More than a decade ago, Ai Van was one of the shining stars on Paris By Night. Although her popularity quickly diminished, she made the wise choice to strike out on her own. She was getting nowhere with Thuy Nga. The production could not get her further than what she had accomplished.

She tried to move beyond her signature style, but her venture into pop territory was a disaster. She butchered one of Trinh Cong Son’s tunes. Her water-clear voice isn’t suitable for pop music; therefore, she returns to what she does best with her newest release, Dem A Dao. Although the album title is hinting at northern folks, Ai Van tackles all three regions. Her flow and enunciation on the title track, written and arranged by Phu Quang, are simply gorgeous. From the traditional instruments to the northern melody, the song fits her style like hand in glove. Likewise, she delivers the southern piece (Cao Van Lau’s “Da Co Hoai Lang”) with no less luminescent. Both Duy Cuong’s arrangement and her ageless vocals are breathtaking on Pham Duy’s “Nu Tam Xuan.”

Even with a few disappointing tracks, such as her duet with Ai Xuan on Duy Khanh’s “Ai Ra Xu Hue” and the mechanical production from Chi Tai on “Beo Dat May Troi,” Dem A Dao is definitely a remarkable comeback for Ai Van.

Quach Thanh Danh’s fourth album, Nhu Da Dau Yeu, is snore-worthy not because of his vocals but his karaoke-standard productions. Even though his relaxed baritone is charming, the lifeless accompaniments make him sound so sleepy. It would have been a great album of cover if QTD were to hire either Hoai Sa or Duc Tri to provide him some simple but classy arrangements.

Yen Lam is unknown to me and I am not impressed with his work on this album. The use of zither on the intro of Anh Bang’s “Khuc Thuy Du” gives an impression that we’re about to hear a Chinese tune until the lyrics come in. The cheesy guitar riff on Truong Sa’s “Xin Con Goi Ten Nhau” is just unbearable. Yet, the most distracting sound is the programmed drums on most of these tracks. Phu Quang’s “Em Oi, Ha Noi Pho” is one of the best two songs on the album because the drums were illuminated. The strumming guitars offer a sense of intimacy to QTD’s warm voice. The other standout track is also from Phu Quang and without the rhythm section. The blending of tinkling piano and sorrowful violin brings a lonesome and chilling vibe to his soulful delivery on “Noi Nho Mua Dong.”

If Nhu Da Yeu Yeu were stripped down to just his voice accompanied by either a piano or a guitar, it would have been a worthwhile album. I have never heard of a Vietnamese singer who sings with just the double bass. Both Cassandra Wilson (on “The Very Thought of You” from her recent album, Lovely) and Kevin Mahogany (who did it live on stage) hypnotized me with just their vocals backed up by the plucking bass.

We owe the asshole who jilted Ho Le Thu for this one. Because of him, her fourth solo release, De Ta Say, is a heartbreaking pleasure. She finally pours her heart out on the tracks and drowns her sorrow in the lyrics.

Right off the title opener, written and arranged by Huynh Nhat Tan, she is ready to get the drama off her silicon chest. Belting out about getting wasted to forget all the bitterness, she gets us intoxicated with her soulful delivery and smoky voice. She continues to soar like a songbird with a broken wing on Truong Le Son’s “Huyet Le” and Le Quoc Dung’s “Em Phai Noi Loi Chia Tay.” Although these two sugary pop hits sound banal, Ho Le Thu could apply them into her condition and phrase each word as if she has lived it.

Unfortunately she can’t do the same with her own translated lyrics. What make “Em Van Tin (Still Believe)” the worst track on the album is the use of Vinish. Somehow this mixture doesn’t sound right at all: “Chon doi em nguyen yeu mai mot nguoi / trong tim chi minh anh thoi / I do I know / You are still in my heart / I believe tinh em van do du cach xa…”

Then again Ho Le Thu’s broken heart lasts as long as the length of this album, which is less than an hour. De Ta Say starts out with a painful track, but ends with a joyful “Mambo Yeu Thuong” so she can just shake off the grief and move on. I am sure she won’t have a hard time finding her next man. Who wouldn’t want a chick with an Asian face, Angelina Jolie’s lips and Pamala Anderson’s cans? All she need now is a Beyoncé’s ass to go with the rest.

Cassandra Wilson definitely has her way with standards. On her 2009 Grammy-winning Loverly, Ms. Wilson breathes cool air into classic jazz tunes with her sexy contralto and laidback phrasing. Her cover of “A Day in the Life of a Fool” should be studied by anyone, particularity Vietnamese singers, who would like to learn how to sing behind the beat. She maneuvers her way around the boss-nova groove like rings of smoke twirling in a dark and empty space. With just an upright bass accompanying her, she molds “The Very Thought of You” into a new shape.

Big props to my big bro HmL for sharing the album.

Like any songwriter’s album, Pham Duy’s newest release, Phuong Yeu, is nothing more than a bunch of tracks thrown together. With way too many vocalists and producers, the record feels more like a compilation rather than a concept. The experience is disconnected even though all the songs are from one composer.

The only aspect the album has in common is that all of the singers are young and they breathe new air into Pham Duy’s classics. Ngoc Khue’s take on “Bai Ca Sao” is quite refreshing. Her distinctive interpretation makes me want to hear more of what she could pull off with Pham Duy’s songs. One track is just not enough.
Likewise, Khanh Linh’s cover of “Em Le Chua Nay” is a sensation with the support of 5 Dong Ke. Both Mai Khoi and Phuong Anh give “Tim Nhau” and the title track a rejuvenating vibe.

Despite the tracks are consistence in quality, they still sound all over the place. If the album was refrained to a producer and a vocalist, it would yield a much more intimate result. Too much variety interrupts the flow, but variations in a focused concept is rewarding.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and even if your lover is a big fan of Bang Kieu, do not give her his latest CD, Nhac Yeu Cau, unless you want her to leave your ass. Listening to the album while driving home yesterday almost made me become Michael Douglas’s character in Falling Down.

From the opening cover of Pham Duy’s “Chuyen Tinh Buon” to the closing of Truong Sa’s “Mot Mai Em Di,” the only thing Bang Kieu added to the depressing tunes are his diva drama. His version Vu Thanh An’s “Tinh Khuc Thu Nhat” is like Celine Dion meets Kenny G. His feminine high pitch and the smooth saxophone just make me want to jump off the Washington Monument. If Tran Thien Thanh “Tinh Dau Tinh Cuoi” and Duy Quang’s “Kiep Dam Me” aren’t two of the most depressing songs of all time, Bang Kieu has just put them on the chart. As if one diva isn’t schmaltzy enough, Bang Kieu invites diva Tran Thu Ha to join him on Nguyen Vu’s “Loi Cuoi Cho Em” and Tran Thien Thanh’s “Khi Nguoi Yeu Toi Khoc,” and they sound like two broken-hearted broads crying over each other’s shoulder.

It’s safe to say that any album released under Thuy Nga production you can just toss creativity and innovation out the window. In fact, Bang Kieu is not trying to make anything imaginative here because he knows that these tunes have been covered to death and there isn’t much he can do with them. The quickest and easiest way to cash in on them is to make them as dramatic as possible and he does so damn well without even blinking.

When my wife informed me that The Puppini Sisters will be performing at Birchmere, I was ecstatic. I don’t have to go all the way to Europe to see them; they come to Alexandria. I dig The Puppini Sisters. Who doesn’t like chicks with lovely British accent and a sense of swing? Yes, they can really swing. From Gloria Gaynor’s disco-fever “I Will Survive” to Beyonce’s R&B mega “Crazy In Love,” The Sisters proved it last night that they could make any tune swing. Even Duke Ellington’s classic “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got No Swing)” got hard swing with various tempos and close-harmonic scatting.

Dressed in red, The Sisters entertained the audience not only with their vocal skills, but also with their fresh reinterpretation of old songs and sense of humor. Even their own tunes, including “Jilted” and “I Can’t Believe I am Not a Millionaire,” are a novelty. In addition to the trio accompaniment with Blake Wilner on guitar, Pat Levett on drums and Henrik Jensen on bass, the Sisters played their own instruments on a few performances. With Marcella Puppini on accordion, Stephanie O’Brien on violin and Kate Mullins on melodica, they formed a very playful orchestra.

The Sisters are fantastic, but if I have to pick one, I have to go with the Italian sister who is the smallest in physic but the loudest in voice. Good thing does come in small package. Her solo performance of “You’ve Got The Right Key, But The Wrong Keyhole” is an unforgettable one. With the encore, the Sisters returned with their goofy but great version of “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Not a bad way to end a Monday night.

With his formal training in opera, The Son could hold a note longer than it needs to. On the title track of his unimaginative album, he does just that without even a rough edge could be heard. He has such a smooth, polished voice that when he sings a drunken tune like “Trai Tim Tat Nguyen,” he sounds like a sober guy.

The major problem with The Son isn’t just his voice, but he spends way too much of his time trying to make hits instead of carving out a niche for himself. He covers the most covered tunes including the exhausting “Lat Mat Mua Xuan,” “Ve Day Em” and “Khuc Tram Ca” with nada creativity. Thuy Nga’s mechanical productions aren’t helping either. Even on the bossa-nova remake of “Vet Thuong Cuoi Cung,” he stays so faithful to the melody that it just sounds strenuous.

Doi Toi Chi Mot Nguoi satisfies his fans, but not going to win him any newcomer. The Son needs to get out of his comfort zone and experiment new sounds. Covering hand-me-down hits just don’t do it for him. For the sake of change, put his training in good use. Cut an opera album or something.

50 years later, Miles Davis’s 1959 landmark Kind of Blue sounds fresher than ever. If you have never listen to one of the best selling jazz albums in the history, start on the first disc. If you’re like me who had listened to the album for a couple hundred times, skip to the second disc for cover of standards from the all-star group: Miles, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Pay particular attention to the previously unreleased version of “So What” and look out for Coltrane’s magnificent solo. The freedom of modal scales gave Coltrane the space he needed to blow at the peak of his power. Can’t get any better than this.

Considering the recent DVD releases from various productions, I have to give credit to Thuy Nga for what’s it worth. Van Son 41 in Florida is creatively dead. Tinh 17 in Thailand is just garbage. I didn’t even have to courage to pen a review for Asia’s staled Xuan video. Yet, the second installment of Paris by Night’s 25th Anniversary, Cam On Cuoc Doi, is even better than the first.

After a group-opening performance, Y Lan returned to her elegant and classy look. The red dress was stunning and so was her singing of Tu Minh’s “Hay Cu La Tinh Nhan.” The lyrics fit her personality perfectly: “Dung lam vo lam chong, roi nhin nhau chan ngan. Hay cu la tinh nhan de tinh ta menh mong.” No wonder she changed her husbands like clothes. Then Nhu Loan outdid herself again. The chick was blazing hot and she hid nothing. Even her panties were glittering. So what if she can’t sing. You can still enjoy her performance on mute. Now I understand what Sarah Palin meant when she said that she was fond of Tina Fay’s impersonation of her without the sound on. Hoang Oanh also brought back nostalgia with her fantastic rendition of Mai Chau’s “Mot Nguoi Di.” Her effortless delivery, flawless enunciation and ageless voice are her secret weapons.

The second disc is not as good as the first, but I am pretty sure the broadway-style performance of Bang Kieu and Quynh Vi will be used countless of times at weddings. Obviously Nguyen Hung and Thuy Van burned the dance floor once again with their dance moves. I am not sure how many versions of Tran Tien’s “Ra Ngo Ma Yeu” Tran Thu Ha has recorded, but this particular arrangement is the worst and she doesn’t have the visual appearence to back up her singing either. Trinh Hoi’s backstage-MCing style annoyed me to no end. He should have remained retired.

I find this video to be entertaining even the sitcom (have to hand it to the little kid Nguyen Huy) and the tan co dao duyen from Minh Quynh and Phi Nhung. It must be that my expectation has dropped six feet under.