From a technical standpoint, Nghi Van is better than most of her peers (young pop singers). Her breath control is nearly flawless, and her bittersweet voice is distinctive enough to stand apart. In Nghi Van Vol.3, her cordial deliveries are compelling on songs with sweet and light-touched emotions, such as Bao Truong’s “Sao Doi Ngoi,” Viet Anh’s “Nhung Con Duong Vang Anh,” and Tran Tien’s “Em Van Nhu Ngay Xua.” On Tuong Van’s “Dem Lao Sao,” Nghi Van and Tuan Hung give the romantic ballad a delicious duet. Their strident quality works marvelously well together. Oh the flip side, she is not expressive enough to make a personal statement like the soulful Ngoc Khue or the sultry Khanh Linh. On Quoc Bao’s “Dem Hoa,” the bossa-nova piano solo is more riveting than her vocal performance. Even though there is room for improvement, the album is still outstanding. Maybe she just needs more drama (not the kind of Nguyen Hong Nhung’s drama though) to reach deeper into the music.

In contrast to Nghi Van, Hong Hanh articulates her sentiment quite well on her latest album, Canh Nau Trong Dem. She refreshes Nguyen Anh 9’s composition, “Mua Thu Canh Nau,” with a heartfelt delivery over the blues-inflected groove. She also revives Trong Kien’s “Got Chan Phieu Du” with a Latin-jazz rendition. With flows reminiscent of My Le, Hong Hanh gives romantic ballads, including Quoc An’s “Vang Trang Ky Niem,” Minh Khang’s “Danh Roi Tinh Yeu” and “Dong Song Khong Troi,” some sweet sensations. In fact, the album is perfect for the young and in-love (or out-of-love) listeners, despite a few banal tunes were included.

When Macromedia announces its new Studio 8, the major buzz is on Flash. Fortunately, Dreamweaver also makes a fantastic release. The obvious improvement is CSS rendering in the design view. Complex CSS layouts look much closer to browsers than the previous release. In the code view, which I use the most, Macromedia finally included the “Code Collapse” features to help designers organize their codes. In addition to the faster performances in the background (site cache and FTP), the new “Tabbed Window” (like Firefox and Safari) is a tremendous enhancement to the workflow. Dreamweaver 8 is definitely worth upgrading.

Any ragtime lovers in here? Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” is one of my favorite rag pieces. Joplin plays it the way he wrote it; therefore, the timing is perfect and the tone is crisp.

Quang Ly only covers materials that he can fully convey. As a result, almost any song he performed hits the mark. I like the way a Visualgui.com commenter describes Quang Ly: “He’s handsome, neat, nice, but a bit picky in choosing his repertoires.” From looking at his most current photo (found on the web), he sure is a fine gentleman at the age of fifty-four. I have never met him before, so I don’t know how nice or neat he is, but based on his Noi Nho Mua Dong, he is definitely meticulous in his song selections. With a list of compositions from highly respected songwriters such as Trinh Cong Son, Phu Quang, Doan Chuan and Tu Linh, Quang Ly revives these timeless tunes with his unmistakable sensitivity.

Quang Ly’s distinctiveness is in his relaxed and imaginative presentation. In the album-opener “Ha Noi Dem Tro Gio” (poem by Chu Lai and music by Trong Dai), he paints Ha Noi’s musical landscapes with his pure and passionate vocals. When he croons, “Ha Noi oi, ta nho khong quen / Ha Noi oi, trong trai tim ta” (“Oh Ha Noi, I always remember (and never forget) / Oh Ha Noi, you’ve always in my heart”), his unequivocal delivery shows he means every word he says. In addition, the gorgeous, smooth-toned saxophone solo gives the composition an aesthetic enhancement. Trinh Cong Son’s “Doan Khuc Thu Ha Noi” is another mesmerizing composition that is filled with Ha Noi’s luxurious details. Despite how many singers have tackled Trinh’s music, Quang Ly’s take on Trinh’s work is as fresh and invigorating as it was upon first relinquish. His calm and unadorned phrasing transports every bar with breathless ease. Elsewhere, he sings with tremendous sentiment, over the simple but soulful arrangement, to accentuate the lyrics in “Thuyen va Bien” (poem by Xuan Quynh and music by Phan Huynh Dieu), but the effortlessness is still under control. This is a technique that not too many singers can accomplish; yet Quang Ly mastered it.

Noi Nho Mua Dong is an album that makes every track counts. There is no wasted space on the record. From the title track (poem by Thoa Phuong and music by Phu Quang), Tran Tien’s “Toc Gio Thoi Bay,” Phan Huynh Dieu’s “Thu Tinh Cuoi Mua Thu,” Pham Trong Cau’s “Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai” to Doan Chuan and Tu Linh’s “Goi Gio Cho May Ngan Bay,” Quang Ly gives unforgettable performances one after another. However, he could have not done it without the hands of the skillful producers who laid down elegant and ingenious arrangements to match up with his voice. If singers were picky in choosing the right music to fit their voice, it is highly recommended that they do so to bring listeners a tight set – song for song – recordings.

“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.

In Hillman Curtis on Creating Short Films for the Web, New York-based Web/motion designer Hillman Curtis reveals his DIY (Do It Yourself) digital video production. With nine short projects—produced exclusively for the web—ranging from designers’ documentary, portrait and music video, to short movie, Curtis shares his experimental approaches to filmmaking: how a movie or a song inspires his vision; how he comes up with a concept; how he learns from his mistakes.

Curtis is not only an exceptional designer, but also a fine writer. Even though he touches briefly on technical notes (equipment acquiring, lighting, directing, editing, and interviewing) here and there, the heart and soul of Creating Short Films is behind the thinking process. This is where his ingenious writing comes in. He knows how to float his words on the page, and his style is captivating. Take the following paragraph for example:

Like most of Mogwai’s songs, “Sine Wave” starts low and mellow, and then builds to a dissonant crescendo. It consists of a warm, basic chord progression on a keyboard, coupled with a static, harsh percussion track. In fact, the song sounds just like James Victore’s work looks: stark, dissonant, and above all, beautiful. Victore’s work, like the Mogwai song, consists of just a few strokes that, taken collectively, build on one another to covey powerful, often jarring messages. Like Fellini’s film, the song gave my imagination a jumpstart, setting me back on track.

The language is beautiful and Curtis’s honesty is delivered. Not too many designers (especially those who are highly respected) would write about a project that has failed miserably. In the making of Superdrag’s “The Staggering Genius” music video, Curtis not only explains why his concept didn’t work, but also admits his failures (something most designers have a hard time dealing with).

For those who seek to go into filmmaking, Creating Short Films is an invaluable text to initiate your experimentation, to learn the process, and to build up your confidence. Even if you have never shoot a film before, this book will motivate and encourage you to pick up the camera. With his openness to a personal level, Curtis has crafted an enjoyable book to be read from cover to cover.

When I am about to be brainwashed by meaningless lyrics from young and trendy songwriters, Hoang Viet Khanh comes to resuscitate. In Tinh Khuc Hoang Viet Khanh, which featured ten of his selected ballads, he has me paid attention to his every word because the music is filled with poetic aesthetics. In fact, his compositions could be read like poems without musical notes.

The first time I was struck by “Cho Xuan,” the image of a mother, waiting spring after spring for her son to return, never escapes my mind. Backed up by the soul-stirring orchestral arrangement from Luan Hoang (HVK’s younger brother who is responsible for the production of the album), Trinh Vinh Trinh gives one of her finest performances. Her bona fide delivery aerates the song. When she blazes the chorus, the smoke of the burning golden leafs is visible.

Beside TVT, Cam Van is no less expressive in her poignant rendition of “Goc Nay Cua Em.” The scabrous bite in her voice thickens the emotional narrative of a parentless child being lonely in the cold corner of an empty street. Accompanied by Thanh Huy’s strumming guitar, she sings with so much soul that we could almost hear the cries in her voice. She has placed herself in HVK’s genuine lyrical content, and performs as if she has lived the character’s life.

Although Ngoc Anh is younger than Cam Van, she has a stickier (not necessarily better) gravel quality in her voice. With a razor-sharp emotional expression, she gives a nostalgic presentation of “Dong Song va Tinh Toi,” a river that is filled with HVK’s childhood recollections. Her duet with Quang Minh on “Tim Toi” is a strange combination. Unfortunately, his sweet voice doesn’t blend right with her densed timbre.

Quang Ly and My Dung are the two vocalists I’ve heard of for the first time, yet their indelible contributions attract me. With his pitch-perfect vocals combined with his sinuous phrasings, Quang Ly gives “Bong Dang” and “Ngay Xua Yeu Dau” (HVK’s first composition written when he was eighteen) exotic tinctures. My Dung also delivers a ravishing recitation of “Nho Ve Da Lat.”

Unlike today’s popular hits, HVK’s music takes time to assimilate. Each song requires personal attention, and best to be experienced in an intimate atmosphere. What makes HVK a fine musician is that he is both a composer and lyricist. The combination gives singers a solid understanding of his music for their individual interpretations; therefore, they are capable of expressing his art to its fullest potential.