Helen Sung - Oracles

These are challenging times: today’s world is roiling with strife and pain as aggressive factions seek to conquer and control, the rest of the planet be damned. Jazz has always preached a message diametrically opposed to such things – this music of freedom and joy insists that there is room enough for all, inviting everyone to bring their unique piece to the banquet table. This is the world from which Helen Sung’s debut big band project Oracles springs. A tour de force of musical portraits showcasing her exceptional subjects, Oracles is her heartfelt thank you to jazz legends Clark Terry, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, Barry Harris, Kenny Barron, Herbie Hancock and Sir Roland Hanna, all of whom mentored her in the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (now the Herbie Hancock Institute).

The Institute’s Artistic Director at the time, bass legend Ron Carter, told Sung, “In order to find your voice in this music, you have to write your own music.” It was a radical idea for this classically trained pianist and eldest daughter of Chinese immigrants – that she could be both a performer and a composer who had the freedom to create. The Institute’s two-year apprentice-style program gave her the opportunity to work directly with these masters who embraced this newcomer into the world of jazz. Their intuitive wisdom and deep knowledge provided important guidance as Sung integrated her story into a larger narrative, teaching her to build on a hard-won tradition with the aim of becoming an artist with something wholly her own to say.

Sung recalls something the great tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath said to her: “The jazz bandstand is where true democracy lives. Everyone must understand their role and come prepared by doing the hard work of study and practice. Each person will get to say their piece, but it is in the act of integrating as a band that the musicians ultimately create something bigger, richer and deeper.” This is the world we yearn for, a spacious place where each person’s story and distinctive contribution make our common humanity stronger and more exquisite. Sung reflects on this longing, and on the significance of her album:

“Jazz is the most generous of art forms, able to integrate other musical traditions while still retaining its core identity and values,” says Sung. “In turn, it has influenced almost every genre of modern popular music to become a truly global art form. This album expresses my deep gratitude, and is a tribute to the masters who made room for me and entrusted me with a tradition they helped build.”

Born from these personal relationships, Sung’s compositions bring these masters vividly to life: “A Little Bird Watchin'" swings with Jimmy Heath's mischievous wit and lasting wisdom; "Positively C.T." crackles with Clark Terry's indomitable spirit, showcasing the top-notch trumpet section in ‘Clarkisms’ and flugelhorn-trumpet sleight of hand; "Wayne's World" reaches for Wayne Shorter’s mighty cathedrals of sound as it dances between playful riffs, soaring melodies, and soulful grooves; while "Mr. Virtuosity" stands as tall as Ron Carter's towering bass legacy.
"Pianism," a piano concerto inspired by Sir Roland Hanna’s urging Sung to not forget her classical roots, celebrates the keyboard mastery of Barry Harris (keeper of Bud Powell’s legacy and the bebop flame), Kenny Barron (a modern master of melody), and Herbie Hancock (transcendence personified), with Hanna presiding over the entire work in an intro and reprise which evokes his noble and generous spirit. Alongside these originals, Sung's arrangements of Terry's "Samba Da Gumz," Shorter's "Diana," Carter's "R.J.," Horace Silver's "Peace," and her own "Convergence" complete an album of stunning range and cohesion.
But this deeply personal and momentous album is no jazz history lesson; rather, it is a powerful musical statement standing against the prevailing push towards isolation and division. Sung’s richly layered work invites listeners to participate in the living continuum and community of Jazz as they experience the masters speaking through this music dedicated to their humanity and profound artistry. Their masterful mentorship helped Sung persevere through rites of passage to find her authentic self, and Oracles encourages the listener to do the same with joy and freedom.

Oracles is created with the support of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, which awarded Sung a Fellowship in 2021 (additional support comes from the New York State Council on the Arts). The pivotal spark for exploring big band came from another organization known for pioneering new opportunities: Jazz at Lincoln Center. In 2016, it commissioned Sung to write a big band arrangement of McCoy Tyner’s “Four By Five” for the Orchestra (she performed it with the ensemble, which was recorded and released on the 2017 Blue Engine live album A Handful of Keys). Now ten years later, that experience of composing for large ensemble has come full circle. It is therefore fitting that the brilliant leader of the JLCO, Wynton Marsalis, wrote the liner notes for Oracles, saying:

“Helen Sung is a shining example of the heroic journey to self-realization through the art of Jazz. As a soloist, arranger, composer and bandleader she [Helen] has developed an expansive vocabulary that encompasses the richness, virtuosity, freedom and humanity that defines the best jazz…the little details that define our music are well represented and attended to with care and intelligence. That’s why this is a great listen…All you have to do is check it out.” 

Tatum Greenblatt - lead trumpet, flugelhorn
Mike Rodriguez - trumpet, flugelhorn
Alex Norris - trumpet, flugelhorn
Nathaniel Williford - trumpet, flugelhorn
James Burton III - lead trombone
Sara Jacovino - trombone
Willie Applewhite - trombone
Gina Benalcázar López - bass trombone
Dave Pietro - first alto sax, doubles
Alejandro Aviles - second alto sax, doubles
John Ellis - first tenor sax, doubles
Nicole Glover - second tenor sax, doubles
Andrew Gutauskas - baritone sax, bass clarinet)
Helen Sung - piano
Vicente Archer - bass
Adam Cruz - drums
Samuel Torres - percussion
Alan Ferber - conductor