Nguyên Lê

Nguyên Lê
Nguyên Lê 2013
Nguyên Lê 2013
Background information
Also known asLê Hong Nguyên
Born (1959-01-14) 14 January 1959 (age 67)
Paris, France
GenresJazz, jazz fusion
OccupationsMusician, composer, producer, arranger, sound engineer
InstrumentGuitar
Websitewww.nguyen-le.com/Site_Nu/Bio_US.html
Nguyên Lê at Aarhus Jazz Festival

Nguyên Lê (Vietnamese: Lê Thành Nguyên; born 14 January 1959) is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays bass guitar and guitar synthesizer.

He has released albums 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.

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

Bands

Discography

As leader

  • 1990: Miracles (Musidisc), with Art Lande, Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine
  • 1992: Zanzibar (Musidisc), with Paul McCandless, Joël Allouche
  • 1995: Million Waves (ACT), with 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
  • 1997: Three Trios (ACT)
  • 1998: Maghreb & Friends (ACT)
  • 1999: Moon and Wind (ACT), with Huong Thanh
  • 2000: Bakida (ACT), with Renaud Garcia-Fons and Tino di Geraldo featuring Carles Benavent
  • 2002: Purple – Celebrating Jimi Hendrix (ACT)
  • 2005: Walking on the Tiger's Tail (ACT) 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)
  • 2014: Celebrating Dark Side of the Moon (ACT)
  • 2017: Hà Nội Duo (ACT), featuring Ngo Hong Quang
  • 2019: Streams (ACT)

As sideman

With Safy Boutella

Within Uri Caine Ensamble

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

Within ELB, including with Peter Erskine and Michel Benita

  • 2001: ELB (ACT)
  • 2008: Dream Flight (ACT), featuring Stéphane Guillaume

Within Andy Emler Mega Octet

  • 1992: Head Games (Label Bleu)

With Paolo Fresu

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

With François Moutin and André Ceccarelli

  • 1993: Init (Phonogram), featuring Bob Berg

With Cæcilie Norby, Lars Danielsson, and Leszek Możdżer

  • 2013: Silent Ways (ACT)

With Romano/Sclavis/Texier + Enrico Rava, Bojan Z

  • 2012: 3+3 (Label Bleu)

Within Ultramarine

With Dhafer Youssef

With Tùng Dương

  • 2013: Độc đạo (Dihavina)