Nguyên Lê

Nguyên Lê
Nguyên Lê 2013
Background information
Also known as	Lê Thành Nguyên
Born	14 January 1959 Paris, France
Genres	Jazz, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)	Musician Composer Bandleader Arranger
Instruments	Guitar, Bass, guitar synthesizer
Website	www.nguyen-le.com/Site_Nu/Bio_US.html

Nguyên Lê at Aarhus Jazz Festival
Photo Hreinn Gudlaugsson

Nguyên Lê (Vietnamese: Lê Thành Nguyên; born 14 January 1959 in Paris, France) is a French Jazz musician and Composer of Vietnamese ancestry.^[1] His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays electric bass guitar and guitar synthesizer.^[2]

He has released numerous albums, both as a leader and as a sideman. His 1996 album Tales from Viêt-Nam blends jazz and traditional Vietnamese music. Nguyên Lê has performed with Randy Brecker, Vince Mendoza, Eric Vloeimans, Carla Bley, Michel Portal, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Per Mathisen, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, Trilok Gurtu, Paolo Fresu and Dhafer Youssef.^[3]

In spring 2011 he released Songs of Freedom, an album with cover versions of pop hits from the 1970s.

Current Projects/Bands

• Nguyên Lê Trio
  • Nguyên Lê: guitars, arrangements;
  • Michel Alibo: electric bass;
  • Karim Ziad: drums, percussion;
• Nguyên Lê "The Jimi Hendrix Project"
  • Nguyên Lê: guitars, arrangements;
  • Cathy Renoir: vocals;
  • Michel Alibo or Linley Marthe: electric bass;
  • Karim Ziad or Francis Lassus: drums, percussion;
• Nguyên Lê "Purple"
  • Nguyên Lê: guitars;
  • Michel Alibo: electric bass;
  • Terri Lyne Carrington: drums, vocals;
  • Aïda Khann: vocals;
  • Corin Curschellas: vocals;
  • Me'shell Ndegeocello: electric bass;
  • Karim Ziad: percussion;
  • Bojan Zulfikarpasic: piano;
• Huong Thanh & Nguyên Lê - "Dragonfly"
  • Huong Thanh: vocals;
  • Nguyên Lê: guitars, arrangements;
  • Hao Nhien: traditional instrument zither;
  • Dan Bau: flute, percussion;
  • François Verly: percussion, synthesizer;
  • Michel Alibo: electric bass;
  • Joël Allouche: drums/percussion;
• Nguyên Lê Quartett:
  • Nguyen Le: guitars
  • Paul McCandless: saxophone, clarinet;
  • Art Lande: piano;
  • Jamey Haddad: percussion;
• ELB (Erskine - Lê - Benita)
  • Peter Erskine: drums;
  • Nguyên Lê: guitars, guitar synthesizer;
  • Michel Benita: acoustic bass;
• Nguyên Lê "Songs of Freedom":
  • Nguyen Le: guitars, laptop
  • Himiko Paganotti: vocals
  • Illya Amar: vibes/electronics
  • Romain Labaye: bass, vocals
  • Stephane Galland/Gergo Borlai: drums
• Nguyen Lê "Celebrating dark side of the moon" :
  • Nguyen Lê : guitars, electronics, arrangements
  • Youn Sun Nah : vocals
  • Michael Gibbs : orchestrations and arrangements on 04, 14 & 15
  • Gary Husband : Drums
  • Jürgen Attig : electric bass
  • NDR Big band is conducted by Jörg Achim Keller

Discography

• 1990: Miracles (Musidisc), with Art Lande, Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine
• 1992: Zanzibar (Musidisc), with Paul McCandless, Joël Allouche et al.
• 1995: Million Waves (ACT), The Nguyên Lê Trio including with Bassist Dieter Ilg and drummer Danny Gottlieb
• 1996: Tales From Vietnam (ACT), with Huong Thanh, Hao Nhien, Paolo Fresu, Trilok Gurtu, Simon Spang-Hanssen, Michel Benita etc.
• 1997: Three Trios (ACT)
• 1998: Maghreb & Friends (ACT)
• 1999: Moon and Wind (ACT), with Huong Thanh
• 2000: Bakida (ACT), The Nguyên Lê Trio including with bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons and drummer Tino di Geraldo featuring Carles Benavent
• 2002: Purple – Celebrating Jimi Hendrix (ACT)
• 2005: Walking On The Tiger's Tail (ACT), Nguyên Lê Quartett including with Paul McCandless, Art Lande and Jamey Haddad
• 2006: Homescape (ACT), duos with Paolo Fresu and Dhafer Youssef
• 2007: Fragile Beauty (ACT), with Huong Thanh
• 2009: Saiyuki (ACT)
• 2011: Songs of Freedom (ACT)
• 2012: Purple (ACT)
• 2014: Celebrating dark side of the moon (ACT)

Collaborations

Within Ultramarine

• 1985: Programme Jungle (Bloomdido)
• 1989: Dé (America Records)
• 2007: E Si Mala (Universal Music France)

With Safy Boutella

• 1992: Mejnoun (Indigo)

Within Andy Emler Mega Octet

• 1992: Head Games (Label Bleu)

With François Moutin and André Ceccarelli

• 1993: Init (Phonogram), featuring Bob Berg

With Paolo Fresu

• 1998: Angel (BMG France/RCA Victor)
• 2012: Cinquant'Anni Suonati - 2 (Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso S.p.A.)

With Dhafer Youssef

• 1999: Malak Enja Records, including with Markus Stockhausen, Renaud Garcia-Fons and Jatinder Thakur

Within ELB, including with Peter Erskine and Michel Benita

• 2001: E_L_B (ACT)
• 2008: Dream Flight (ACT), featuring Stéphane Guillaume – tenor & soprano saxophones

Within Uri Caine Ensamble

• 2006: Uri Caine Ensemble Plays Mozart (Winter & Winter)
• 2009: The Othello Syndrome (Winter & Winter)

With Romano Sclavis Texier + Enrico Rava, Nguyên Lê, Bojan Z

• 2012: 3+3 (Label Bleu)

With Cæcilie Norby, Lars Danielsson and Leszek Możdżer

• 2013: Silent Ways (ACT)

References

1. Dominique Auzias, Jean-Paul Labourdette Vietnam 2012-13 - 2012- Page 74 "Compositeurs contemporains : Nguyên Lê. Né à Paris en 1959 de parents vietnamiens : « J'ai oublié le vietnamien en commençant l'école."
2. "Musician Nguyen Le Biography - allaboutjazz.com".
3. "Nguyen Le - jazz guitar - Eer-Music.com".

External links

• Official website
• UNESCO International Jazz Day interview Nguyên Lê (English) 2012
• "French-Vietnamese Guitarist Breaks Barriers : For Nguyen Le, More the Merrier", New York Times, January 17, 2001.
• Nguyen Le, MySpace