Anh Tuyet has a superb soprano and she could hit a G6 with ease, but her alto is even more hypnotic. When she reaches a G3, her voice gets slightly raspy. In a double-disc Anh Tuyet Hat Trinh Cong Son, some of her mesmerizing interpretation of Trinh’s compositions are the jazz-inflected arrangements in the low register.

Using her alto tone, Anh Tuyet intoxicates “Phuc Am Buon” with a bluesy rendition. The saxman has done a marvelous job of accompanying behind her rather than in front of her. Likewise, the subtle sax phrases on “Xin Mat Troi Ngu Yen” enhance the vocals. The comping piano and heartfelt alto remind me of Khanh Ly’s pre-1975 records, particularly “Dau Chan Dia Dang.” The blues fits well with “Vet Lan Tram” and Anh Tuyet’s low tone is so damn soulful that I wish she stays in that range.

In “Hay Khoc Di Em,” she switches back to her soaring soprano, which is a bit above the comfort level. The semi-classical guitar work on “Nhu Canh Vac Bay” is pretty nice, but again her high pitch is a bit too much to bear. The good thing is that only a few tracks get the soprano treatment. “Xin Tra No Nguoi,” “Diem Xua,” “Uot Mi” and Tinh Xa” are sung in low range with simple arrangements. The results are intimate and personal. Trinh’s aficionado would be pleased with this double set. Anh Tuyet has done Trinh’s music the justice in both vocal delivery and music arrangement.

Let’s make it official. I am now a huge fan of Quang Dung. His new release, Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, moved me. Sure, he covered heart-breaking ballads throughout his career, but never as convincing as he does on this album. Each tune shows that the divorce has taken a deep impact on his life.

The key success of Tinh Bong Choc La Khong is its target audience. Quang Dung sings these eleven tracks to nobody but Jennifer Pham, his ex-wife. Right off the opening track, Pham Duy’s “Yeu La Chet Trong Long,” Quang Dung croons like a bird with a broken wing. He means every word when he phrases, “Du toi khong muon tin la het / Tinh yeu nhu la theo mua chet.” Damn, that is some painful shit.

In Tram Tu Thieng’s “Hoi Tiec,” Quang Dung sings and swallows his tears at the same time. He’s already showing his regrets about the split up. Quang Dung’s rendition of Dieu Huong’s “Noi Buon Con Lai,” puts Quoc Khanh’s fake drama to shame with his effortlessness. One can hear his sadness and honesty without being screamed at.

In “Cho Nguoi,” “Tram Nho Ngan Thuong” and “Nhu Giac Chim Bao,” Quang Dung delivers Lam Phuong’s songs with a strong connection, like he could feel what Lam Phuong had gone through with his divorce. Quang Dung’s song choices, including Dieu Huong’s title track and Do Le’s “Tinh Phu,” are so spot on that he has singlehandedly crafted a broken-marriage anthem. If your husband or wife has just left your ass, this album is for you. I am going to buy me an extra copy and lock it in a vault just in case I might need it later on. Hey, you never know.

Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, in my personal opinion, is Quang Dung’s best work to date and Jennifer is the one to thank. She deserves all the credits. In fact, the album cover should say something like, “Album concept inspired by Jennifer Pham.” If I were her right now, I would take him back after listening to this album. Who wouldn’t? Unless you’re a heartless bitch.

Besides Miles Davis, Clifford Brown is my other favorite jazz trumpeter. Unlike Miles’s work, which I have an extensive collection, I only own three Brownie’s albums, but I keep revisiting them again and again. His crisp, melodic phrasing and big, bright tone mesmerize me every time. Unfortunately Brownie didn’t make much recordings because he was killed in a car accident when he was only twenty-five.

Also unlike Miles, whose music and life had been documented in great lengths, Brownie only has one major biography. Nick Catalano’s Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter is a short, but well-researched text on the jazz trumpet giant. From his childhood development to his beautiful personality to his virtuosity, readers can see how Brownie became one of the most influential trumpeters in the world of jazz. Catalano’s analysis of the Brown-Roach-Rollins collaboration is a must read.

Why Responsive Web Design? Ethan Marcotte explains:

As the past few years have shown us, we simply can’t compete with the pace of technology. Are we really going to create a custom experience for every new browser or device that appears?

The alternative is to make web site responses to the users’ device using three core ingredients:

1. A flexible, grid-based layout,
2. Flexible images and media, and
3. Media queries, a module from the CSS3 specification.

With clear illustrations and concise explanations, the three chapters covering the techniques alone can prepare readers to start making responsive web sites, but the equally delightful part of the book is to hear Marcotte’s views on “Becoming Responsive,” responses to the critics and insights on “mobile first” approach. An immediate-read for web designers.

Out of the three Clifford Brown’s albums I possess, I revisit quite often his live recordings with Art Blakey and Max Roach for energetic hard bop drives. The Jazz ‘Round Midnight collection, on the other hand, is for after-hour relaxation. Whether accompanying a vocalist or soloing with an orchestra, Brownie’s clear, rich tone brings out the beauty of ballad. His heart-rending rendition of “Willow Weep for Me, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “(I don’t stand a) Ghost of a Chance” makes this set suitable for easy but soulful listening.

Responsive Web Design by Ethan Marcotte: I haven’t read this book yet and can’t wait to get my hands on it. I also predict that I’ll re-read this book more than once.

The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia: I read the first edition back in 2005. I have been wanting to re-read it, but keep pushing it off. The second edition just came out so it is a good time for a revisit.

The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst: I read this book 2 times already, but still wanting to return to it every one or two years.

Designing Type by Karen Cheng: This book has so much technical details on typography that a second and third read is required.

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan: Read this book on my vacation, but a second read is necessary.

DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model by Jeremy Keith, Jeffrey Sambells: Like The Definitive Guide, this book definitely needs a revisit.

Ordering Disorder by Khoi Vinh: Although this book is a quick read, the thinking behind the grid needs to be read again carefully.

Cu Dao and his mama are now inseparable. If she’s not in sight, he would ask for her even if she has to go to the bathroom. On Monday, she was in the kitchen cooking and he was in the living room, which was about three feet from her, and yet he still asked, “Daddy, mmmmmommy dau roi?” [Where is mommy?]. He has been stuttering just for the heck of it. I pointed to him where his mommy was, but he kept on asking repeatedly as some sort of a game. So I played along. I asked him, “Cccccccu Dao dau roi?” [Where is Cu Dao?]. He pointed to his private part and said “Ccccccu Dao day ne.” [Here’s my penis]. That was not what I meant, but technically he was right.

No one can do Ray Charles like brother Ray himself, not even with the three superstars, Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis and Norah Jones, came together.

Listening to Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles makes me want to return to The Birth of the Soul box set. Brother Ray brought so much soul into his songs that Willie Nelson’s laid-back style came across as plain lazy. “Hit the Road Jack” and “Busted” for example, Ray sang with so much anguish that you can feel his pain, even though the lyrics suggested otherwise, whereas Nelson just sounded worn out. On “What’d I Say,” Ray’s moaning part was so damn seductive whereas Nelson’s “heys” and “hos” sounded like he needed some viagra to get it up, and Marsalis should stick to the trumpet rather than trying to micmic Ray.

Norah Jones’s version of “Come Rain or Come Shine” was soothing and Marsalis’s solo added a touch of tenderness to the tune. While the vocals are lackluster, Here We Go Again has enjoyable moments thanks to Marsalis’s traditional-but-sensational arrangement.

Nguyen Hong Nhung’s latest release, Duong Nhu, displays her maturity in handling classic ballads. From Cung Tien’s “Hoai Cam” to Pham Duy’s “Nghin Trung Xa Cach” to Trinh Cong Son’s “Ru Em Tung Ngon Xuan Nong,” she delivers each song with soulfulness and tastefulness, but still lacking the uniqueness. Because these timeless tunes have been sung to death from generation to generation, they need to be reinvigorated. Singing them straight on the melody just won’t cut it.

The strength of the album isn’t from the classic covers, but from Mai Thanh Son’s compositions. “Duong Nhu” and “Nghiet Nga” blend surprisingly well with the rest of the tracks on the album despite they are written by a young musician. “Duong Nhu” is captivating thanks to the little bluesy keyboard licks in the arrangement. Mai Thanh Son has not only done a wonderful job of producing it, he has also done an excellent of penning the lyrics. “Nghiet Nga” is also well written. The lyrics and the melody are far better than today’s trendy pop tunes.

When Mai Thanh Son appeared on Asia’s stage singing well-known English tunes, I couldn’t figure out why Asia took him under its wing. His weak, virgin voice doesn’t stand out, but now I can see where his real talent is. He is a fantastic arranger, which I had noticed when he produced some tracks for Nguyen Khang’s show. Now his tunes on Nguyen Hong Nhung’s album make me interested in his work behind the scene more than in front of the camera and on the mic. The good thing is that he lets Nguyen Hong Nhung sings his songs. Listening to both of his and her version of “Nghiet Nga,” one can clearly tell that Nguyen Hong Nhung kicked the tune up a notch.

Before heading out to Wildwood last week, we stopped by Super H Mart to pick up some greens. Dao and I went sampling the foods while Dana did the shopping. At the check out, I was like, “Damn, we spent $120 on vegetables and fruits?” Dana gave me that stop-being-a-cheap-ass impression. So I just let Dao swiped my credit card, something he loves to do when we go shopping, and brought the bags to the car.

Later on that night, Dana checked the receipt and found out that we paid for 22 cantaloups instead of 2. No wonder the total was so high and I was the one to blame again. I suspected the amount, but didn’t bother to check the receipt. Whenever I went shopping with my mom, she would make me check every item to make sure they charged the right amount. Sometimes a couple of bucks were overcharged, but I don’t mind. It’s just not worth waiting in line to explain about a couple of dollars, but the different between 2 and 22 were tremendous.

Yesterday we went back to the store for more groceries. I told Dana to give me the receipt and see if we could get the refund. I didn’t really expect to get our money back because I had no proof. Lucky for me, the customer service rep was a young man who spoke fluent English. I showed him the receipt and explained the error. He got it immediately and apologized for the mistake. I told him, “There was no way I could carry 22 cantaloups into my car.” We laughed and he issued a refund.

Lesson learned: check everything before leaving the store.