me off about this concert and I met up with him there. With our limited ability to communciate in each other’s language, I managed to get that he was also very pleased with what he heard. And my guest for the evening, born and raised in Vienna, came away a newly established Joe Zawinul fan.
P.S.If you want to visit Birdland when you go to Vienna, and you want to catch one of Zawinul’s concerts, you will need to pre-book your table at least a week in advance. I lucked out on Saturday evening: we had picked up our tickets the night before, but could not make a reservation because all the tables were booked. So we went early (7:00) for the 8:00PM concert, and as luck would have it, a last minute cancellation seated us at a table directly in front of the stage! The woman on my left had booked her table for six one month in advance, but two friends had cancelled at the last minute. The woman on my right had booked four months in advance!! My friends from Hungary, who were seated upstairs directly in front of the stage, had booked one week in advance.
The menu is limited, but the food good and well presented, with efficient yet laid back service. Prices are reasonable: 15Euro for appetizer and main dish, 5Euro for a scrumptious dessert. Tickets for Zawinul’s act are 45Euro. All in all, Birdland is a class act - and well worth a visit.
My only complaint? The website and program are only in German!

More about Vienna, Poetry in the Park and an unexpected performance, later.