ABOUT

      Thu's vocal styling is infused with the artistic sensibilities from a unique musical upbringing, and heavily influenced by Sarah Vaughan, Helen Merrill, Nancy Wilson, Amy Winehouse, and Ella Fitzgerald.  She grew up in a multi-cultural musical melting pot of Vietnamese folk music, R&B, and Broadway. In college, Thu received classical voice training under the private tutelage of Mr. Merrill Shea, on faculty at the Boston Conservatory of Music.  She continued her musical endeavors in various A Capella groups, recorded for famed Vietnamese composer Bao Quoc Hoang, and performed professionally around San Diego in an Indie Soul Band called Curbside Vinyl.

    Thu's journey through the vast world of music landed her at the doorstep of Jazz, accompanied by her innate attraction towards sass, big sultry vocals, and musical nuance.  She has studied Jazz theory and performance with highly regarded performers and instructors, including Rebeca Mauleon, Dena DeRose, Cecilia Engelhart, and Madeline Eastman.

    Thu has performed at various Bay Area and southern California venues, including NAMM at the Anaheim Convention Center, the House of Blues San Diego, the Golden Gate Park Bandshell, Humphreys Backstage Live, the historic Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the Palace Hotel San Francisco, Black Cat, Geoffrey's Inner Circle, and the 35,000-square-foot SFJAZZ Center, the first stand-alone structure in the country built specifically for jazz performance. Thu has worked with ensembles led by the great Victor Wooten and the Wooten Brothers, internationally acclaimed saxophonist & composer Joe Lovano, legendary drummer Akira Tana, acclaimed vibraphonist Yancie Taylor, Rolling Stones journalist Ben-Fong Torres, master horn player Noel Jewkes, and San Francisco’s premiere modern jazz ensemble - Jazz Mafia. She was the featured vocalist for SFJAZZ Monday Night Band and performed in the grand SFJAZZ Miner Auditorium from 2017-2020. Currently, Thu has a residency at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco and Geoffrey’s Inner Circle in Oakland, California. 

In July 2019, Thu released her first jazz album entitled “Thu Ho with the Noel Jewkes Trio – Live at the Sausalito Seahorse.” This project materialized naturally and organically, as listeners and sound engineers alike realized that this ensemble’s collective sound and musicianship embodied a rare flavor of harmonic opulence and lyrical elegance. The album was recorded live to best capture their creative spark and effervescent spontaneity.