Fragile Beauty

This is Nguyen Le and Huong Thanh's fifth CD as a team, starting out with the classic jazz fusion CD, Tales From Vietnam. While 'Tales' was an ambitious larger ensemble work with extensive writing and horn arrangements that took traditional vietnamese folk songs in a decidedly jazz direction, the subsequent four albums have a more intimate, studio feel that retains a delicate connection to the natural world from which these songs have their origin. These are after all, folk songs, the sort of things one imagines a woman might sing to herself while washing clothes in a stream or croon to a sleepy infant in a cozy hut at evening time. Having admitted to running short on appropriate traditional tunes by this release, Le decided to include a few original compositions, but without looking at the liner notes, the listener would be hard pressed to tell them apart from the old folk songs.

For those fan's of Le's harder edged music, be forewarned: On these projects Le plays a more restrained part, and like the cover photo implies, his presence is felt ,but in the background, letting these vocal performances and the tunes themselves remain the primary focus. It is interesting to note that his name didn't even appear of the covers of the three Huong Tranh releases prior to this one. What a self effacing guy!

Le manages to stay true to the roots of this music by utilizing a number of traditional vietnamese instruments, but peppers the mix with tasty bits of electronica, contributions from fellow jazz instrumentalists such as Paolo Fresu on trumpet and Reneaud Fons Garcia on bass and of course, his own inimitable electric guitar, itself influenced by his studies of the traditional vietnamese monochord, the danbau.

This is a very spacious soundscape. Le had total artistic control, being producer arranger, engineer, mixing engineer and of course player. His visions are pristine landscapes-one can see the rivers, the jagged hills, hear the bubbling waters of a stream, the quietude of a mountain top, smell the burning rice fields after harvest. This is an exotic painting for the ear.

Apparently, these traditional tunes are dying out in their native land. Le speaks of a fascination with western pop music all but extinguishing traditional music in the country of his roots (Le was born in Paris, where he lives today). We are extremely lucky to have his massive talents to help revive an interest in this ancient tradition. Huong Thanh herself is a rare talent, possessing a beautiful instrument and the musicality to use it to full advantage. She is one of the few people alive who sings several distinct styles of this music. In a recent interview, both artists expressed a desire to rekindle an interest in traditional vietnamese music in younger people through their efforts. With such a masterful, original and utterly modern adaptation such as this, that wish should be fulfilled.

Huong Thanh (vocals); Nguyên Lê (electric & acoustic guitar, synthesizer, computer); Mieko iyazaki (koto);Hao Nhiên Pham (monocorde (dàn bau), 16-strings zither (dàn tranh), sao, meo bamboo flutes ); Nguyên Van-Hong (backing vocals); Paolo Fresu (trumpet, fluegelhorn);Stéphane Guillaume (soprano sax, flutes); Renaud Garcia-Fons (acoustic 5-string bass);Etienne Mbappé (fretless bass); Alex Tran (percussions);Francis Lassus ( percussion). Huong Thanh and Nguyen Le team up for a fusion of Eastern and Western influences rooted in Vietnamese musical traditions. African rhythms, Japanese liveliness combined with western melodies and jazz harmony all become part of an exciting venture, the basis and destination of which remains recognizably Vietnamese. A venture, which leads to a fusion of past and present, that points directly to the future. The music on this exceptionally thoughtful recording is superb.

Huong Thanh & Nguyen Le have taken their collaboration on Fragile Beauty to stellar heights with absolutely stunning results.

Not only have they managed to so delicately fuse the enthralling breath and depth of Vietnamese folksong with unmistakable western harmonic influence, but they have done so with rare enchanting genuineness which never fails to move the listener.

Huong Thanh's vocal prowess is mesmorising throughout the album, and Nguyen Le's mastery on the guitar (& fretless guitarwork!) is revealed once again as he delicately augments to perfection from track to track.

Sound engineering & overall production is top notch, too.

This is simply a superb album in many respects. 5 stars.