“Nu Hon Goi Gio” is a masterful display of Quang Ly’s sensitivity to Hoang Viet Khanh’s passion for traditional folk. Ly’s efforless singing breathes fresh air into the quirky arrangement. His warm and exquisite timbre combined with orchestration’s exotic sounds make the piece irresistible.

A striking collection of sceneries throughout Viet Nam. Isn’t she gorgeous?

I am thrilled with the amount of emails praising the “Music Comment” section. The messages are encouraging and motivating. For instance, one reader writes, “Thank you for utilizing your website as a means to voice your passions. It has opened up an outlet for fine music reviews from Vietnamese Americans like you and I.” That is exactly my goal for this site.

I’ve also received emails recommending me albums that have been posted on this site. It’s not you fault since I have written more than 100 pieces and they all hidden. If you are interesting in reading just music reviews, you can click on the “Music Comment” on the right under “Departments” and use the “Previous page” and “Next Page” at the bottom to navigate. If you would like to find out if there is an album already written, simply use the search box. One of the reasons I get rid of everything else on the homepage is to encourage the use of the search box. For example, just type in Hong Nhung Khu Vuon Yen Tinh (this post is also listed in the search), and you’ll get various results on those keywords. Of course, the album is also included. So stick around and have fun surfing and reading.

Here are a few fantastic songs for your enjoyment:

Smooth jazz “Autumn Leaves” performs in French (lyrics: Jacques Prévert) and English (lyrics: Johnny Mercer) by Singaporean singer Jacintha.

A magnificent presentation by Tam Khanh on “Mua Thu Ve Giua Paris.” Her delivery is filled with passion and emotion.

Hoang Trang’s “Hoai Nho.” What a splendid piece!

“Loi Nhan Dai Thu” (poem by Song Viet, music by Ngan Hanh ). A gorgeous performance by Bao Yen.

Visualgui’s logo has been redesign for a stronger look. As you can see, this site continues to be refined instead of complete redesigned. Last week, I revamped the visuals. This week, I revised the logo. The changes are subtle, but they do keep the site stay fresh.

Ve Nguon (Back to the Root) Foundation will be hosting a dance party on the 29th of October in Woodbridge, New Jersey to raise money for the flood victims in Viet Nam. The Magic Night band with lead singer Thu Hoai will be holding down the dance floor. These guys can jam. Check out their live performances on the band’s site, including the groovy chachacha ballad “Sai Gon Dep Lam,” the sweet sentimental “Unchained Melody,” the disco joints “I Will Survive & Hot Stuff,” and the Latin tune “Khuc Tinh Nong.” With a wide range of styles and Thu Hoai’s sensational vocals, I am sure they will keep you sweat. If you’re in or close by the NJ area, come out, have fun, meet new people, and most important of all, support the needy children and seniors in our homeland.

New visuals again. Don’t you just love Visualgui.com? Fresh stuffs all the time.

Ngoc Lan’s Night broadcasted on VOA in Vietnamese by journalist Truong Ky.

Louis Armstrong’s The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings is amazing. Pops’ singing, scatting and blowing are incredible. While his trumpet sounds like a human voice, his scat singing sounds like a trumpet. Of course, his rough vocals are unmatchable.

Ray Charles’s The Birth Of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues is another invaluable boxset that can be jam from one disc to the next. From “Roll With My Baby” to “Mess Around” to “What’d I Say, Parts 1 & 2,” Charles touches both your body and soul.

La Salle University (my old school) is redesigned. Still using nested tables and annoying Flash incorporated feature.

Stephen Chow is, as always, funny as hell in the parody of Royal Tramp (Tan Luc Dinh Ky). I watched the Vietnamese dubbed version and Van Son sounds horrible in Chow’s character.

After sixteen years in the Philippines (I could hardly lasted after six months), 229 Vietnamese refugees arrived at LA International Airport. Welcome on board, my people!

Ben Fink Shapiro, one of our student photographers in the College Relations, has an online portfolio showcasing his works.

Wickedrice is a blog from my hometown girl in Lancaster. Mai and I go way back to high school. It’s nice to see at least one of my friends is blogging more than me.

That’s it, folks. Have a great weekend!

Tiara Lestari is not only a voluptuous model, but also a fantastic individual. Her personal journal showcases both her beauty and brain. Tiara’s photos alone are worth visiting, particularly this sexy shot (I have a thing for women in white shirt, pants, and tie), but her writing is also engaging, especially when she speaks her mind.

Viet Anh’s “Khong Con Mua Thu” performed by Hong Nhung. It’s such a spendid piece.

Willie “the Lion” Smith, a brilliant jazz pianist, demonstrates what “shout” means when he improvises James P. Johnson’s “Carolina Shout.” His stride style is just amazing.

“Cho Xuan,” a sentimental piece captured by Trinh Vinh Trinh’s heatfelt vocals.

“Goc Nay Cua Em,” an emotional performance from Cam Van.

“Nhat Phai thu 50,” a controversial composition performed by the composer himself. Drop by his Web site for more music samples and to learn about the songwriter.