Not sure why Dam Vinh Hung looks like a redneck on the cover of his latest album Mr. Dam, which obviously has nothing to do with country music. It just shows how off he is in the fashion world, but that’s another story. Although fashion and music go hand in hand, let’s just focus on his music world, and see if DVH is any good on his seventh’s studio solo.

Truth be told, I miss the good old DVH who struck me with his soulful performance of “Tinh Tho,” powerful presentation of “Goc Pho Reu Xanh,” and indelible rendition of “Tan Tro.” His singing used to be lighter but strong and captivating. Now he has developed an emphatic style. On “Ngoi Nghe Yeu Thuong Troi Xa,” his stressed phrasing gives Do Dinh Phuc’s music way more drama than it needs to be, and his heavy delivery comes across as if ton of bricks have pressed against his chest. Back in the early days, his breath control was perfect. But now, on the duet of Duc Huy’s “Nhu Da Dau Yeu,” both himself and Hong Ngoc sound like they are puffing a Cuban cigar together, and passing it to each other while recording. He breathes heavily not only on this particular track, but also on other performances.

DVH also loses his touch in revitalizing old tunes. Duc Huy’s “Nguoi Tinh Tram Nam” is another nightmare recovered, where his moaning and groaning add nothing but distraction to the work. Why does he love Duc Huy’s music so much? Duy Huy’s compositions – mellow, elegance, and simple – do not match his style at all, and he could not bring anything new to them. Furthermore, his version of Huynh Nhat Tan’s “Bac Tinh” is nowhere near Tuan Ngoc’s performance. As soon as Tuan Ngoc kicks off the first lines, “Voi vang lam chi trach nhau bac tinh,” he grabs listeners’ attention immediately, and continues to sway them with his flawless and effortless technique even after the song is over. On the other hand, DVH tries his hardest, but still could not take the song where Tuan Ngoc has taken it. Part of the flaw is also in the arrangement. Huynh Nhat Tan is behind the board on Tuan Ngoc’s version. Who could compose the music better than the composer himself? The result is hypnotizing. On DVH’s part, the producers (Bao Luu and Anh Khoa) could not bring any texture or color to the musical table. Not only for this track, but the over all production is also weak.

Is there anything good on the album? Of course, there has to be something. The best part is that he stops singing Marc Anthony’s songs. Remember “My Baby You” and “I Need to Know?” Thank gosh, right? Actually the decent track is Tran Ngoc’s “Tinh Em Xu Quang,” a sweet, rural ballad. It’s a Quang Linh’s style, but DVH sounds nice for a change. The new songs, including Thai Thinh’s “Dung Thuong Toi” and Hoai An’s “Noi Nho Tinh Toi,” are huge disappointments. They are just a bunch of syrupy ballads with bland productions and banal deliveries. Mr. Dam is done. It’s time to drop the mic and pick up the clipper.

“Berkeley Campus Blues,” “You Can’t Run Around (Blues),” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Undecided Blues,” “Evil Blues,” “Sunny Boy Blues,” and “Cryin’ Blues” are all savory blues pieces delivered by an exceptional blues vocalist Jimmy Rushing. After playing his album, Every Day I Have the Blues, several times straight through, I can’t even pick out a bad song, and there are sixteen tracks to choose from. Now that is an example of a perfect album. Rushing’s voice alone is a work of art: effortlessly in control, warm in tone, sweet in harmony, and expressive in phrasing. In addition, his singing varies from energetic swing (“Sent for You Yesterday (Here You Come Today)”) to soulful blues (“Take Me Back, Baby”). However, the record wouldn’t be as hot as it is without a good band to back up the singer, and the band that accompanied Rush is outstanding. They not only bring out the aesthetics of Rush, but also their own with a delicious instrumental “We Remember Prez,” a dedication to Lester Young composed by trombonist Dicky Wells. With the reissue version – two superb records (Everyday I Have the Blues and Livin’ the Blue) packed into one – this album rules!

Kanye West still got the beats. His sophomore album, Late Registration, featured some of the finest samplings including the mesmerizing orchestration supported by Jon Barron on “Gone” (Cam’ron sounds dope on this track), the drunken bass lines on “Heard ‘Em Say” and the smooth jazz vibe on “Drive Slow.” From the lyrical standpoint, West isn’t so impressive (even though he throws quite a few humorous punch lines), and his breathy delivery is not helping either. “Hey Mama” is stunning from the production to the story, but not West’s singing, and it gets worse when he sings again on “Celebration,” which ruins the elegant arrangement. On the remix “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” guest appearance Jay-Z delivers a brilliant thirty-two-bar verse. I have to give it to him for his clever wordplay: “I am not a businessman / I am a business, man.” It reads perfectly well on paper, but tough to pull off on the flow, and yet Jigga punctuates clearly without breaking a sweat. He is good. That’s why he’s the big boss, but West is not so bad himself. He has definitely stepped up from The College Dropout as a producer, creating more rich and soulful harmonies.

With an experimental project that takes two years of sweats, hard work and dedication to complete, My Linh drops classical 101 on the young listeners. Chat Voi (With) Mozart attempts to bridge the gap between popular and “unpopular” music. Gigging hand-in-hand with Duong Thu (who is responsible for all the Vietnamese lyrics on the album), Anh Quan and Huy Tuan, My Linh hopes to bring the aesthetics of classical form to the mainstream. To accomplish their goal, these four musicians have to make the classic tunes easy to listen, and they do so by the blending of pop, hip-hop, jazz and funk grooves.

Passing right through the lame-rapping intro, we’re presented with rejuvenating versions of Bach’s “Ave Maria” and Edward Elgar’s “Salute D’amour (“Gio va La Cay”) where slinky songbird My Linh releases exotic classical aura over Anh Quan’s gorgeous arrangements. However, I could mentally block out the instruments and just enjoy a cappella for a pure classical experience. Sported by Huy Tuan’s funk-pop production, she gives a sultry performance of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” (“Ngay Xa Anh”) through her sweet, romantic and undoubtedly sensuous voice. In addition, I can’t get enough of that funkdafied flavor from Manh Dung’s terno.

With the assisting of Khanh Linh’s sensational soprano vocals, My Linh reinvigorates Vivaldi’s “Four Season” (“Mua Dong”). Together, the dual Linh unleashed musical spells that filled with everlasting imagination. Coolest piece is the bossa nova’s transformation of Shumann’s “Traumerei” (“Nhung Ngay Mong Mo”) produced by Son Thach. Huy Tuan’s flute hangs on My Linh’s voice like cloud while Quyen Thien Dac’s saxophone gives the break an exquisite vibe. Saint Saens’s “The Carnival of the Animals” (“Ve Day Thien Nga”) is another pop-jazz inspired production with luscious sax sound.

Chat Voi Mozart is based on western compositions, instruments, and styles, yet the distinction is in the lyrical content. Duong Thu has done an exceptional job of keeping the words true to Vietnamese tradition. His lyrics carry Vietnamese images, colors and poetries. Naturally, he gets his inspiration from natures; therefore, his writing reflects those elements including sky, sunshine, wind and spring.

I enjoy the work not because of its easy-listening approach, but its creative fusion, which has enlivened the ancient tunes. I admire My Linh’s voice, but it is still not strong enough (she gasps for air on most of the tracks) to deliver classical high notes. Yet, what she has — clear diction, emotional expression, and dexterous reflection — more than made up for her slightly breathy vocals. With spellbound lyrics, hypnotic vocals and persuasive productions, Chat Voi Mozart could well be paving the path for classical to enter Vietnamese popular music just like jazz, r&b and hip-hop (I am not so sure about hip-hop though).

A Visualgui reader goes by the name TTBlue has recommended me Charles Mingus’s Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus a while back, and I must admit that I have regretted for waiting this long to finally cop the album (better late than never, right?). Mingus is one of the illest jazz musicians with a style identical to none. As soon as “II B.S.” and “Better Get Hit in Yo’ Soul” kicks off, listeners know right away it is Mingus Music. The tempo is way fast, but the syncopation is always crisp, powerful, and full of passion. On the 12-bar blues dedicated to Lester Young “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” (aka “Theme for Lester Young”) and an appreciation to Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo,” he has shown me how a bass can create colors and textures. I not only able to pick out the bass sound away from the intoxicating horns and keyboard, but also understand how beautiful the bass can communicate with other instruments. Mingus is the S.

Yes, Nguyen Co Don is his name. Can’t get any cornier than that, right? I forced myself to give his album, Co Don Giua Nhan Gian, a spin, and it was not a pleasurable experience at all. His style is concocting of Duy Manh’s and Luu Chi Vy’s mixture. While his voice is a reminiscent of Duy Manh, his delivery is as girlish as Luu Chi Vy’s. The outcome is pathetically oppressive. The title track, which comes from his own pen, is straight Chinese-melody jacked, from the beat to the traditional instruments (plaintive strings). It’s a shame that we’re still ripping Chinese’s tunes. I don’t even have the courage to delve into the rest of album, which filled with awful rap and digital-enhanced vocals; therefore, I stop here.

Ngo Thanh Van is no musician. Her previous attempts — The Gioi Tro Choi and Bi An Van Trang — have failed miserably, yet she has not stopped trying. Although My Way, her latest effort, shows some improvements, the album is still far from being successful. Her voice is still weak; her range is limited; and her phrasing lacks the emotion. However, she is a screen capturer, which makes up for her vocals. She might not be a good singer, but she is a great entertainer. She has the appearance, the grooves and the styles. These qualities shine through on her videos such as “Cho Nguoi Tinh Xa,” and “Hat Mot Minh” (not included on this album).

Ngo Thanh Van should focus more on MTV concepts and cease making albums. I would love to see her rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Quynh Huong” on video. Her voice is not elasticizing, but the production is tantalizing, and I am sure she can make it works on screen. On the other hand, I wish she had never done a remaking of “One More Try.” Never like the song to begin with, and the remix featuring Okio makes it worse. Ngo Thanh Van is way off tune, and she sounds like a bad karaoke amateur when switches up her vocals on the chorus. Okio’s flow is not only horrendous, but he also steals Diddy’s line, “Words can’t express what you mean to me.” Out of all the great lyricists (Rakim, Nas, Big and Pac), he uses Diddy who is not even a real MC. For god’s sake, spit your own rhymes, son. And one quick reminder: you’re featuring on Ngo Thanh Van’s My Way, not Mariah Carey’s Emancipation of Mimi.

I can’t stand the dude’s lovelorn reading on “Em Nho Anh” and can’t get with Tien Dat’s awful rapping on “Mua” either. “Lang Nghe Con Tim,” “My Way,” and “Dem Xot Xa” are equally weak. On the duet “Dung Lam Ta Canh Xa,” Tuan Hung’s overpowering vocals steal the show. The only track she can handle is “Trai Tim Tuong Da,” which has a hot beat for her to ride on.

Ngo Thanh Van is not listenable, but she is viewable. She looks sexy and elegance without appearing skanky, noticeably her style (white suits, hat, sunglasses, red dress, and her moves) on “Hat Mot Minh” video. I have to give her props for that. As far as singing, she never had style for it. She sounds fine as long as she sticks to the notes, but when she tries to do her own things, like “One More Try,” the result is unbearable.

Asia’s executives need to put their heads together to find a new subject because the returning of Mua He Ruc Ro 2005 is nothing but a huge hype. The core value of the presentation, which is showcasing of Vietnamese-American successful individuals, is weakening. What dominates the show is a whole bunch of fashion designers (do we need that many?) and Miss Vietnamese Americans that are only half-qualified. What even worse is the unentertaining musical part (with only a couple of performances stand out). Backed up by Asia’s ensemble, Nguyen Khang gives Truc Ho’s “Chang Khac Gi Nhau” a remarkable rendition.

Asia must be focusing strictly on the younger generation because, beside Thanh Tuyen and Tuan Vu, most of the singers are young, and half of the performances are filled with up-tempos and club joints. On the recovering of an ancient sugary pop “In My Fantasy,” Trish looks mad scary as a Japanese doll, and her rhythmless steps are scarier. Thai Doanh Doanh’s Chinese and English version of “Hoang Chau Cat Cat” drives me off the wall. Her performance is like an annoying filler of the show. They have nothing better to fill the space so they throw her in. What is up with the A boys? Dressing in hardcore army wears, and yet still appearing to be as soft as grapes, especially their feminine moves. They also recruited an MC who brags, “And now you want me cause I’m up in the charts.” Excuse me, what chart is he referring to? What the heck is Thien Kim doing in J-Lo-Versace dress? Her outfit is so loose that if she tries to dance, her clothes would drop. So she just stands there during the break trying to look cute, which appears more hoochie than cute to me.

Not only the performances are bad, the hosts are even worse. Viet Dzung steps out of lines a couple of times. When he tries to be funny about the “whipping,” he sounds extremely perverted for a man of his age to make such a sexual remark on a girl in her early twenties. I just could not believe it when he asks one of the girls to turn around and comments the scar on her back as “Vet Thu Tren Lung Ngua Hoang.” Doesn’t he deserve a smack for that? Trinh Hoi is not as bad as Viet Dzung, but his jokes are as tasteless as well. The way he introduces Bao Chau as “a new face with an expensive name.” Bao Chao doesn’t add anything exciting as a host either.

Asia 47 has to be one of Asia’s lamest videos ever. Please Asia, I beg you to discontinue making wasteful products. Be creative, find or write new music, and stop repeating yourself.

Ella Fitzgerald sure knew how to have fun. Her playful improvisation of “Mack the Knife” is both creative and hilarious. Her rendition of “Too Darn Hot” is too damn hot. Her live singing was as good as her studio. Oh boy, can she swing and scat on “How High the Moon?” Ella rocked Berlin.

Diana Krall kicked off her concert with “I Love Being Here With You” showcasing her astonishing piano work complemented by her skillful musicians (Jeff Hamilton on drum, John Clayton on bass and John Pisano on guitar). Krall’s recovering of “Let’s Fall in Love” is reviving, and Hamilton’s brushwork is a perfect foil for her contemporary style. The bossa nova groove on “‘s Wonderful” is ‘s marvelous. Krall rocked Paris.

In contrast to Diana Krall’s raspy voice, Tarry Blaine has a sweet, suave tone with a sense of playful. The childlike “Eeny Meeny Miney Mo” is a perfect song for opening the concert. Love the sound of Allan Vaché’s Clarinet. Her version of Billie Holliday’s medley (“When a Woman Loves a Man/My Man”) is obviously not as emotional as Billie (no one can interpret unrequited love better than the Lady Day), but she has made it sound modern. Some highlights of the show includes “A Little Bit Independent” (dig Mark Shane’s piano and Ed Polcer’s cornet), “Carolina Shout” (instrumental) and “I’d Love To Take Orders From You” (the most politically incorrect song). Blaine rocked Cleveland.

Smithsonian Collection of Jazz Piano volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 go way back to Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson and Fats Waller all the way up to Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock. It’s beautiful just to experience how jazz piano had grown in both styles and sounds.

When the two jazz pianists, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, met for the First Time, the heat was on. From the opening “Battle Royal” to the ending “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” the two big bands combined put the studio on fire. The record is hypnotizing.

Get up close and personal with Thelonious Himself to appreciate Monk’s style. His infamous twenty-two-minute rendition of “‘Round Midnight” is marvelous. Dig the way he pounded the keyboard: both dramatic and emotional. “Functional” is another delightful piece, in which his phrasing is gorgeous.

Maiden Voyage featured four cool-jazz pieces. Along side with Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor saxophonist George Coleman and drummer Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock’s piano takes listeners on a soothing cruise on water.