| Vu-Tet |
2007
Stomu Takeishi - bass
Ted Poor - drums
Chris Speed - sax, clarinet
Cuong Vu - trumpet
Recorded, Mixed, Mastered and Produced by Gerardo Rosado at Zona the Intolerancia Studios, D.F., Mexico 2007
Layout and Design by Chad McCullough
Art Photography by T.E. Priemon
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Reviews
Now he’s made just the right move. ...the point of Mr. Vu’s music, at
its best, is just that: to make you feel lost in it. - Ben Ratliff, NY
Times
On his excellent new album with Speed and the trio,
"Vu-Tet" (ArtistShare), Vu's trumpet chops are noticeably nimble,
especially on the bumblebee flights of "Accelerated Thoughts," the
muscular runs of "Never, Ever, Ever" and the romantic lyricism of "I
Promise." - Paul de Barros, Seattle Times
But this is a really
good record, scary good, and it needs to be heard by as many people as
possible. I’m not saying that you’ll necessarily like it — all I’m
saying is that if you don’t, then you suck. - Matt Cibula, Cave17.com
A pinnacle in Cuong Vu's discography, Vu-Tet reveals a unified voice that veers from somber to fervid, never falling victim to post-modern pastiche. - Troy Collins, All About Jazz
Vu-Tet—an innovative, modernistic, compelling recording, from start to finish—answers the “Why plug in a trumpet?” question convincingly. Outstanding! - Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
While Vu became more visible when he joined the Pat Metheny Group in 2001, his work on the guitarist's more eminently accessible Speaking of Now (Warner Bros., 2002) and ambitious The Way Up (Nonesuch, 2005) hasn't compromised his own evolving voice. Instead, Vu-Tet capitalizes on and expands upon the successes of It's Mostly Residual, with even greater compositional depth, textural breadth, improvisational freedom and intimate group interaction. - John Kelman, All About Jazz
Spending time with “Vu-tet” is more exiting and pleasant than it is hard work. Cuong Vu, a member of the Pat Metheny Group when he is not downtown, has a knack for an attractive theme and a tumbling funk that keeps this adventurous music fully available. The “Vu-tet” may be the trumpeter's most consistently fine record as a leader. - Will Layman, PopMatters.com
The audacious and sometimes downright insurgent trumpeter Cuong Vu takes his original music to another level with Vu-Tet. Informed by jazz improvisation, hints of rock and a healthy dose of both ambient and in-your-face electronica, Vu-Tet defies easy categorization or genre pigeonholing. In performance recently at the University of Washington – where Vu is now on faculty – his architectonic use of loops built ensembles with so many layers that you could lose count. At one point a baker's dozen trumpet parts – complete with built-in fades – soared gracefully, call-and-response with himself, full of cat-and-mouse counterpoint and compound crosshatched rhythms. The man is a master of electronic manipulation and loops; there's nothing even remotely gimmicky to be heard.
- Bill Barton, CODA
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