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.

One of Thuy Nga’s recurring programs is introducing Vietnamese songwriters. Paris By Night 78: Duong Xua featured songbooks of Quoc Dung, Chau Ky and Tung Giang whose works have been covered numerous times. Yet, Thuy Nga’s producers and arrangers have crafted new sounds and chosen right voices (most of the time) to give these dated songs new flavors.

Khanh Ha starts off the show with a fresh rendition of Quoc Dung’s “Chi La Mua Thu Roi.” If there were a fire, the dancers and Khanh Ha would be roasted in those weird outfits that were made out of magazines. Quoc Dung is a passable singer. His duet with Thanh Mai on the medley (“Que Huong va Mong Uoc,” “Bien Mong” and “Ben Nhau Ngay Vui”) brings us back to three decades ago when the two sang together in Sai Gon. Then Luu Bich and the musicians give “Hat Mua va Noi Nho” a new vibe by injecting bosa nova into Quoc Dung’s pop tune (mad props to the horns blowers). The most astonishing part of Quoc Dung’s portion is the combining of “Con Gio Thoang” and “Trai Tim Toi Loi.” Bang Kieu and Thanh Ha have done an outstanding vocal job, but what makes the performance indelible is Vuong Huong’s profound piano presentation. Her solo is unbelievable. Every finger she drops releases emotion (Don’t believe me? Check out her rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Bien Nho,” via Song Vinh). On the flip side, Manh Quynh could not express “Chuyen Ba Nguoi” to its fullest, and Ho Le Thu bares her skin instead of soul on “Chin Con So, Mot Linh Hon.”

Chau Ky’s part of the show is for the older generation. Che Linh gives a flawless recovering of “Tuy Ca,” a song that once made him popular. He maybe aged, but his voice is ageless (it must be the liquor that clears his throat). Phuong Hong Que and Mai Truc provide a savory medley on Chau Ky’s standards: “Khuya Nay Anh Di Roi,” “Em Khong Buon Nua Chi Oi,” “Giot Le Dai Trang” (the story behind this song is intriguing. Too bad, Nguyen Ngoc Ngan cuts him off) and “Dung Noi Xa Nhau.” Like Che Linh, Hoang Oanh’s vocal is yet to be matched on “Sau Chua Thay Hoi Am.” If Thuy Nga could invite Thanh Thuy for an encore on “Tieng Ca Do Ve Dau,” it would have made a deeper impact. Truong Vu does a fantastic job, but “TCDVD” is a Thanh Thuy’s signiture.

Tung Giang’s section shifts back to the younger audience. Duong Trieu Vu’s rhythmless two-step is less than convincing on “Biet Den Thuo Nao.” Nhu Quynh’s stilted flow screws up “Anh Da Quen Mua Thu.” Putting Nhu Quynh with Luu Bich and Khanh Ha, what were they thinking? It’s like country meets pop and jazz. Tran Thu Ha would have been a better choice. In fact, Khanh Ha, Tran Thu Ha and Thanh Ha would make a great trio. They can call themselves “Ha Ba Sac” (Three Ha’s Colors). Each brings a unique hue to the palette. Strongest from Tung Giang’s set is Tran Thu Ha’s pop-jazz “Toi Voi Troi Bo Vo.” Her version is both unique and creative. She has her chops down to the ground, and Thuy Nga is smart for allowing her to do her things. She brings a new group of audience that Thuy Nga never had. Thuy Tien then wraps up the show with the bouncy “Nguoi Tinh Nguoi Dep Xinh Xinh.” The song is perfect for her because she is a doll. She has always appeared to be cute with her baby face, but the make-up gives her a more matured look this time, which is very attractive.

Thuy Nga has toned down the sexy appearances for Paris By Night 78, and focused more on the musical productions. Now that’s what I am looking for. Does that mean Thuy Nga has read my previous review? I doubt it, but at least we are on the same page on this well-crafted video.

Luu Hong is one of the most overlooked musicians in the Vietnamese-American community. If she didn’t collaborate with Ngoc Lan, I would have not known her. The medley (“Lien Khuc Chieu Mua”) that they worked together for Asia Entertainment was breathtaking. The way their voices complemented each other on Trinh Cong Son’s ”Nhu Canh Vac Bay” and Nhat Ngan’s ”Qua Con Me” was like a smooth blend of an alto sax (Ngoc Lan) and tenor sax (Luu Hong) floated over Asia’s crisp arrangements with endless imagination. I was blown away by their performances.

Obviously, Ngoc Lan was no stranger to me, but Luu Hong was. Her distinctive voice mesmerized me. She had just the right amount of thickness in her vocals that would give any song that she sings some textures. Her phrasings were effortless, and her timings were perfect even though Asia’s beats were faster than the original tempos. Her rendition of “Nhung Doi Hoa Sim” (poem by Huu Loan and music by Chinh Dzung) on the medley was one of the best I have heard.

After listening to “Lien Khuc Chieu Mua”, I determined to get Luu Hong’s solo albums, but could only found one from Ca Dao Productions. Even though I was disappointed by the horrible cover design and the lack of credits (songwriters and producers), I copped Mua Dem Ngoai O anyway because I know the voice is incomparable. I was hoping for the production to be at least decent for her to ride on.

The good part is that the arrangements are sharp. The not-so-good part is that I have heard of them countless times before. I am not even sure how old the album is, but it does not matter because the old tunes bring back good old memories. While the tango joints like “Ai Di Ngoai Suong Gio,” “Ngang Trai” and “Do Chieu” take me back to ballroom floor, the waltz groove on “Tinh Mua Gio” makes me want to whirl around the room like Nguyen Hung and Thuy Van on Da Vu Quoc Te.

Luu Hong’s song selections are romantic ballads (nhac tru tinh). Nothing’s wrong with that. One of her strengths is her ability to maintain her effortlessness when approaching songs like “Diep Khuc Thuong Dau,” “Dang Do” and “Tuyet Tinh.” Her heartfelt emotion is there on the tracks, but her expression is never mournful. A few singers have sing these songs like their worlds have come to an end, and I can’t get with that. On the title track, “Mua Dem Ngoai O,” her slightly gruff timbre hugs around the soothing saxophone giving a vivid image of a rainy night in a quiet countryside somewhere in the west of Viet Nam.

Dem Mua Ngoai O is a delicious set from song to song that could be replayed for savory experiences. I don’t know if Luu Hong is still singing or not. Her voice is hypnotizing, and it would be a darn shame if she has retired.

Any Vietnamese songster who has not recorded a Trinh Cong Son’s album should start thinking about it now to get the tradition over with. That’s right, every well-known musician has released at least a Trinh’s record during his or her career. Even Phuong Thanh wants a piece of Trinh’s work, isn’t that incredible? Whenever a Trinh’s album is released, the controversy is inevitable, and Phuong Thanh’s Thuong Mot Nguoi (To Love Someone) is no exemption. Even before the album hits the racks, Trinh’s lovers have expressed frustrations; however, they can be reassured that Phuong Thanh has not destroyed anything.

Unlike Thanh Lam who has always stirred things up by singing Trinh’s songs with her powerful and intricate techniques, Phuong Thanh sticks to the script, which is unusual because she has never been a gentle vocalist. She is a belter with a huge, scratchy voice. Yet, the soft and straightforward approach works because it allows her emotion to carry the weight. Even the productions (from Kim Tuan, Hoai Sa, Vinh Tam, and Duc Tri) are kept to the minimal, simple strumming guitar accompanied most tracks, to allow Phuong Thanh’s aspirate voice be the essence. As a result, the album is delivered with honesty and sincerity from the opening “Cat Bui” (Sand and Dust) to the closing “Ca Dao Me” (Mother’s Folk Poetry).

The strength of Thuong Mot Nguoi is in the maturity of her vocals. We can enjoy her singing instead of screaming on “Uot Mi” (Tearful) and “Bien Nho” (The Sea Will Miss). Her croaky timbre sounds sweet rather than heavy on “Diem Xua” (Miss Diem) and “Rung Xua Da Khep” (The Old Forest Has Closed). Her breath control is a tremendous improvement, distinctly on “Tinh Xa” (Far Love). The heartrending “Ca Dao Me” would have been perfect if she could keep her breathing off the track like the way she does with “Tinh Xa” because the phrasing is superb, and the sentiment is there.

Thuong Mot Nguoi is neither groundbreaking nor outstanding, but much better than what I have expected. Take that as a compliment from a guy who has not been feeling Phuong Thanh since the days of “Trong Vang” (Emptiness). Congratulations on the baby girl as well as the success of the album. Hope this is a new turning point for Phuong Thanh.

If I am being too hard on the young singers in my music comment, that’s partly because of Lady Day. Billie Holiday was a phenomenon. No, she still is. Her style, her phrasing, her interpretation, her timing and her voice are yet to be matched. She sang as if she had lived the lyrics. She always sounded behind the beat, but never missed it. No matter how rough she came across, especially during the mid 50s when her voice deteriorated, the sweetness deep inside her vocals was always present. Most important of all, her breath control was never less than perfect.

For those who haven’t experienced the Lady Day, I highly recommend giving Billie’s Best a spin. Although this collection from Verve only provides a portion of Billie’s classics, it will give you a nice taste of the lady that sings the blues like no others; and the productions are crisp too. Obviously, every song is a hit, but pay close attention to “Stormy Blues,” “Come Love,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Foggy Day,” and “U… u… u… What a Little Moonlight Can Do.”

I listen to her albums when there is completely no distraction. I can’t even play her music while working, because she demands so much concentration that I would not be able to get anything done. Listen to Holiday without paying attention to her every word is like playing chess without thinking. As I am writing this in Barnes & Noble’s café, I am noticing how chess players are thinking and planning their every move. That’s where the comparison comes from, in case you’re wondering.