Here's a very good guitarist. "Friend" has sent us the complete discography, and they all will be posted in order of release. enjoy.
Born in Paris from Vietnamese parents, Nguyên Lê began to play drums at the age of 15, then took up guitar & electric bass. After graduating in Visual Arts, he majored in Philosophy, writing a thesis on Exoticism. Then he devoted to music, creating ULTRAMARINE (1983), a multi-ethnic band whose CD DÉ has been considered 1989's best World Music album ( Philippe Conrath, Libération).
Nguyên LE is a self-taught musician, with a wide scope of interests: Rock & Funk, Jazz standards & contemporary Jazz, Improvised Music, Singers (Ray Charles),Contemporary Music , Ethnic Music: African & Caribbean, Algerian ,Indian, Turkish , Vietnamese.
In sept. 87 he was chosen by director Antoine Hervé to play with the O. N. J. (French National Jazz Orchestra). Within this big band, he played with such musicians as Johnny Griffin, Louis Sclavis, Didier Lockwood, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Randy Brecker, Toots Thielemans, Courtney Pine, Steve Lacy, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gil Evans, Quincy Jones. Nguyên LE' s work also deals with programming synthesizers, effects & computers as well as writing orchestral pieces : PROCESSOR composed, arranged & recorded on CD O.N.J. 87 & LUNIK II co-arranged with Dominique Borker & performed by the O.N.J. 1989.
In may 90, his first album as a leader : MIRACLES recorded in the U.S.A. with Art LANDE, Marc JOHNSON & Peter ERSKINE. At the same time he works with such musicians as Michel Portal, Miroslav Vitous, Trilok Gurtu, J. F. Jenny Clarke, Aldo Romano, Daniel Humair, Dewey Redman, Andy Emler, Jon Christensen, Nana Vasconcelos, Glenn Ferris, Christof Lauer, Paolo Fresu, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor ...
In may 92, after a month tour with Paul McCANDLESS on winds, Art Lande (p), Dean Johnson (b) & Joël Allouche (d), he records his 2nd album ZANZIBAR, which gets the « ffff » award by Télérama. In Jan. 93 he records INIT, a trio with André Ceccarelli, François Moutin & guest Bob Berg, while setting up a new band on the music of Jimi Hendrix, w/ Corin Curschellas (voc), Steve Argüelles (d), Richard Bona (b). Since Jan. 93 he's been a frequent guest soloist of Köln's WDR Big band, especially with composer/director Vince MENDOZA. Nguyên Lê plays on three of his projects: Jazzpaña, Sketches w/ Dave LIEBMAN, Charlie MARIANO, Peter Erskine, & Downtown, w/ Russell Ferrante. In April 94 he?s the guest soloist of The New Yorker, a suite by Bob BROOKMEYER, with Dieter Ilg (b) & Danny Gottlieb (d). With these two musicians he set his first trio, & recorded MILLION WAVES in dec. 94.
In the meantime, he's playing in trio with Michel Benita(b) & Peter Erskine, recording on Michel Portal's new album with Ralph TOWNER (g), & working with Ornette COLEMAN on one of his contemporary music pieces, Freedom Statue. In June 95 he's invited by WDR Big Band in Azure Moon, with the YELLOWJACKETS & Vince Mendoza. In July 95, in Stuttgart Festival, he's one of the guest guitar players to celebrate the Universe of Jimi Hendrix, besides Trilok Gurtu, Terry BOZZIO, Cassandra WILSON, Jack BRUCE, Vernon REID, David TORN, Victor BAILEY, Pharoah SANDERS... Recently he has been playing with John McLaughlin, Michel Petrucianni, Markus Stockhausen, Enrico Rava, Ray Anderson, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Dave Douglas, Wolfgang Pushnig, Uri Caine...
In April 96, Nguyên Lê creates Tales from Viêt-Nam, a project on Vietnamese music, with a 8-piece band blending jazz & traditional musicians. With stage director P. J. San Bartolomé, he starts Of the Moon & the Wind , a complete show where traditional & contemporary Vietnamese dancers are integrated to the Tales from Viêt-Nam orchestra.
On 4/97 Nguyên Lê releases his 5th CD, 3 Trios, with Marc Johnson/ Peter Erskine, Dieter Ilg/ Danny Gottlieb & Renaud Garçia Fons/ Mino Cinelu. JAZZIZ Magazine USA says : « At times, jazz guitar can sound staid - but not in the case of N. Lê. He?s forever breaking boundaries for our benefit ». On 5/98, 6th N. Lê record : « Maghreb & Friends », an exploration of Maghreb musical traditions & a deep collaboration with Algerian musicians. « Far from a false world music, N. Lê simply touches, with force & intensity, to universality » (F. Medioni).
His next CD, « BAKIDA », based on his regular trio with Renaud Garçia Fons (b) & Tino di Geraldo (perc, dr) plus guests from all over the world like Kudsi Erguner, Chris Potter, Carlos Benavent... This CD has been voted best jazz album of the year by CD Compact (Spain). ELB, a new trio CD has just been recorded in Rainbow studios, Oslo, with Peter Erskine & Michel Benita. He's touring with Terri Lyne Carrington's band, with Geri Allen, Matt Garrison & Gary Thomas & plays with Maria Schneider.
« Purple », an album celebrating Jimi Hendrix is released in sept 2002. In sept 2002 it's n° 1 on the charts of UK magazine Jazzwise. Today it's N. Lê's most successful album, with 20 500 CD sales & non stop touring all over the world. In March 2005 release of Walking on the Tiger's Tail, new album with his great friends Art Lande, Paul McCandless & Jamey Haddad - ?A universe where the alliance between acoustic and electric, improvisation and writing, inner delicacy and virtuosic expressivity reach the ideal balance.?(Le Monde).
A new album comes out in oct 2009: SAIYUKI, an asian trio with Mieko Miyazaki (koto) & Prabhu Edouard (tablas) & special guest Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute).
Beside his solo/trio works, he participated in big amount of albums as guest musician ( with Vietnamese singer Huong Thanh ,as part of ELB trio ( with Peter Erskine (dr.) and Michel Benita (bass) between many others).
1. Miracles (8' 04) ---------IN PLAYER ON RIGHT]
2. Question Mark (7' 24)
3. Willow (3' 42)
4. The Odd Game (3' 01)
5. Saari (6' 47)
6. 20 Fingers (5' 37)
7. Cerf Volant (1' 40)
8. Miss One (7' 28)
9. Pacha (6' 25)
10. Haiku (2' 31)
11. Eyeland (4' 13)
12. Miss One* (6'27)
* alternate take, originally unreleased
Related Artists:::
Nguyên LE el. & ac. guitars, gt-synth (4), dan tranh (7),
synth progr.(2,4,6,10,11)
Art LANDE piano
Marc JOHNSON acoustic bass
Peter ERSKINE drums and percussion
ALSO RE-ISSUED 2005
320k
rar
Linkin comments:::
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