I hadn’t heard of Niia before, but I was immediately onboard when I gave her newest album, V, a spin. Right off the opening track, which titled “fucking happy,” she sweeps me off my feet. With her sexy and smoky vocals, she tells it like it is: If you see me at El Coyote with your drink / Leave me alone / These days I’m fucking happy / I deserve this / Yeah I earned it.” The jazz vibe and the big-ass beat are as forceful as her warning. She continues, “And I don’t know how long this streak will last / So don’t fuck with me.”

Niia is not to be fucked with, but then she can fuck with your mind: “Oh just touch it baby / Feels so incredible / With you deep inside me / I just wanna melt ohh.” Backing up by the thumbing bass and driving drums in “Pianos and Great Danes,” she seduces in a depressing way, “I just need it / Kill my mind / That’s good like that / Baby we can do it right now.”

Niia got the blues as well, but in her own way. I love the distorted electric guitar on “Maria in Blue.” Niia addresses her ex-lover, “You could have been the answer / You could have been my god / But now you’re just a problem / Cause my life has to go on.” She breaks down, “Don’t cry for me / Don’t feel bad / Why’s it still so hard to choose what’s right for me?” Then comes the killer bars, “The world see only beauty and pride / What fucking a haul a crawl inside this endless mall.”

With Niia’s own touch of jazz combined with hip-hop beats and electric fusion, V is fucking fantastic. I am feeling it, especially with a few glasses of Macallan Rare Cask.

In the summer of 1999, I interned at the Trump Marina. Yes, one of the casinos that Trump bankrupted. I was in the advertising department with nothing to do. My supervisor didn’t give me any work; therefore, I walked around the casino looking at the posters. I still remember a particular singer because he has a funny name. I must confess, however, I still don’t know why Boz Scaggs sounded funny to me at the time. Somehow his name is always in the back of my mind, but I had not listened to his music until recently when I came across his new album, Detour, on Spotify.

Even in his early 80s, Scaggs has such a charming voice and years of experience come through in his phrasing. In the album opener, “It’s Raining,” he sings his heart out without breaking a sweat. Accompanied by pianist Seth Asarnow, he croons, “I’ve got the blues so bad / I could hardly catch my breath.” Then he went on, “The harder it rains, the worst it gets / This is the time I’d love to be holding you tight.” I just love the way he emphasizes “you.”

“The Very Thought of You” is a Johnny Fucking Hartman tune in my book, but Scaggs brings a much different vibe to it. His interpretation is slower and he injects more emotions in his phrasing. Whereas Hartman’s version is so romantic, Scagg’s version injects some pain into it. I love how he stretches out the letter “o” in “The little o…rdinary things that everyone ought to do.”

With “Once I Loved,” the guitar holds down the bossa nova rhythm and the piano accompanies his voice. He sings with such tenderness with lines like, “Then one day from my infinite sadness / You came and brought me love again.” He means every word when he sings, “Because love is the saddest thing / When it goes away.”

I had to pour out some whisky to listen to his interpretation of the Great American Songbook. Boz Scaggs is a hell of a blues singer and his attention to the lyrics makes him a master of interpretation. I am reaching for Detour like reaching for a glass of Aberlour A’bunadh when it is too darn cold outside.

Kate Kortum is only in her early 20s and yet her voice reminds me of the great late Lena Horne, particularly her reinterpretation of “Love Me or Leave Me,” in which she sings at double time and swings like hell too. I just discovered her sophomore release, Wild Woman, and I am digging it. The album kicks off with the Cuban-flavor intro, in which Kortum welcomes listeners into the favorite corner of her mind: “The sweet and inviting sound of my voice / The sweet solitary thoughts of my mind.”

On “Lucky to Be Me,” Kortum flips the scripts on Tony Bennett and Bill Evans’ ballad. She swings hard and I love the way she sings the bridge, “I am simply thunderstruck / At this change in my luck / Knew at once I wanted you / Never dreamed you’d want me too.” With “I Feel Pretty,” she turns the “West Side Story” tune into a swing number and you can feel the sarcasm in her singing: “I feel charming / Oh, so charming / It’s alarming how charming I feel / And so pretty / That I hardly can believe I’m real.”

When not giving a new twist to old standards, she sings her own songs. “Little Lullaby Lucy” is a hypnotic piece, particularly with the dope-ass double bass tone and her sensational scatting skills. “Obsession” is another original, in which she is backed by a lust orchestra. It’s such a splendid bluesy broadway piece.

Wild Woman is a lovely jazz-singing album to be enjoyed at this time of the year. I am dealing with so much stress recently and I just can’t wait to escape to the snowy mountains to ski, ride, and listen to jazz.

When Đán and Xuân first started piano lessons three years ago, we didn’t know if they would commit to it. We didn’t buy a piano. We hauled a free electric one from a family down a few blocks from us. The piano was made in Korea; therefore, everything was written in Korean. It needed a giant electric converter that was heavy and as big as a shoebox.

Both Đán and Xuân played well in the beginning. They picked up quickly and played “Ode to Joy” beautifully. Then the novelty wore off and they started to drag their fingers. They didn’t bother to practice. They took three to four weeks to play one tune. They refused to perform at the recital.

Ðán blamed his setback on the piano. He complained that the pedals weren’t working and some of the keys didn’t produce any sound. He wanted a real acoustic piano, not an electric one. I told him the story of one of the renowned Vietnamese composers and songwriters. When he was learning to play piano, his family couldn’t afford one. He drew the keys on cardboards and played with the sounds in his head. If Nguyễn Ánh 9 managed to do that and became one of Vietnamese beloved musicians, Trương Công Đán can do that too if he puts his heart into it.

Every time Đán asked for a new piano, I would repeat that story. We did that for almost a year. I wanted to know if he would continue to take piano lessons or if would just quit like the rest of the activities he started and gave up. Even though he didn’t want to perform due to stage fright, he continued to take lessons. We had several conversations about it and he convinced me that piano lessons were a way for him to relax. He wanted to play for himself instead of for others. I was cool with it. I no longer required him to perform. I don’t even ask him to practice.

Xuân still performed at the recitals. He struggled as the lessons got more challenging. He didn’t practice much either. Nevertheless, he hasn’t quit. As long as we can afford these private lessons, we are willing to provide them the opportunities. We hope that they’ll appreciate them later on. That’s all we can hope for.

A few weeks ago, I decided to just get a decent piano off Facebook Marketplace. I obviously knew nothing about piano and almost got scammed. I reached out to our kids’ instructor. He even drove to the seller’s house to inspect the instrument and tested out the keys. With his help, we picked up a Kawai K-200 upright. He also put us in contact with the mover company that he trusted. The piano is still in great condition. We couldn’t have done it without his help. We appreciated his support.

As I have suspected, a better piano doesn’t mean more practice. I haven’t seen them sit down to practice unless their mom started to yell at them. I am done with constantly having to remind them to practice. I just enjoy having a gorgeous piano sitting in our living room.

It’s hard to believe that my final thesis is 10 years old today. To celebrate this special occasion, I wrote about “A Decade of Vietnamese Typography.”

Tonight I have to break out a bottle of the Hakushu to celebrate Chihiro Yamanaka’s 20th anniversary with Blue Note. Apparently Ms. Yamanaka has been with the label for two decades and they put out a double-disc of her Best 2005 – 2025.

Sipping the 12-year aged whisky and listening to Ms. Yamanaka putting her magic fingers on “Maple Leaf Rag” take me back to the early days of jazz. Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” was a test piece for ragtime pianists. The tune requires technical skills of playing each hand independently together. While the left hand plays stride, the right hand plays syncopation. With Yoshi Waki on bass and John Davis on drums holding down the rhythm section, Yamanaka got her rag on.

“Hanon Twist” is another speedy piece and Yamanaka demonstrates her virtuosic dexterity. Her execution is breathtaking. “Giant Steps” is a classic jazz standard and it is interesting that she chooses to play it with an electric keyboard. I still prefer the grand piano vibe though. With The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” they give it an uptempo Bollywood flavor. Yamanaka plays the original melody to give a familiar vibe, but the real deal is when she launches into her improvisation.

As a classically trained pianist, of course, she has to include some classical pieces such as “Yagibushi” and “Liebesträume No.3.” I must confess. I don’t know much about classical music, but I am down with these types of classic-meets-jazz concoctions.

In addition to the blazing-fast pieces, the album features a handful of relaxing recordings including the intoxicating blues, “Stranger” and “You Are Too Beautiful” so I can enjoy sipping the Hakushu.

I informed my wife that one day I will travel to Japan so I can snowboard all day then kick back in the evening drinking Japanese whisky and listening to jazz all night. Of course, I would love to have her by my side.

Start brainstorming colleges. Keep your grades up! Get involved in your passions

Students, the college application process should be fun and exciting! Please be mindful that everyone approaches this process differently. Be kind to yourself and your peers. We are all trying our best!

Talk about finances. Stay on top of Deadlines. Focus on your own process. Have fun

Parents, this is one of the most stressful processes your children have ever gone through. Please be their biggest cheerleader and supporter. Comparing your child to others or putting undue pressure on them is not helpful during their search. Every student is different and has a different school they will call home.

FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid

• Determine need-based aid
• Federal Subsidized Loans
• Federal Unsubsidized Loans
• Parent-Plus Loan

Scholarships

• Merit-Scholarships from Colleges Students do not pay these back Apply, apply, apply!
• Scholarships.com
• Fastweb.com

Private Loans

Private loans are an option, but please be mindful they often come with incredibly high interest rates. You should try to avoid these if at all possible.

Discuss Finances Early and Often

• College is expensive.
• Parents and students need to have open and honest communication about finances.
• Parents, whatever you feel you can contribute to college, if anything needs to be discussed. Signing up for loans is easy, paying it back post-graduation is very hard.
• You do not want your student falling in love with a school that is not financially feasible

Last Friday, I went to Costco and picked up a cardboard representation of a JBL Live 675NC wireless headphone for $60 (after $40 off). After paying for it, I went to the merchandise-pickup location to swap the cardboard for the actual product. An employee gave me a box with white paper wrapped around it.

When I got home, I ripped off the white paper and the box revealed the Sony WH1000XM5/SA box, which cost $280 (after $70 off). It was obviously a mistake. Should I keep it or should I return it? I asked my kids to see what they would do. One of them suggested I should keep it while the rest of my kids and my wife suggested that I should do the right thing.

I just wanted to see how well we raised our kids. Costco probably couldn’t care less, but the employee could be in trouble for his mistake. Yesterday, I went back to make the corrections. They made me wait so they could track down who made the mistake. In addition, they checked the video recording to make sure I was not stealing it.

This is your moment to show off your personality! Here are a few tips and tricks for tackling the college essay:

• Stay away from heavy imagery
• Every word in the essay must be necessary
• DO NOT stress about a topic
• Focus on yourself and your story
• Think about the qualities colleges want on their campus
• If you aren’t funny normally, don’t try humor in your college essays
• You do not need to be the most unique, you just need to be genuine!
• This essay is NOT going to make or break your future, don’t give it that power
• Get the essay proofread — Grammarly is not enough
• “Cliche” topics are not off limits, your story is your story
• If you are stuck, just write something, the rest will come
• BEWARE: Trauma-dumping – tread carefully!

Around this time of the year, I like to tune into jazz. On Saturday, I woke up early to drive an hour and a half to Whitetail to attend the Returning Instructor Meeting. The weather was wet and rainy. The fragrance of freshly brewed coffee permeated inside my car. I fired up Spotify and searched for the latest jazz releases. Chihiro Yamanaka’s Ooh-La-La caught my attention.

The album kicks off with an uptempo, bop-driven rendition of César Camargo Mariano’s “Curumim.” After a brief trio intro, Yamanaka launched into a virtuosic piano solo. I didn’t know who Yamanaka was, but I knew immediately that my car ride would be wonderful. With “Desafinado,” the rhythm section (John Davis on drums and Yoshi Waki on bass) keeps the Brazilian groove at a much faster pace while Yamanaka improvises on her piano, which showcases her classical chops.

With Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” the trio turns to swing, which gives the vibe of the winter holidays. With Milton Nascimento’s “Vera Cruz” Yamanaka switches to an electric keyboard for some funk-jazz flavor. Yamanaka’s embrace of versatility makes her a fascinating artist.

Not just Yamanaka, but I had listened to quite a bit of talented Japanese jazz artists including Hiromi, Keiko Matsui, and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Japan is really into jazz. I have so much for Japanese culture. They keep their traditions, but they also push forward with innovations. They take things from the West and make them their own. They have done it with whiskey, snowboarding, and, of course, jazz. They don’t cut corners. They put out quality products.

I enjoyed Ooh-La-La in its entirety. I will definitely look for more jazz albums from Chihiro Yamanaka.