
Biography
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.”
Research
Selected Research
- Melia Watras. Schumann Resonances. CD. Planet M Records 2019.
- Cuong Vu 4-Tet studio recording of orginal compositions
- Cuong Vu, Bill Frisell, Ted Poor and Luke Bergman perform the music of Michael Gibbs
- Cuong Vu leads his trio in a setting with guest, guitarist Pat Metheny.
- Indigo Mist: That the days go by and never come again, Cuong Vu, Richard Karpen, Luke Bergman, Ted Poor, RareMusic, 2014.
- Cuong Vu, with Ted Poor, Stomu Takeshi, and Luke Bergman; Leaps of Faith; CD; 2011
- Cuong Vu, Vu-Tet, Cuong Vu, Ted Poor, Stomu Takeishi, Chris Speed, 2007 (re-released 2010, Table and Chairs Music)
- It’s Mostly Residual
- Cuong Vu's debut recording as a leader
- Cuong Vu, This, This, and That; Cuong Vu, Stomu Takeshi, John Hollenbeck; 2000