Thelonious Monk had a remarkable use of rubato on the piano. His style, which based on stride tradition, was full of angularity, intentional fractured, heavily into the beat, and way outside of bebop standards. Monk favored the flatted fifths and preferred his sound to be clotted with alter chords. A perfect example of his stylistic tick is on “Epistrophy,” a strange performance in which he demonstrated his downward-scale signature. “Blue Monk” is another brilliant piece showcases Monk’s idiosyncratic timbre and bizarre rhythmic structure. His solo performance on “Don’t Blame Me” illustrates his disruptive but exquisite cascading scale. I have an unrequited love for solo piano, and I can just listen to Thelonious Himself all day, especially “Round Midnight.”

Don Ho is back. Wait, he has never left the building. My man just takes a long time to drop his album. He’s the do-it-yourself type of guy who wants to be involved in every step of the production. The hard part is that he has to do all the work from CD design to studio recording to distribution. The rewarding part is the creative freedom. And the best part is that he knows what it takes to put out an outstanding album.

With the newest release of Vi Do La Em, Don Ho proves, once again, to be the exceptional singer of his generation. By focusing only on Dieu Huong’s ballads, he learns how her lyrics should be interpreted, as well as how to transform her songs into his personal statement. Whether he sings about “Giong Le Kho,” begs his partner to stay in “O Lai Ta Di,” drenches his soul into “Khac Khoai,” reflects to love in “Chi Co Mot Thoi,” or expresses his career in “Lang Nhin Ta Thoi,” he hits their emotional forces dead on, as if his life is connected to the words. And his candor is seductive.

Ironically, the title track is one out of the two weakest performances on the album. Not because he couldn’t sing it well, but the tune has been covered way too many times, and he has tried way too hard to makes it stands out. The remaining pathetic track is “Vu Tru Cua Anh.” Dieu Huong’s space-love analogies don’t quite work. The upbeat production is banal, and Don’s Spanish counting isn’t cute either.

Despite the minor misses, Vi Do La Em marks one of Don Ho’s finest works up to date. Although his dark, slightly gruff voice is captivating, what heighten his flow and delivery are the soulful, lustful musical productions. With both vocal artistry and musical wizardry weaving into one, Dieu Huong’s compositions have been given a fresh and sensuous vibe.

Glad you have picked up Mingus Ah Um, one of Mingus’s inventive joints. You can reassure that you won’t suffer any remorse from it. There is an important missing detail, however, in “Fables Of Faubus.” Columbia Records dropped out the words, and I’ll let you find out why. Mingus then re-recorded the piece with the lyrics included. So here is the “Original Faubus Fables” from Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. You’ll see the huge difference between the two. Of course, you have to pay attention to Mingus’s solo, but Ted Curson’s trumpet growling and Eric Dolphy’s sax shrieking are full of trills and arpeggios. Can’t get enough of that little baby-whining noise Dolphy made at the end. It’s just hilarious every time I listen to it. Mingus’s little speech in the begining, in which he talked to his imagined audience, is witty as well.

When it comes to the double bass player, Charles Mingus is still my main man. His conversational and pianistic approaches have allowed me to see that the bass could do much more than accomplishing the rhythm section. Colors, textures, and deep emotions could be heard in Mingus’s bass line solo. Mingus was eminent for his inventive blend of blues, gospel, and New Orleans sound. One of my favorite blues pieces is his dedication to saxophonist Lester Young entitled, “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” The composition is filled with unusual, substitute, unexpected chords.

Billie Holiday’s “Come Rain Or Come Shine.”

I’m gonna love you like nobody’s loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain and deep as a river
Come rain or come shine.

The days may be cloudy or sunny
We’re in or out of the money
But I’m with you always
I’m with you rain or shine.

Keep your head up, my Lady D!

They seem uncongenial. Duc Tuan is a soulful ballad crooner while Ho Ngoc Ha is an r&b/pop chick. Yet, their collaborative effort on Ao Anh testifies that opposites can amalgamate. Despite their creative differences, they both have a unique style of covering standards and an appreciation for jazz that allow them to come in the studio together. They know how to make old tunes sound modern, and they have proved themselves in his Doi Mat Nguoi Son Tay and her Va Em Da Yeu.

Unlike Bang Kieu and Minh Tuyet, Duc Tuan’s clear, high tenor works like lotion on skin with Ho Ngoc Ha’s smoky, low contralto. Their duet rendition of “Ao Anh” is a fusion of soul and sex. Even though Ho Ngoc Ha has a limited range, she knows how to work with her limitation and turns it into her advantage. In “Buon,” her raspy voice is so damn erotic weaving in and out of the bossa-nova orchestration. Even on the playful “Dem Do Thi,” she could maneuver her vocals to fit the happy, shining arrangement. And for Duc Tuan, he gives “Sang Ngang” a heartfelt rendition by floating his charming voice over the keyboard licks and delicate brushworks. By swaggering along side with the slick swing in “Ghen,” he proves to be a versatile singer.

What makes Ao Anh works is the simplicity in both productions and performances. The crisp, clean, and simple arrangements play a major role in resuscitating old-school ballads. If you’re looking for hardcore jazz with scatting, improvisation, and complex syncopation, this is not your cup of tea. If you want to enjoy old tunes with a touch of jazz, however, this album will do the trick. Ao Anh is the sauciest, juiciest cover of standards I have heard so far.

While going through my Monday morning doses, I come across a brief but thoughtful post on Visual Gui from no other than the young, intelligent, and incredibly beautiful Diem Thuyen whose writing I have admired and musical taste I can connect with. Thanks for the love and support, lil sis! Keep rockin’ them traditional long dresses! You are blazin’ in them!

Went to see Kevin Mahogany last Saturday in the good old Rosendale Theatre for the Jazz in the Valley series and I was blown away by his vocals and his trio. With a warm, charming, baritone voice, Mahogany maneuvered in and out of his savory rhythm section with an effortless grace. And man, can the brother scat? His rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Taking the A Train” is like the male version of Ella Fitzgerald in term of versatility in vocal range and manipulation. I went crazy when he imitated the bass sound and interacted with his young, and talented bass player. The most exhilarating part of the concert was when he made beatbox and and drummer had to repeat what he just improvised. His pianist is not only a virtuosi player, but a damn fine babe too (you don’t get to see a blondie with that kind of talent too often). She simply took my breath away with her gorgeous solos, especially when she’s all into it. Sorry I can’t recall the name of his players, but if you get a chance to see Mahogany and his musicians, you’ll be a for a real good time. He has a sense of humor too. The man with such a fabulous voice deserves the compliment from Newsweek as “the standout vocalist of his generation.”

In the August issue of BN Magazine, which could be read online at their Web site, Michelle Man gets up close and personal with an Vietnamese-French adult entertainer in “Katsumi: From Schoolgirl to Pornstar” (p.120). When Man asked, “What does sex mean to you?” Katsumi replied, “Sex is like food for me. It feeds me, it gives me pleasure, it’s always the discovery of new tastes, good or bad…” Is it just me or only pornstar thinks that sex is like food? Don’t give me wrong, I love sex. But if I have a choice between raw oysters and the punannies, I am going for the seafood. Shit, I might consider the second choice if it is spiced up with hot sauce, but I ain’t eating it raw, baby. How the fuck do you discover new tastes from sex? His saugage is a bit salty? How disgusting is that?

The redesign of Campus Life Office has just rolled off my G5. Fresh and clean is the key.