Jazz Innovations II

Cuong Vu is widely recognized by jazz critics as a leader of a generation of innovative musicians. A truly unique musical voice, Cuong has lent his trumpet playing to a wide range of artists such as Pat Metheny, Laurie Anderson, and David Bowie.

As a youngster, Cuong's intense dedication and love for music led him to a full scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music where he received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz studies with a distinction in performance. Transitioning from his studies in Boston, he moved to New York in 1994 and began his career actively leading various groups while touring extensively throughout the world. As a leader, Cuong has released eight recordings, each making critics’ lists of the 10 best recordings of their respective years and has received rave reviews from notable publications such as the New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper’s, the Guardian, BBC Music Magazine, JazzTimes and Downbeat. Each record displays how he has carved out a distinctive sonic territory as a trumpet player, blurring all stylistic borders while developing his own compositional aesthetic and sound world.

Awards and honors that Cuong has garnered include grants from the Royalty Research Foundation, the Donald E. Petersen Professorship, ArtistTrust, 4Culture, CityArts and the Colbert Award for Excellence.  Cuong is currently associate professor and chair of Jazz Studies at the University of Washington and was awarded the University of Washington's prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award in his third year on faculty. In 2002 and 2006, Cuong was a recipient of the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album as a member of the Pat Metheny Group. He’s been recognized as one of the top 50 Jazz Artists in an article called “The New Masters” from the British magazine, “Classic CD” and in 2006 was named the Best International Jazz Artist by the Italian Jazz Critics’ Society. Amazon listed Vu’s “Come Play With Me” on their “The 100 Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time.”

Ted Poor is a New York-born, Seattle-based drummer, composer, and producer whose adventurous, soulful playing has vaulted him to the stages of some of today’s most vital artists. Modern Drummer describes his playing as “adventurous, truly dynamic, and forward-thinking.” A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Ted has toured and recorded with renowned artists such as Paul Simon, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Rufus Wainwright, Pat Metheny, Blake Mills, Madison Cunningham, Lizzy McAlpine, Chris Thile, Cuong Vu, Lucy Dacus, Marcus Mumford, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. 

Having signed with Verve Records (UMG), his debut album, You Already Know, was released in 2020 to critical acclaim. The album, which is co-produced with Blake Mills, features Andrew D’Angelo, Andrew Bird and Rob Moose. JazzTimes calls the album “profound and moving” and states, “intimate, involving, and lasting, You Already Know balms the senses, wakes them up, slaps them around, and offers positive affirmations.” 

A long standing member of Los Angeles based singer/song-writer Andrew Bird’s band, Ted has appeared on numerous records and world-wide tours. He also performed regularly in the house band on the live NPR radio broadcast of Live From Here with Chris Thile (formerly A Prairie Home Companion). 

Ted is an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and the Associate Director of the School of Music at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2025, he was selected as one of six fellows to the inaugural cohort of the Provost’s Academy – a university-wide leadership development program – to support campus-wide arts initiatives.