"Sometimes I don’t fully get what he wrote, but I can feel it, a kind of sadness that’s gentle, not heavy, not painful. And I’m always a little surprised by it. How something so sad can also feel so beautiful, so poetic?" Quynh said.

Jazz was born in the West, a genre characterized by improvisation and freedom. In jazz, musicians don’t play what’s written. They listen, respond, and create in the moment. You might hear a melody you already know, but in jazz it can be stretched, bent, or played in a completely different way.

For Quan Pham, a jazz singer involved in the project ‘Let’s Love Jazz’, its flexibility is what allows Trinh’s music to endure in different forms. Trinh songs always carry something melancholic, Quan said, adding that they’re often sad, sometimes moody, usually in a darker tone. Jazz gives those songs a new life, like a new coat.

"Sometimes a sad song can feel light or even joyful. Sometimes a happy song can feel sad. Jazz allows that kind of shift," said Quan.

Jazz singer Quan Pham believes jazz is a genre anyone can enjoy as long as they keep an open mind.

Jazz is still unfamiliar to many listeners in Vietnam. For them it seems too free, too improvised, not something you’d go looking for. That’s okay, because jazz isn’t meant to be forced. Quan Pham doesn’t believe jazz needs to be explained or recommended.

"I wouldn’t tell beginners, ‘Oh my God, you have to love jazz.’ No. Just let it happen naturally. Maybe you start with one song you like. If it speaks to you, it speaks to you. If it doesn’t, that’s fine, too. Don’t try to love jazz. Just feel it."

Beyond the musicians and the ideas, what matters is how Trinh’s music - reimagined in a jazz style - is received.

Nguyen Phuong Lan of Hanoi listened to the songs, not as a jazz expert, not as a purist, but as someone who has lived with Trinh’s music for years. “As long as the new doesn’t erase the old - as long as the soul of Trinh is still there - I’m happy to welcome it.”

Lan said that she has always loved how deep Trinh’s music is, the lyrics, the melodies, the way it makes her think about life. "I don’t usually listen to jazz. I just follow whatever touches me. So hearing his songs in jazz today, it felt fresh. Free. Very alive. Some people say his music is already perfect, that it doesn’t need to be changed. I get that. But I don’t mind new takes, as long as they respect the old, and keep the heart of the music. And if it helps others feel what I feel, I’m happy to listen and enjoy it, too."

Dattie is just one of several young artists featured on the album. Quynh Pham has always wanted to create space for younger musicians to share her journey, and to give them a chance to explore and honor Vietnamese jazz. She believes that when more artists are involved, when the community grows together, the music and Trinh’s songs will become even richer and more alive.

Quynh said she likes to think of it as a garden: not a single flower, but a whole array of beautiful blooms. Everyone can come, look, and enjoy. It’s about letting many voices grow together, not just mine alone, she added.

So who handled the challenging job of translating the lyrics? That was Dr. Nguyen Nhat Tuan, who once lived in Europe and is a big fan of jazz. 10 years ago he heard Quynh sing and he was hooked. With that kind of inspiration? Yep, he signed on.

When it comes to Trinh’s songs, one of the first things Tuan told himself was that any author or songwriter has their own definition of their work. “If we try to stick to the very message itself, it would be quite complicated for people to get it, especially for the foreigners…As a translator, I can’t capture that 100%, but I should be capable of conceptualizing what the song is about."