ENDEIT
Nguyên Lê
Photo: Krd, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Guitarists · b. 1959

Nguyên Lê

French jazz guitarist

Born
14 January 1959
Paris
Country
France
Active
1983–
Record labels
ACT Music
Discography
17 albums

Biography

Nguyên Lê is a jazz musician who plays guitar and EBow. Nguyên Lê was born on 14 January 1959 in Paris. The music is usually filed under jazz fusion, rock music and world music. Record labels: ACT Music. The discography here lists 17 albums, from “Miracles” (1990) to “Onety One” (2025). Honours include Django d'Or (2006), Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (2012) and Prix Django Reinhardt (2012).

Nguyên Lê (Vietnamese: Lê Thành Nguyên; born 14 January 1959) is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays bass guitar and guitar synthesizer. He has released albums as a leader and as a sideman. His 1996 album Tales from Viêt-Nam blends jazz and traditional Vietnamese music. Nguyên Lê has performed with Randy Brecker, Vince Mendoza, Eric Vloeimans, Carla Bley, Michel Portal, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Per Mathisen, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, Trilok Gurtu, Paolo Fresu and Dhafer Youssef. In spring 2011 he released Songs of Freedom, an album with cover versions of pop hits from the 1970s.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Miracles 1990
Zanzibar 1992
Tales from Viêt-nam 1996
Three Trios 1997
Maghreb and Friends 1998
PURPLE: Celebrating Jimi Hendrix 2002
Walking on the Tiger's Tail 2005
Homescape 2006
Fragile Beauty 2008
Saiyuki 2009
Way of Life 2010
Songs of Freedom 2011
Celebrating the Dark Side of the Moon 2014
Hà Nội Duo 2017
Overseas 2019
Silk and Sand 2023
Onety One 2025

Also plays on

Albums where Nguyên Lê is credited as a sideman

1993 Any Way — Michel Portal guitar
2001 E_L_B — Peter Erskine / Nguyên Lê / Michel Benita guitar
2008 Dream Flight — Peter Erskine, Nguyên Lê & Michel Benita inviting Stéphane Guillaume electric guitar, electronic instruments
2013 Silent Ways — Cæcilie Norby electric guitar, electronic instruments, guitar
2022 3 Generations — Nils Landgren guitar
2023 Street of Minarets — Dhafer Youssef guitar

Awards

Frequently asked questions

What instrument does Nguyên Lê play?

Nguyên Lê is known for playing guitar and EBow.

When and where was Nguyên Lê born?

Nguyên Lê was born 14 January 1959 in Paris.

What are Nguyên Lê's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Miracles (1990), Zanzibar (1992), Tales from Viêt-nam (1996), Three Trios (1997) and Maghreb and Friends (1998).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.