Niels Lan Doky

Niels Lan Doky (1963-    ) is an internationally renowned jazz pianist of Danish and Vietnamese descent.

Born on October 3, 1963 in Copenhagen, Denmark to a Vietnamese father and a Danish mother, he was heavily influenced by music through his parents.  His father worked primarily as a physician, but was also a classically trained guitarist, while his mother was a singer.  Through his father, he first learned how to play the guitar as a child.  Niels Lan Doky started playing the piano at the age of 11.  At the age of 15, he started working with acclaimed American jazz musician Thad Jones touring extensively across Europe.  After graduating from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in the early 1980s, Niels Lan Doky landed his first recording contract with Storyville Records in 1986 with the help of late Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen.  That same year, he released his critically acclaimed debut album, Here or There.  Niels Lan Doky has since recorded for many other major jazz labels such as Verve, Milestone, Blue Stone, Columbia and Keystone/Video Arts Music releasing a total of 37 albums.  He has worked with some of the biggest names in jazz music including Gino Vannelli, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, Mike Brecker, Dave Sanborn, Ray Brown, Woody Shaw, Charlie Haden and John McLaughlin.  He and his younger brother, bass guitarist Chris Minh Doky, have formed their own jazz group, The Doky Brothers, which have performed at many recitals for audiences all over Europe, North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.  In 1999, he released the studio album, Asian Session, which featured the guest vocals of Vietnamese pop singer Thanh Lam.  On December of 2000, Niels Lan Doky performed with Gino Vannelli on an internationally televised live concert show for Pope John Paul II.

In addition to his successful career as a jazz musician, Niels Lan Doky has also ventured into the film industry as a director.  In 2004, he made his directorial film debut with the feature length documentary, Between a Smile and a Tear, which highlighted the lives of several accomplished jazz musicians and how they had been influenced by the Montmartre era.  At present Niels Lan Doky is wrapping up production for his next feature length documentary, Dreaming with Open Eyes, which will feature other world renowned musicians/vocalists such as David Sanborn, Randy Brecker, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gino Vannelli and Lisa Nilsson.

Hailed as Denmark's most successful jazz musician, Niels Lan Doky has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career which include the Oscar Peterson Jazz Masters Award (1983), the Boston Jazz Society Achievement Award (1983), the Count Basie Award (1984) and the Ben Webster Award (2008).  Three of his albums, Casa Dolce Casa (2002), Spain (2003) and Scandinavian Reminiscence (2005), have won the Gold Disc - Seal of Approval award from Swing Journal, Japan.  In 2001, Niels Lan Doky was honored with an award of recognition from his Royal Highness, Prince Henrik of Denmark, for his outstanding achievements as a jazz musician.  On April 16, 2010, Niels Lan Doky was knighted by Her Majesty, Queen Margrethe II, on the occasion of her 70th birthday.

When not on tour, Niels Lan Doky currently divides his time between residences in Paris, France and his native Copenhagen, Denmark.

Link(s):

Niels Lan Doky Official Website