Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and young musicians have fun while entertaining the Ben Thanh crowd full-size photo

November 26, 2005. Music icons Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Nnenna Freelon and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Octet kicked off a nine-day International Information Programs tour sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in Ho Chi Minh City delighting audiences and students. 

On Thanksgiving Day, the musicians performed for over 200 guests at the Consul General’s Residence.  With a combined total of 18 Grammy Awards between them, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter performed such classics as Hancock’s “Chameleon” and Shorter’s “Footprints.” A traditional Thanksgiving dinner followed the performance. 

Five time Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon truly captured the hearts of HCMC fans, with her incredible vocals, stage presence and talent for reaching out to young people.  A crowd of some 150 students at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music responded enthusiastically to Freelon’s call and response session during a Master Class held Friday morning.  Ms. Freelon used metaphors to describe how instruments such as the saxophone, upright bass, piano, and drums each tell a distinct story.  Elementary school students from Saigon South International School joined the octet, Mr. Hancock, Mr. Shorter, and Ms. Freelon to play a traditional Vietnamese tune which they later improvised into jazz.  During the Friday afternoon press conference, Freelon reflected on her experience, “We could all learn from children, who taught me a Vietnamese song that I will remember forever.”

Following the press conference, the jazz delegation took the stage for a performance at the New World Hotel lobby lounge on Friday night. Those who were not able to secure a ticket for Saturday’s public performance enjoyed the young musicians. Herbie Hancock himself appeared on stage for the final number.

On Saturday evening, members of the public including students, representatives from the business and cultural communities, government contacts and diplomats packed the 1050-seat Ben Thanh Theatre for a concert. The performance concluded the first time that Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Nnenna Freelon, and the TMIJ Octet played together.  The show featured a spectrum of simple to sophisticated songs to give the audience a better understanding of the diversity of jazz and a real sense of the genre. At the end of the show, the audience rose to their feet, clapping and cheering for an encore. The musicians answered the call and returned to the stage to win the audience’s hearts one last time with a final smooth jazz rhythm.

Additional Photos:

Saigon South elementary school students join Herbie and Wayne for a cross-generation moment at a master class. full-size photo	All-star vocalist Nnenna Freelon and world-renown pianist Herbie Hancock perform a duet full-size photo	Herbie and Wayne perform at Ben Thanh Theatre full-size photo