Born 01/04/1959 in Paris from Vietnamese parents, Nguyên Lê began to play drums at the age of 15, then took up guitar and electric bass. After graduating in Visual Arts, he majored in Philosophy, writing a thesis on Exoticism. Then he devoted to music, creating Ultramarine (1983), a multi-ethnic band whose Cd DÊ has been considered "1989's best World Music album" (Philippe Conrath, Libération).
Nguyên Lê is a self-taught musician, with a wide scope of interests: rock and funk (Jim Cuomo, Madagascar tour 1984), jazz standards and contemporary jazz (bass with Marc Ducret, Yves Robert, guitar with Eric Barret), singers (Claude Nougaro, Ray Charles), contemporary music (Marius Constant, Mauricio Kagel), ethnic music: African and Caribbean with Ultramarine, Algerian with Safy Boutella, Indian with Kakoli, Vietnamese with his Dan Bau (traditional one-stringed instrument) teacher Truong Tang.
In September 1987 he was chosen by musical director Antoine Harvé to play with the O.N.J. (French National Jazz Orchestra). Within this big band, he played with such musicians as Johnny Griffin, Louis Sclavis, Didier Lockwood, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Randy Brecker, Toots Thielemans, Courtney Pine, Steve Lacy, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gil Evans, Quincy Jones.
Nguyên Lê's work also deals with programming synthesizers, effects and computers as well as writing orchestral pieces: "Processor" composed, arranged and recorded on CD "O.N.J. 87" and "Lunik II" co-arranged with Dominique Borker and performed by the O.N.J. 1989.
In September 1989 he records Ultramarine's second album DÊ and, in May 1990, his first album as a leader: Miracles recorded in the U.S.A. with Art Lande, Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine. At the same time he works with such musicians as Michel Portal, Miroslav Vitous, Trilok Gurtu, J.F. Jenny Clarke, Aldo Romano, Daniel Humair, Dewey Redman, Andy Emler, Jon Christensen, Nana Vasconcelos, Glenn Ferris, Christof Lauer, Paolo Fresu...
In May 1992, with Paul McCandless on winds, Art Lande (piano), Dean Johnson (bass) and Joël Allouche (drums), he records his second album Zanzibar. In January 1993 he records Init, a trio with André Ceccarelli, François Moutin and guest Bob Berg, while setting up a new band on the music of Jimi Hendrix, with Corin Curschellas (voc), Steve Argüelles (drums), Richard Bona (bass).
Since January 1993 he's been a frequent guest soloist of Köln's WDR Big Band, especially with composer/director Vince Mendoza. Nguyên Lê plays on three of his projects: Jazzpaña, Sketches with Dave Liebman, Charlie Mariano, Peter Erskine, and Downtown, with Russell Ferrante. In April 1994 he was invited to be the soloist of "The New Yorker", a suite written and directed by Bob Brookmeyer, with Dieter Ilg (bass), and Danny Gottlieb (drums). With these two musicians he has set his new trio, and recorded his last CD, Million Waves in December 1994. About his CD, Michel Contat, from Télérama writes: "This trio brings him to some musical spaces which he had not even imagined, and which are pure poetry".
In the meantime, he's playing in trio with Michel Benita (bass) and Peter Erskine, recording on Michel Portal's new album with Ralph Towner (guitar), and working with Ornette Coleman on one of his contemporary music pieces, "Freedom Statue". In June 1995 he's invited by the WDR Big Band in "Azure Moon", with the Yellowjackets and Vince Mendoza. In July 1995 he's invited by the Stuttgart Festival to be one of the guitar player to celebrate the "Universe of Jimi Hendrix", besides Trilok Gurtu, Terry Bozzio, Cassandra Wilson, Jack Bruce, Vernon Reid, David Torn, Victor Bailey, Pharoah Sanders... Recently he has been playing with John McLaughlin, Markus Stockhausen and Michel Petrucciani.
Nguyên Lê's current main work is Tales from Viêt-Nam, a project on rewriting Vietnamese music, with a 8-piece band blending jazz and traditional musicians. The CD has already been awarded as "Diapason d'Or" and "Choc de Jazzman". In April 1996, Paris, Balieues Bleues festival, with stage director Pierre Jean San Bartolomé, Nguyên Lê has created "Of the Moon & the Wind", a global show which integrates traditional and contemporary vietnamese dancers to the band.

DISCOGRAPHY

Programme Jungle - Ultramarine, (1985) Bloomdido BL0001
DÊ - Ultramarine, (1989) Musidisc 500052
Esimala - Ultramarine, (1991) Musidisc 500242
Pierre Louis Garcia - (1988) KPP 26
Wait - I.L.L.O.U.Z., (1988) Flat & Sharp 192422
Make Up - Sylvin Marc, (1990) JMS 052-2
Eurasie - Bruno Heuze, (1993) K Vox KVR 1006
Khora - Thierry David, (1994) K Vox KVR 1009
Strong Love Affair - Ray Charles, (1996) Qwest
Chansongs - Claude Nougaro, (1993) Phonogram 5211172
O.N.J. 88/89 - Orchestre National de Jazz, (1987) Label Bleu LBL 6511
African Dream - Orchestra National de Jazz, (1989) Label Bleu LBL 6521
Megaoctet - Andy Emler, (1990) Label Bleu LBL 6533
Headgames - Andy Emler, (1992) Label Bleu LBL 6553
Mejnoun - Safy Boutella, (1991) Indigo LBLC 2501
Anyway - Michel Portal, (1993) Label Bleu LBLC 6544
Cinemas - Michel Portal, (1995) Label Bleu LBLC 6574
Init - Ceccarelli/N. Lê/Moutin, (1993) Polygram 518265-2
Sketches - Vince Mendoza, (1994) WDR/ACT 892152
Miracles - Nguyên Lê, (1989) Musidisc 500102
Zanzibar - Nguyên Lê, (1992) Musidisc 500352
Million Waves - Nguyên Lê, (1995) ACT 9221-1
Tales from Viet-Nam - Nguyên Lê, (1996) ACT 9225-2