Niels Lan Doky

Although still not that well-known in the United States, Niels Lan Doky is an impressive pianist who has recorded pretty extensively, with 14 albums as a leader by 1996. Born to a Danish mother who sang and had hit records and a Vietnamese father who was both a doctor and a classical guitarist, Niels first played guitar when he was seven, switching to piano when he was 12. Three years later, he played with Thad Jones, who wrote a letter recommending him to the Berklee School of Music. Doky lived in Boston while attending Berklee from 1981-1984, spent a long period in New York, and eventually settled in Paris. He has worked with Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Jack DeJohnette, Bob Berg, Clark Terry, Tom Harrell, and many others, and had such players as Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Bob Berg, Terri Lyne Carrington, and John Scofield as side players on his records. Niels Lan Doky has recorded as a leader for Storyville, Milestone, and Soul Note, and occasionally co-leads the Doky Brothers with his younger sibling Chris, who plays bass; they have recorded a set for Blue Note. ~ Scott Yanow