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.

Comparing to the constant release of Thuy Nga, Asia and Van Son, the three big productions, Tinh only comes out once in a blue moon, yet its latest music video in Thailand is a huge disappointment in so many levels.

First of all, the name should be changed from Tinh to Tuong entertainment since the Tuong brothers have dominated the double DVD. “Thuong Ba Me Que” is Tuong Nguyen and Tuong Khue duet. “Ben Doi Cho” is a Tuong Khue solo. “Chieu Ao Ba Ba” is a Tuong Nguyen solo. “Em Ve Keo Troi Mua” is a Tuong Nguyen and Thuy Khanh duet. That’s not all. They even recruited their sister Nhu Quynh for “Khoc Them Lan Nua.” My brother-in-law mused, “These guys must have paid the production to be on the video.” He might be right.

Musically speaking, Tinh tries to revive old pop hits with not much creativity. Mixing a bunch of Thai’s past hits with a bunch of wimpy, pseudo raps from Justin Nguyen, Kevin Khoa and Huy Vu just don’t cut it. The medley of “C. C. Catch” is even more horrendous on both musical and fashionable counts. The 80’s outfits on the chicks are just trashy. What makes it worst is that some of them are so skinny and flat-chested that the only things they showed were their guts.

What I really don’t understand is why filmed in Thailand? The production ran out of scenes in the U.S.? I am sure Thailand is a fantastic country to visit and I already get a feel of the exotic spot from Van Son production. I don’t need three more hours of music video to remind me once again that Bangkok is a place to travel. What made Tinh memorable in the past was the good storylines that went along with the music. Even the cheesy love story between Huy Vu and Minh Tuyet on “Huong Ruou Tinh Nong” still stuck on my mind. I am not going to lie. I almost shed a tear when I watched that.

Truthfully, I really like to see Tinh to be successful. Unlike other productions, Tinh relies only on DVD sales to make profit, but if this is the direction the production is heading, there won’t be any hope.

Nguyen Hong Nhung’s new album, Mo Ve Anh, is a return to the intimate-setting style she had abandoned since her debut. Working only with producer Vu Quang Trung on nine tracks, the record feels closed and personal.

Nguyen Hong Nhung’s big, gorgeous voice floats like songbird on the semi-classical “Bai Ca Cho Anh” (written by Vu Quang Trung and Bang Kieu). Her version of Kim Tuan’s “Bien Can” is surprisingly pleasing thanks to the intoxicating bossa-nova arrangement. She also gave a soulful cover of Vu Thanh An’s “Bai Khong Ten So 8” accompanied by an elegant, solo piano; however, the smooth saxophone should have been left off the break.

The only bad interpretation is Y Van’s “60 Nam.” The beat is too slow for this joyful track and it causes her flow to be stilted. It would have been a great cut with a swing-up rhythm. Technically, Nguyen Hong Nhung still needs to work on her breath control. It’s all over the place and bringing down her delivery a notch.

Unlike the complexity of jazz, a pop record is either a hit or a miss. If the productions are tight, you win half of the battle. If the hooks and the lyrics are right, you will be on your way to victory. Of course, it’s easier said than done. These days Vietnamese pop albums are being released like baby diapers. You hear it once and you throw it out. The major issue is that most young pop singers do not put their investment into the productions and they rely too much on cheap lyrics to feed their hungry fans. Someone once said that why do I even bother listening to these rubbishes. My hope is to come across something decent. I’ve found it.

Ha Anh Tuan’s Sai Gon Radio is an enjoyable pop record just because he understands the rules of pop. He knows that the productions have to be pleasurable even when his voice fails him. What makes Sai Gon Radio work is that it doesn’t sound like a hip-hop/R&B imitation and the lyrics aren’t as banal as those Chinese-inflected junk. Although the album opens with a tune called “Radio,” it is more suitable to be spin in the club than on the airwave. The beat is groovy and the hook is catchy as hell. “Ganh Hang Rau” is another dance-driven production, but the words behind the beat are even more inspiring—something about selling vegetables to buy big house. Hey, who said you can’t dream?

Although Anh Tuan’s nasal voice is persuasive even on slow jams like “Loi Nhac So 4,” the album has its share of snoring moments. Still, the record is surprisingly good. What surprises me even more though is the producer behind the tracks. Nhat Trung has certainly stepped up his pop game.

My Funny Valentine, which features five extended ballads recorded live on February 12, 1964, highlights the lyrical Miles. With the young Tony Williams (drums), Ron Carter (bass) and Herbie Hancock (piano) holding down the rhythm section, Miles only played the most vital notes. From the title track to “I Thought About You,” Mile’s delicate tone and startling sensitivity blow chill air to the standards. George Coleman who gives some of the most memorable solos on the tenor saxophone also plays a major contribution to the quintet.

Check out the video of “My Funny Valentine.”

Mingus’ orchestration on this six-piece suite is psychologically amazing. Through his rich textures, vibrant tonal colors and expressive rhythms, one could feel the suffering, struggling and mourning in his conceptual compositions. “Group Dancers” is my personal favorite. I can’t get the exquisite eastern melody, the breathtaking flamenco guitar and the dizzying horn lines out of my head.

Tu Quyen is a pop singer who doesn’t follow the latest trend. She is just way behind the trend. Her newest album, Em Van Yeu, sounds as if it has been shelved a decade or so ago and only get released recently by Thuy Nga production. Seriously, when was the last time you heard the Chinese tune with the chorus that goes something like, “Wo ai ni, I love you / Wo ai ni, I need you?” How does she do it? How the hell is she not sick of singing the song when I am already sick of listening to it?

Listening to Em Van Yeu gives me a second thought about Nhu Loan’s Trai Tim Da Duoc Yeu. Between the two albums, I am not sure who is the worse. Vocal wise, Tu Quyen is no better Nhu Loan. Her voice is weak and she has no range either. She sings the title track as if she is merely reading through the lyrics with no emotional expression and no attempt to get beyond her comfort zone.

Musically, Tu Quyen demonstrates no originality. She not only covers old tunes, but she does so with no creative or inventive effort. The arrangements are typical of Thuy Nga’s quality: cheap and manufactured. Em Van Yeu was put together just for the sake of making an album and an opportunity to sell the album booklet. Maybe the album’s glamorous photo shot is worth more than the album itself.

Holy shit, Vanilla Ice is Back and he covers hip-hop classics. Though I am not ashamed to admit that “Ice Ice Baby” grooved me and I could still recite some of the tune’s rhymes. So when come across a “comeback” album for the Iceman, I couldn’t resist. I have to give the fake-ass wigger a spin.

“Ice Ice Baby” kicks off the album and the memories are all back. The catchy riff sampled from Queen’s “Under Pressure” is still contagious as hell. Although he has remixed that joint to death, the original version is still the illest. No one can take that shit from the Iceman. As soon as Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” comes on, I just can’t imagine what Chuck D would do when he listens to the record. The real jokes, however, are both the rock cover of House of Pain’s “Jump Around” and the jungle-fever rendition of Sir-Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”

Although the Ice age has melted a long long time ago, Rob Van Winkle has yet to leave rap alone. And he knows damn well that the game doesn’t need him.

Christmas had passed by, but I still have not passed up Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ Jingle All the Way. Like the title suggested, Bela and his trio take Christmas songs and jingle them all the way.

I played the album for the first time at my in-law’s Christmas party and folks looked at me like I have a strange taste of music. The opening track alone is one of the most unique versions of “Jingle Bells” we have ever heard. They couldn’t understand what language the male’s vocalist was singing. I don’t either, but it doesn’t matter. It just sounds so freaking cool. Of course, Bela on the banjo is simply breathtaking.

Because Bela and the Flecktones had chosen such well-known Christmas tunes, they have the creative freedom to go all out. The result is that the group has created fresh new sounds to familiarized songs. Some of my personal favorites are “Silent Night,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Twelve Days of Christmas” and “Linus and Lucy.”

Don’t take my words for it. Find out for yourself by checking out “Bela Fleck Gives Christmas A Flecktone Fervor” on NPR.