Cuong Vu
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Cuong Vu (surname Vu; b. Saigon, South Vietnam, September 19, 1969) is a jazz trumpeter and vocalist.
Born in Saigon, he left Vietnam with his family at the age of six in 1975, settling in Bellevue, Washington (an Eastside suburb of Seattle). He quickly learned English and adapted to his new country and culture. Although he still listened to the traditional Vietnamese music of his heritage, he also found the American pop music on the radio exciting.
Vu began to play the trumpet at the age of 11, after receiving the instrument as a gift from his mother. In high school, he played in bands and jazz combos, and became interested in the fusion jazz of players like Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, and Mike Stern, preferring modern jazz over older styles such as bebop or swing.
After graduating from Bellevue High School, he won a full scholarship to attend the New England Conservatory of Music, receiving a B.M. degree in jazz studies. While there, he studied jazz with Joe Maneri, Geri Allen, and Dave Holland. Maneri, a saxophonist/composer, encouraged Vu to examine the unexplored sonic possibilities of the trumpet. During this time he also developed a fondness for the music of classical composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Arnold Schoenberg, Witold Lutosławski, and György Ligeti.
Vu moved to New York City in 1994, and quickly established himself as one of the most innovative and versatile young trumpeters in the jazz scene. Although often labeled as an avant-garde player, he does not limit himself to this type of playing, preferring to use influences from many forms of contemporary jazz, as well as rock and funk musics.
He has performed with Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Dave Douglas, Cibo Matto, Gerry Hemingway, Bobby Previte, Mark Helias, Andy Laster, Orange Then Blue, Mitchell Froom, Matthias Lupri and Chris Speed. He has toured with Pat Metheny as trumpeter and vocalist.
He has also led various groups, including his trio with bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Ted Poor; JACKhouse; Scratcher (featuring Holly Palmer); and VU-TET (featuring Jim Black, Curtis Hasselbring, Chris Speed and Stomu Takeishi). His three solo recordings display elements of jazz, pop, and funk, yet blur the boundaries of these genres.
In 2003 he received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, for his work on the Pat Metheny Group's 2002 album Speaking of Now.
[edit] Discography
(As A Leader)
- Bound (2000, OmniTone)
- Pure (2000, Knitting Factory)
- Come Play with Me (2001, Knitting Factory)
- It's Mostly Residual (2005, ArtistShare)
- Vu-Tet (2007, ArtistShare)
[edit] External links
- Cuong Vu official site
- Cuong Vu audio samples
- March 2007 Interview from AsiaXpress.com
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