With Never Stop, The Bad Plus, which made up of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson, and drummer David King, proves that the trio can write its own tunes just as well as reinterpreting others. “The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart” opens the album with an invigorating jazz-classical improvisation that is filled with harmonic intensity and complexity. The title track, however, takes a different turn toward pop. The melody is catchy as hell even without a hook to rely on. Over Iverson’s and King’s the big, groovy beat, Anderson plays some infectious ostinatos reminiscing of Thelonious Monk. The slow pieces, “People Like You” and “Bill Hickman at Home,” find the trio digs deep into their compositions, creativities and souls. The brief “Super America” joyfully closes out the album, yet one would hope that the record would never stop.

Also worth watching: The Bad Plus at the Rosslyn Jazz Festival 2010.

In its new release, Rubber Soulive, the funkified trio, which made up of organist Neal Evans, drummer Alan Evans and guitarist Eric Krasno, gives the Beatles’ tunes a fresh soul-jazz makeover. All songs are short and instantly recognizable. The group strips down the sound and keeps the melody intact. On “Something,” Krasno literally sings the lyrics with his soulful guitar. While “Drive My Car” gets a funk-up groove, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” gets a rock, bluesy vibe. Rubber Soulive is a tasteful treatment of the Beatles’ classics.

A customer purchased a very special piece on Simplexpression for her co-worker. She wrote, “This will bring out her beautiful green eyes. She’s gone through a lot lately so I want to give her something nice to cheer her up.” I thought that is one of the most thoughtful things a friend could do for a friend. I admit I don’t know much about necklaces, but something the lotus flower and the green jade bring peace and tranquillity. I do hope that Dana’s work would lightened someone’s spirit, especially during the difficult time.

By the way, the customer was experiencing some issue with PayPal. Her transaction didn’t go through. I tested it out by purchasing my own product and it worked. If you’re buy something and the transaction doesn’t go through, please let us know.

Nguyen Khang is married to Lam Bao Nhu. I haven’t heard of her yet, but she’s beautiful. Congrats, man. Tell her that she is married to you, but I am still married to your voice.

Last Saturday evening, Eric wanted to go to McDonald’s. When I told him no, he responded, “If you don’t take me to McDonald’s, you’re not my uncle.” I was totally shocked. Can you believe this? My little nephew would severe off all ties with me over McDonald’s. I didn’t know if I should cry or laugh, but one thing I know for sure: Dao will be kept away from McDonald’s as much as possible. I don’t want to hear, “You’re not my daddy if you don’t take me to McDonald’s.”

To capture the true essence of flamenco, renowned bassist Dave Holland who accompanied Miles Davis in his electric period knows that he needs to get inside the music. In learning from and collaborating with guitarist Pepe Habichuela, the master of the flamenco, Holland accomplished his mission: bringing his own voice to the music but with a deeper understanding of the flamenco’s language. Hands is a result of Holland’s appreciation for the music and the mutual respect between Holland and Habichuela.

“Bailaor (Seguiriya Cabal),” the longest and most captivating piece on the album, showcases Holland’s profound rhythmic and melodic sensibility and Habichuela’s effortless, expressive techniques that one can tell the man lives and breathes the flamenco. The intensity and connectivity in the way the two men complement each other on “Camaron (Taranta)” sound as if two Gypsies were in the house. Aside from Holland’s tuneful Latin-jazz flavors (“The Whirling Dervish” and “Joyride”), which accompanied by the Carmona clan, the eight masterpieces written by Habichuela are pure traditional flamenco masterpieces.

My thanks to those who had made purchases on Amazon’s Black Friday Deals through my affiliation. Amazon continues to add more deals for Cyber Monday; therefore, you can still shop and support Visualgui.

In addition to turkey, liquor, coffee and dozens of Dunkin’ Donuts, my in-laws spent some Thanksgiving time watching Van Son 45 In Minnesota. Although Huyen Thoai was just another typical theme from Van Son production, I enjoyed a few performances.

Trieu Minh, in particular, was a nice discovery. She started off with a gray suite with just a black bra underneath. By the time she reached the break, the jack went off. Even though she took on a forgettable pop song, her powerful, slightly gruff voice and a killer body are unforgettable. In the close-out number, “Huyen Thoai Nguoi Con Gai,” she blew out both the doll-like Cat Tien and the Chinese-inflected Linda Chou. Her voice was more superior than her veteran partners.

Entertainingly speaking, I found Nguyen Huy, the Michael Jackson impersonator, to be fun to watch. Sure, his voice was still somewhat annoying, but his singing had been improved tremendously. Sure, he was copying MJ move for move, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Le Nhat Minh’s bluesy version of Trinh Cong Son’s “Mot Coi Di Ve” was not so bad, especially in comparison to his brother’s dance-pop “Honey, Honey.” While Ngoc Ha’s vocals was superb on Duy Khanh’s “Dem Bo Vo,” the whole Japanese arrangement and choreography just killed the Vietnamese folksy aesthetic.

The opening animation that led to Don Ho and Hoang Thuc Linh’s “Dua Em Tim Dong Hoa Vang” was striking. I suspect Don Ho was the man behind that creation. Once again, Don Ho had done a marvelous job of complement his female counterpart. As a whole, Huyen Thoai was much more relishable than Van Son previous releases.

We just rolled out 17 new items on Simplexpression. On the necklace’s detailed pages, we added a display photo to give customers an idea how the piece look on their neck. In addition to free shipping, we also offer complimentary gift-wrapping.

Ngoc Quynh is a smart singer who makes wise choices. She not only knows her own voice, but she also knows how to choose songs and arrangements that complement her vocals. She has a sweet, sensual voice; therefore, she needs some lush, mellow orchestrations to back her up. On her new release, Cho Nguoi, she enlisted Duy Cuong (who is responsible for seven out of ten tracks) and Kim Tuan for the job and the result is a superb album for late-night relaxation.

Cho Nguoi begins with the title track by Lam Phuong. Duy Cuong’s sensational semi-classical orchestration sets off the mood allowing Ngoc Quynh to deliver the solitude and sadness of a homeless woman waiting for her lover in the middle of winter nights. Likewise, her version of “Mot Minh” (also by Lam Phuong) is soulful and intimate with the support of Kim Tuan’s gorgeous piano. The loneliness in her voice came through without being over-sentimental.

On Ngo Thuy Mien’s “Trong Noi Nho Muon Mang,” Ngoc Quynh sings like a wounded songbird, but she skillfully coveys pain without screaming on top of her lung like most inexperienced singers these days. Her duet with Tuan Ngoc on Le Uyen Phuong’s “Cho Lan Cuoi” is a wonderful collaboration. They complement each other’s phrasing while maneavering their way around the swaying bossa nova rhythm.

While the current Vietnamese pop market is saturated with covering old songs, Cho Nguoi takes on a tasteful approach. Although Ngoc Quynh doesn’t give these timeless tunes a new life, she has done a marvelous job of paying respect to the songwriters.