Trần Mạnh Tuấn (born May 7, 1970 in

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

) is one of the two most prominent

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonists Instruments key: * s, Sopranino * S, Soprano * A, Alto * T, Tenor * B, Baritone * b, Bass * c, Contrabass (or tubax) * sc, Subcontrabass Indicators key: *X, instrument has been used by person or group *X, instrument has been used by person or ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

(the other being

Quyền Văn Minh Quyền Văn Minh (born July 11, 1954) is a Vietnamese jazz saxophonist. He is considered the first jazz star and one of the most eminent musicians in Hanoi. He is also known for running a jazz club in Old Quarter of Hanoi for years. Early life M ...

, also from

). In 2002, he moved from Hanoi to

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

and has taught at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory. He is also a composer, arranger and producer. He is from a musical family; his father, mother, and sister are all performers of ''

cải lương ''Tuồng cải lương'' (, Hán-Nôm: 從改良) often referred to as ''Cải lương'' (Chữ Hán: 改良), roughly "reformed theater") is a form of modern folk opera in Vietnam. It blends southern Vietnamese folk songs, classical music, ''h ...

'', a traditional musical theater form of southern Vietnam. He began playing the saxophone in 1979 and is a graduate of the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

. He has released five solo CDs and has performed and recorded with several Vietnamese pop singers. He is also known for his interpretations of the songs of

Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...

. Trần Mạnh Tuấn has performed with a number of well known musicians including

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary comp ...

, Derek Nash, Lillian Boutte,

Charlie Bisharat Charlie Bisharat (born March 15, 1963) is an American violinist known as a member of Shadowfax and for his work in film and with other new age jazz artists. Life and career He was born in Inglewood, California, in 1963 to Palestinian parents w ...

Dave Grusin Robert David Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, incl ...

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, Hans Dulfer, Fulvio Albano, Rob Mullins,

Mike Del Frerro Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documenta ...

, John Ferguson,

Stephan Eicher Stephan Eicher (born 17 August 1960) is a Swiss singer. He sings in a variety of languages, including French, German, English, Italian, Swiss German and Romansh, sometimes using different languages in the same song. Eicher's success started ...

Co Co York CO or variants may refer to: Chemistry * Carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas * Carbonyl group, composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O * Cobalt, a chemical element, symbol Co Computing and te ...

, Jennifer Ryan,

Mezcal Jazz Unit Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. Agaves or magueys are endemic to the Americas and found globally as ornamental plants. The ''Agave'' genus is a member of the Agavoideae sub ...

Dana Leong Dana Leong is a 2011 Latin Grammy Award Winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, US Ambassador of Music, adventurer, philanthropist & entrepreneur from the San Francisco Bay Area, who is known for mixing elements of traditional instrum ...

, and

Denis Mininfield Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, Bishop of Győr (13th century), Hungarian prelate * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baro ...

. In 2005 he opened the Sax n' Art

jazz club A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music, although some jazz clubs primarily focus on the study and/or promotion of jazz-music. Jazz clubs are usually a type of nightclub or bar, which is licens ...

in Ho Chi Minh City.

Collaboration with Mezcal Jazz Unit

In 2005-2007, Tuấn was involved in Tim Gió, a musical and cultural exchange project between Vietnam and France. The project involved the French jazz band

, Trần Mạnh Tuấn as well as other Vietnamese folk musicians like Cao Ho Nga ('' dân t'rưng'', ''

đàn tranh The ''đàn tranh'' (, ) or ''đàn thập lục''Le, Tuan Hung. Dan Tranh Music of Vietnam : Traditions and Innovations. Melbourne, Tokyo : Australia Asia Foundation, 1998. (hard back); (paperback), page 1 is a plucked zither of Vietnam, bas ...

''), Nguyen Thu Thy (''

đàn nhị The (, Chữ Nôm: 彈二), also called , is a Vietnamese bowed string instrument with two strings. The word ''nhị'' means "two" in Sino-Vietnamese, and means "instrument". Its sound box is generally covered on one end with snakeskin.''Garla ...

''), Nguyen Anh Tran (''

đàn bầu The ''đàn bầu'' (; "gourd zither"; Chữ Nôm: ), also called ''độc huyền cầm'' (獨絃琴, "one-string zither"; the name is only used by the Jing ethnicity in China) is a Vietnamese stringed instrument, in the form of a monochord (o ...

'', ''

đàn nguyệt The ''đàn nguyệt'' ( Vietnamese pronunciation: Help:IPA/Vietnamese, �ǎn ŋwiə̂ˀt"moon-shaped lute", Chữ Nôm: 彈月) also called ''nguyệt cầm'' (Chữ Hán: 月琴), ''đàn kìm'', is a two-stringed Vietnam, Vietnamese tradit ...

'', ''

đàn đáy The ''đàn đáy'' (Chữ Nôm: 彈𡌠)is a Vietnamese plucked lute with three strings, a trapezoidal wooden body, and a very long wooden neck with ten raised frets. Players formerly used silk strings, but since the late 20th century have gen ...

''). A CD entitled '' Tim Gió'' was released in 2006.Mezcal jazz Unit, the band

Discography

*''Độc tấu Saxophone Trần Mạnh Tuấn'' (1997) *''Biển Khát'' (2001) *''Hạ Trắng'' (2002) *''Coming Home'' (2003) *''The Shadow Of Time'' (2006) *''Jungle Lullaby'' (2006) *''Drifting Blossoms and Floating Clouds'' (2008) *''Ru ta ngậm ngùi'' (2009) *''Wings of the Flying Crane'' (2012) *''Angel Eyes'' (2012) *''Blue Eyes'' (2013) *''Jazz It Up "Sến" (Thành phố buồn)'' (2013) *''Simply Soul'' (2016) *''Legendary Shepherd on the Moon'' (2016) *''Rhythm of the Fall'' (2016)

Collaborative albums

*''Lời Ru Mắt Em'' (Collaboration with Vũ Quang Trung) * ''Tim Gió'' (2006) (Collaboration with the French group

)

Guest appearances

* With

Billy Bang Billy Bang (September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011), born William Vincent Walker, was an American free jazz violinist and composer. Biography Bang's family moved to New York City's Bronx neighborhood while he was still an infant, and as a ...

: '' Lucky Man: Music from the Film'' (BBE, 2021)

References

External links

Trần Mạnh Tuấn official site

Article

Listening

Trần Mạnh Tuấn audio samples
Living people Musicians from Ho Chi Minh City Musicians from Hanoi Vietnamese musicians Berklee College of Music alumni Vietnamese jazz saxophonists 1970 births 21st-century saxophonists {{Vietnam-stub