Female singers dominated my list this year. Only Tùng Dương made it to the 10th spot and not even with his newest Đọc Đạo, which I thought would be on my number one spot. It didn’t turn out that way. Congratulations to the ladies.

1. Tân Nhàn – Yếm Đào Xuống Phố: With the support of Trần Mạnh Hùng and talented musicians, Tân Nhàn reinvigorates chèo with jazz.
2. Đỗ Bảo – Cánh Cung 3: Trần Thu Hà managed to bring together Đỗ Bảo’s colorful compositions into a cohesive listening experience. It’s a daunting task that only she can accomplish.
3. Hiền Thục – Tằm Tháng Năm: Hiền Thục did nothing but brought good taste and elegant to traditional folk songs. It works like a charm.
4. Hồng Mơ – Khi Tình 30: Hồng Mơ moves beyond the pop bubbles and explores jazz territory. The result is refreshing.
5. Phương Linh – Tiếng Hót Từ Bụi Mận Gai: Seven years after winning “Sao Mai Điểm Hẹn 2006,” Phương Linh releases her sophomore album with intricacy, maturity and confidence.
6. Ánh Tuyết – Duyên Kiếp: Duyên Kiếp breathes new air into over-sentimental ballads such as “Tình Bơ Vơ” and “Mưa Chiều Kỷ Niệm.”
7. Y Phương – Tình Vẫn Thiết Tha: In many ways, this album could be a tribute to the late great Ngọc Lan, but she also held her own.
8. Thu Phương – Biển, Nỗi Nhớ và… Em: Thu Phương is apparently very conceptual. This album weaves together eleven songs about the sea to create a storytelling experience.
9. 5 Dòng Kẻ – Yêu: Even though Yêu is not as successful and coherent as the group’s previous works, it is still an impressive record that’s filled with original compositions.
10. Tùng Dương Hát Tình Ca: This album showcases the soother side of Tùng Dương.

Bổng nhiên tôi rất thích cái clip em này ca bài “Bạc Trắng Tình Đời” trong lúc đang ăn nhậu vui chơi. Có cái gì đó rất thú vị và sống động. Mời nghe thử nhé.

In his last checkup, which was on December 3, 2013, he weighted 30 lbs and 4 oz (82%) and grew 35 and 1/2 inches (79%) in height.

The last few months, we have witnessed a terrible two at full force. He’s active and aggressive. In our vacation last week at Iberostar in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic, I spent most of my time chasing after him around the resort. The good thing was that Iberostar has two bars from the front desk to swimming pool. Each round, I would get a mojito break.

The time on the airplane was also a nightmare, especially when we left the US to DR. He wouldn’t sit still and he wouldn’t go to sleep because we boarded right on the clock. On our way back, I let him ran all over the airport until boarding time. As soon as we got on the plane, he slept for about an hour before got up and moved around. The experience was less dramatic than the previous flight.

Just about a month ago, his language skills had picked up at a surprising speed. He knows how to comments on things like, “Tàu đẹp quá. Máy bay đẹp quá.” As soon as he woke up (when we were at the hotel), he asked, “Bà ngoại đâu rồi? Muốn bà ngoại.” I replied, “Bà ngoại đang ngủ. Đán ngủ đi.” He responded, “I am not sleeping anymore. That’s it.”

While we were playing in the pool, he grabbed a hold of me and said out of the blue, “I love you, daddy.” Nothing felt better than hearing your son saying that. When we were at the beach, I lost balanced when a strong weave hit us, he asked, “Are you ok, buddy?” He picked that up from me whenever he fell or something.

Yesterday, I tried to feed him some pasta and he refused. I kept on putting the spoon to his mouth and he finally busted out, “No, you eat it.” Witnessing him developing is joy even though it is exhausting to keep up.

Thu Phương is apparently very conceptual. Her latest release, Biển, Nỗi Nhớ và… Em, weaves together eleven songs about the sea to create a storytelling experience.

The lead-off track is a breezy cover of Đức Huy’s “Bay Đi Cánh Chim Biển,” thanks to Minh Hoàng’s lust, electrified orchestration. Then Thu Phương delivers a nostalgia rendition of Phú Quang’s “Biển, Nỗi Nhớ và Em” through acoustic picking guitar and sensational soaring strings. Along with the title track, some standout covers include “Biển Nghìn Thu Trở Lại” (Trịnh Công Sơn), a duet with Hà Anh Tuấn in “Thuyền và Biển” (Phan Huỳnh Điểu) and the album-closer “Nha Trang Ngày Về” (Phạm Duy).

Her version of Kim Tuấn’s “Biển Cạn” isn’t bad. The first minute and a half is gorgeous with just string-laden orchestration. Once the bossa-nova rhythm kicks in, it becomes like one of many “Biển Cạn” arrangements. “Bên Em Là Biển Rộng” (Bảo Chấn) and “Biển Tình” (Lam Phương) feel like they were filled in simply because both tunes are about the sea. With “Biển Nhớ,” her breath is all over the track.

Despite a few missed opportunities, Biển, Nỗi Nhớ và… Em is still a solid album that demonstrates not only Thu Phương’s vocal skills, but also her ear for arrangements and her creative concept.

This year I have the fortunate of listening to many great albums. While vacationing in Dominican Republic, I had a chance to revisit those records and pick out my top 10.

1. Wynton Marsalis – The Spiritual Side of Wynton Marsalis: This is one of the religious albums I have listened to the most beside John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and it shows the spiritual side of the well-known trumpeter.
2. Dave Holland – Prism: This is a breathtaking journey of fusion from an all-star quartet led by Dave Holland.
3. Lorde – Pure Heroine: A young pop star who beats the pop game with its own whip.
4. Cécile McLorin Salvant – WomanChild: Salvant has all the chops to be a jazz singer at such a young age.
5. Youn Sun Nah – Lento: I was hypnotized by Nah’s style: expressive, eclectic and quite eccentric.
6. Jay Z – Magna Carta Holy Grail: This album creeps on me the more I listened to it. Jay is still one of the best lyricists in the game. I was torn between this and Kanye’s album. Yeezus is on every music critic’s list, so I rooted for Jay.
7. Bun B – Trill OG: The Epilogue: This album offers 12 concise tracks filled with a handful of compelling productions, some excellent guest spots and a whole lot of aggressiveness from the king of the trill himself.
8. M.I.A. – Matangi: This album a hot mess. It’s incoherent, contradicting and frustrating, and yet it is also so compelling, fascinating and engaging at the same time. And that’s what make M.I.A. unique.
9. Madeleine Peyroux – The Blue Room: Peyroux gave Ray Charles’ songs new soul.
10. Carla Bruni – Little French Songs: It’s simply a beautiful French album.

Tonight is our last night at Iberostar in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic. A week of vacation has flown by. On one hand, I’ll miss the fresh fried eggs for breakfast, the calamari curry for lunch, the grilled lobster for dinner, the exotic fruits, the various desserts, the endless cocktail drinks, the warm beach water and the fun swimming pool. On the other hand, I am getting burned out from chasing after the terrible two that had been known as the little boy who runs all over the property.

With the all-inclusive package, our family, which consists of the four of us, my mother-in-law and the three members from my sister-in-law, didn’t have to worry a thing. Our beds were made when we were having fun on the beach. Our food was ready whenever we were hungry. Above all, what made the experience pleasure were the people. From bartenders to room cleaners to chefs, they made the guests satisfied by being attentive.

For example, the interaction I had with the supervisor at the buffet restaurant left a positive impact. The first night I asked him for some cereals, specifically Fruit Loops, for Dao since he didn’t eat much dinner. I also requested milk for Dan. He gave me a bowl of cereal and a carton of milk to bring back to my room. The next day, I asked him the same thing. Not only he came back with what I asked for yesterday, he also introduced me to one of the chefs. He told me that he would be off the next day and said to tell the chef whatever I needed. When he came back the following day, he asked me if I got what I needed.

With just that one level of personal attention, especially with guests who have children, he made my experience at Iberostar a memorable one. This is my third all-inclusive vacation and each one met my expectation simply from the people in the hotels and resorts. They know exactly how to engage their employees.

Wynton Marsalis expresses his spiritual side through soulful singing, instrumental chanting and New Orleans swinging. Though not as monumental as John Coltrane’s Love Supreme, it has uplifting moments like the exhilarating of “In the Sweet Embrace if Life.”

The Vietjazz Band is a presentation to engage employees. At Vietjazz, we specifically value these nine chops in our colleagues: improvisation, communication, teamwork, flexibility, spontaneous, innovation, honesty, passionate and reliability. To become part of the Vietjazz band, which means to be rewarded or promoted, a Vietjazz employee needs to demonstrate those nine skills.

For the execution, I chose a slide (PowerPoint) format for HR people to use in employee or recruiting presentation. The slides are made up of bold typography set on bright, upbeat colors. For each slide, I selected a serif typeface that communicates each skill set. I had tremendous fun doing research, coming up with the contents and designing the pieces. It’s another great learning experience for my course on Brand Identity Design (AVT 614). Check out the PDF presentation.

For my graduate course on Brand Identity Design (AVT 614), I came up with Vietjazz Records for my project. The reason is obvious. I am passionate about Vietnamese music and jazz and my goal is to connect and advance the two distinctive musical forces. The concept of Vietjazz had been on the back of my mind for a while and I have thought of creating a side project to highlight Vietnamese music sets in jazz arrangements. over the years, I have been collecting these type of tunes and I have over 100 tracks to listen to whenever I am on the road for a long trip.

What piqued my interest in Vietjazz was the first time I heard Tùng Dương’s debut Chạy Chốn. Both the bossa-nova flavor on title track and the country-blues feel on “Trăng Khát” hypnotized me. The way Tùng Dương bent the notes, changed the phrasing and played with the syncopation to get the Vietnamese lyrics to mesh with the jazz sound were quite inventive. On top of that, Trần Mạnh Hùng and Lê Minh Sơn played some of the best jazz and blues solos coming out of the Vietnamese music scene.

As a jazz fan with Vietnamese music in my blood, I love the marriage between the two distinctive musical landscapes and want to explore more in this direction. In my informal research, what I have learned is that most Vietnamese listeners aren’t familiar with the jazz sound. My goal for Vietjazz Records is to produce and promote Vietnamese music with jazz flavors. From signing artists to album concepts to art direction to distribution, Vietjazz will be involved in every aspect of crafting an experience.

Since the target is to reach Vietnamese listeners around the world, the web would be the best medium for the company. The web would give us the limitless possibility to create a true experience. Once the album is set to release, the customers would be able to get it immediate through our web site.

That was my pitch for Vietjazz and my professor approved the concept. During the course, I spent weeks developing the logo. I literally did a hundred variations before we came up with the final version. I am happy with the result. The logo consists of eight vertical bars, which could be interpreted as the piano keys. The slight tilting and offset of each bar conveys spontaneity. All the bars are in blue expect for the green accent on the letter “j” to signify syncopation.

After the logo, the next assignment was to develop the stationery, which included business card, letterhead and envelope. Designing and developing the three applications for the brand were the most fun part of the project. I chose the web site, the mobile app and the vinyl album cover for Vietjazz. Designing the vinyl cover were the most challenging one. I had to paid Goodwill a visit to see a a vinyl record were designed.

Even though I had a blast designing the applications, my favorite assignment for the course was the development of the brand guidelines, which was our final project. I had never done a branding guide before; therefore, I loved the new challenge and I could also pull everything together for a portfolio piece. While all of my classmates chose to do a book, I convinced my professor to let me do a web site. The reason was that my company is primarily online; therefore, it makes much more sense to go with a web version. In addition, the brand guidelines are constantly changing; therefore, the web could be much quicker to update and could save some trees. A third reason would be that people could download and use our logo and templates immediately.

I spent quite a bit of time researching big companies like Apple, Adobe and Facebook to see how they have created their brand guide. I also picked up some great tips from MailChimp and Squarespace. The Vietjazz Brand Guidelines turned out quite well. It’s responsive and intuitive. Even though I had spent quite sleepless nights working on it, I am very proud of the outcome.

The branding class is one of the best courses I have taken at George Mason. The professor is awesome. He has real world experience and his critiques were very constructive most of the time. From our interaction in class, he values simplicity and he is a typographic geek. One of the things that I learned from him in this class is that every design decision has to have a reason. You can’t just pick a color or a typeface simply because it looks right or feels right to you. Especially for a brand, you have to have a reason for it like Tiffany has its distinctive blue, Coca Cola has its red and Starbucks has its green. Overall, this semester has been quite rewarding for me even though I had my moments of stress and anxiety.

Without further ado, I am proud to present the Vietjazz brand guidelines.

Lần đầu nghe Y Phương song ca cùng Nguyên Khang qua một liên khúc Trịnh Công Sơn trong video Asia 53: Bốn Mùa thu hình vào năm 2007, tôi có ấn tượng ngay. Tuy kỹ thuật nén hơi còn kém nhưng cô bắt những nốt cao dể dàng. Còn khi hát thấp, giọng Y Phương có nét dịu dàng tựa Ngọc Lan.

Từ đó tôi thường chú ý những hoạt động của cô. Trong vài video của trung tâm Asia, sự xuất hiện của Y Phương có phảng phất hình bóng Ngọc Lan. Nhưng đến nay Y Phương mới cho ra mắt một sản phẩm đầu tiên do chính cô thu âm chứa đựng nhiều ảnh hưởng và màu sắc của Ngọc Lan.

Với nét hòa âm đơn giản, nhẹ nhàng và sang trọng, Y Phương gợi lại những hình ảnh thời vàng son của Ngọc Lan qua Tình Vẫn Thiết Tha. Album mở đầu với “Chuyện Tình Yêu,” một trong những nhạc phẩm được ưa chuộng của Ngọc Lan. Tiếp theo “Chờ Phone Của Anh” là một bài đã gắn liền với tiếng hát Ngọc Lan. Cả hai Y Phương đều thể hiện rất tốt.

Riêng “Bài Ngợi Ca Tình Yêu” là một trong những nhạc phẩm đã khiến tôi đam mê giọng hát Ngọc Lan. Cho đến bây giờ tôi mới nghe được bản tương đương như vậy. Y Phương đã bỏ ra rất nhiều thời gian để nghe kỹ cách hát của Ngọc Lan trong nhạc phẩm này. Vì cô đã chuyên chở lời ca nhẹ nhàng và điêu luyện. Tuy hình bóng của Ngọc Lan hiện ra rất rỏ nhưng Y Phương có đặc điểm riêng của mình trong đó. Khác với giọng trong trẻo của Ngọc Lan, Y Phương có một chút khàn. Nhà sản xuất cũng nhận ra được điều này nên đã soạn cho Y Phương một lối hòa âm theo nhiệp điệu bossa nova rất nồng nàn và trang nhã.

Từ bài tựa đề, “Yêu Nhau Đi,” “Ngàn Đời Chờ Mong” cho đến “Người Yêu Ơi Giã Từ,” bài nào cũng có sự xuất hiện của Ngọc Lan. Riêng “Người Yêu Nếu Ra Đi” Y Phương muốn tỏ lòng kính trọng đến với thần tượng của mình: “Người yêu nếu ra đi, một hôm nắng lên cao / Xin hãy mang đi theo, cả mây trắng trong veo.” Đến đoạn cuối cô chuyển sang lời Anh, “Please don’t go away.” Như hàng triệu trái tim đã yêu mến Ngọc Lan, Y Phương cũng tiếc thương và không muốn Ngọc Lan ra đi. Cám ơn Y Phương đã đem lại cho những ai hâm mộ Ngọc Lan những kỷ niệm khó quên.

Viết cho iLoveNgocLan.com