Cuong Vu

{{short description|Vietnamese-American jazz trumpeter (born 1969)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Cuong Vu

| image = Cuong-vu01.jpg

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|9|19}}

| birth_place = Saigon, Vietnam

| genre = Jazz

| occupation = Musician

| instrument = Trumpet

| years_active = 1994–present

| label = Avant, Knitting Factory, Origin, Cuneiform, Nonesuch

| associated_acts = Pat Metheny Group, Orange Then Blue

| website = {{URL|www.cuongvu.com}}

}}

Cuong Vu (Cường Vũ) (born 19 September 1969) is a Vietnamese-American jazz trumpeter. In addition to his own work as a bandleader, Vu was a member of the Pat Metheny Group. He is the first American person of Vietnamese descent to win a Grammy Award. He won the Best Contemporary Jazz Album award twice through his work with the band.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/cuong-vu/12789|title=Cuong Vu {{!}} Artist|website=grammy.com|access-date=March 15, 2021}} He is currently associate professor and chair of jazz studies at the University of Washington.{{cite web|title=Cuong Vu|url=https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/cuongvu|website=All About Jazz|accessdate=18 August 2016}}

Biography

Born in Saigon on September 19, 1969, Vu immigrated to Seattle with his family when he was six. At 11, he began to play the trumpet. He received a scholarship from the New England Conservatory of Music.

After graduating Vu moved to New York City in 1994, and formed the group Ragged Jack with Jamie Saft, Andrew D'Angelo, and Jim Black. Vu has worked with Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Dave Douglas, Myra Melford, Gerry Hemingway, and Mitchell Froom.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cuong-vu-mn0000135505/credits|title=Credits Of Cuong Vu|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=26 February 2023}}

While a member of the Pat Metheny Group, Vu won two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Album: Speaking of Now, The Way Up;{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/2003-01-08/entertainment/17470880_1_vanessa-carlton-norah-jones-steve-mcqueen-sheryl-crow/5 |title=Complete list of Grammy nominees; ceremony set for Feb. 23 |date=January 8, 2003 |access-date=August 15, 2023 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |page=5 |publisher=Hearst Corporation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816095514/http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-01-08/entertainment/17470880_1_vanessa-carlton-norah-jones-steve-mcqueen-sheryl-crow/5 |archive-date=August 16, 2011 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/arts/09gram-list.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1|title=The Complete List of Grammy Nominations|access-date=June 30, 2010|date=December 8, 2005|work=The New York Times|page=3}} and one nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the song "As It Is."{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/45th-annual-grammy-awards|title=2002 Grammy Award Winners|publisher=Grammy.com|access-date=1 May 2011}} He worked with Metheny mainly as a trumpeter, but also contributed vocals, guitar and various small percussion.

Vu's trio consists of bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Ted Poor.

Vu serves as chair and professor in the jazz studies department of the University of Washington's School of Music.{{Cite web|url=https://music.washington.edu/people/cuong-vu|title = Cuong Vu | School of Music | University of Washington}}

Discography

=As leader=

Ragged Jack (Avant, 1997)
Bound (Omnitone, 2000)
Pure (Knitting Factory, 2000)
Come Play with Me (Knitting Factory, 2001)
It's Mostly Residual (ArtistShare/EMI, 2005)
Vu-Tet (ArtistShare, 2007)
Leaps of Faith (Origin, 2011)
Holy Abyss (Cuneiform / E1, 2012)
Cuong Vu Trio Meets Pat Metheny (Nonesuch, 2016)
Ballet (The Music of Michael Gibbs) (RareNoiseRecords, 2017)
Change In The Air (RareNoiseRecords, 2018)

=As sideman=

1993 – While You Were Out – Orange Then Blue
1996 – Too Close to the Pole – Bobby Previte
1997 – Sanctuary – Dave Douglas
1997 – Interpretations of Lessness – Andy Laster
1997 – Other Pocket – Jeff Song
1997 – Rules of Engagement – Jeff Song
1997 – Yeah/No – Chris Speed
1999 – Chamber Works – Gerry Hemingway
1999 – Deviantics – Chris Speed
1999 – Hold the Elevator: Live in Europe & Other Haunts – Orange Then Blue
2000 – Emit – Chris Speed
2000 – Luciano's Dream – Oscar Noriega
2000 – The Hollow World – Assif Tsahar & the Brass Reeds Ensemble
2001 – "Your Turn to Drive" – David Bowie (single)
2001 – Life on a String – Laurie Anderson
2002 – Speaking of Now – Pat Metheny Group
2002 – Window Silver Bright – Andy Laster
2003 – Speaking of Now (DVD) – Pat Metheny Group
2004 – Transition Sonic – Matthias Lupri
2004 – Where the Two Worlds Touch – Myra Melford
2005 – The Way Up – Pat Metheny Group
2005 – Swell Henry – Chris Speed
2006 – Grill Music – Jesper Løvdal
2006 – The Image of Your Body – Myra Melford
2006 – The Way Up (DVD) – Pat Metheny Group
2008 – Coziness Kills – Jesper Løvdal
2008 – Incendio – Los Dorados
2009 – The Whole Tree Gone – Myra Melford
2010 – Closer – Wasabi Trio meet Cuong Vu
2010 – Gagarin – Mickey Finn + Cuong Vu
2010 – Speak
2014 – Alastor: Book of Angels Volume 21 – Eyvind Kang
2019 – Overseas – Nguyên Lê

== Awards ==

class="wikitable" ! Year !! Nominees !! Category !! Nominated for !! Result
rowspan=2\|2003	rowspan=3\|Cuong Vu (As a member of Pat Metheny Group)	Best Pop Instrumental Performance	"As It Is"	{{nom}}
rowspan=2\|Best Contemporary Jazz Album	Speaking of Now	{{won}}
2005	The Way Up	{{won}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20100607120707/http://www.cuongvu.com/ Cuong Vu official site]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191225031500/https://music.cuongvu.com/ audio sample]
[http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2010/05/renowned-jazz-musician-cuong-vu-sets-the-tone-for-change/ Interview]
{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p163969}}
[http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40583 Review of Naked Truth album Vu is on]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh2usq7k8qA Cuong Vu at Dutch television show 'Vrije Geluiden' with Bob van Luijt and Yonga Sun]
[http://www.breakthruradio.com/post/?dj=djlinus&post=959&blog=29&autoplay=1 Cuong Vu Interview by breakthruradio.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606233709/http://www.breakthruradio.com/post/?dj=djlinus&post=959&blog=29&autoplay=1 |date=2014-06-06 }}

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Ho Chi Minh City

Category:Musicians from Seattle

Category:Jazz fusion musicians

Category:Avant-garde jazz musicians

Category:American jazz trumpeters

Category:Vietnamese jazz trumpeters

Category:American musicians of Vietnamese descent

Category:Vietnamese emigrants to the United States

Category:Pat Metheny Group members

Category:21st-century trumpeters