Nguyên Lê

Nguyên Lê (b. Paris, France, January 14, 1959) is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays electric bass guitar and guitar synthesizer.

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 a.o. Randy Brecker, Vince Mendozas, Eric Vloeimans, Carla Bley, and Michel Portal.

Present 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: traditinal 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;

Discography

* 2008 CD "Dream Flight" ELB (Erskine - Lê - Benita) with Stéphane Guillaume – tenor & soprano saxophones
* 2007 CD "Fragile Beauty" Huong Thanh & Nguyên Le
* 2006 CD "Homescape" Duos with Paolo Fresu & Dhafer Youssef
* 2005 CD "Walking on the Tiger's Tail" (Nguyên Lê Quartett)
* 2002 CD "Purple – Celebrating Jimi Hendrix"
* 2001 CD "E_L_B" ELB (Erskine - Lê - Benita)
* 2000 CD "Bakida" (with bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons and drummer Tino di Geraldo et al.)
* 1999 CD "Moon and Wind" im Duo mit Huong Thanh
* 1998 CD "Maghreb & Friends"
* 1997 CD "3 Trios"
* 1996 CD "Tales from Vietnam" (with Huong Thanh, Hao Nhien, Paolo Fresu, Trilok Gurtu, Simon Spang-Hanssen, Michel Benita etc.)
* 1995 CD "Million Waves" (Nguyên Lê -Trio) (with Bassist Dieter Ilg and drummer Danny Gottlieb)
* 1992 CD "Zanzibar" (with Paul McCandless, Joël Allouche et al.).
* 1992 CD Safy Boutella: "Mejnoun"
* 1990 first solo CD "Miracles" (with Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine)

External links

* [http://www.nguyen-le.com/ Nguyên Lê official site]
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/01/17/zwer.t.php Article about Nguyên Lê]