Oracles
SSC1799 2026-06-12
Track List
Convergence - 4:58
Samba Da Gumz - 0:58
Positively C.T. (for Clark Terry} - 6:44
Diana - 3:48
Wayne’s World (for Wayne Shorter) - 6:25
Mr. Virtuoso (for Ron Carter) - 4:40
R.J. - 1:35
A Little Bird Watchin’ (for Jimmy Heath) - 5:43
Pianism I: Barry Harris - 5:20
Pianism II: Kenny Barron - 4:46
Pianism III: Herbie Hancock - 4:10
Peace - 3:40
Musicians
Helen Sung - piano
Vicente Archer - bass
Adam Cruz - drums
Samuel Torres - percussion
Tatum Greenblatt - trumpet - fluegelhorn
Mike Rodriguez - trumpet - fluegelhorn
Alex Norris - trumpet - fluegelhorn
Nathaniel Williford - trumpet - fluegelhorn
James Burton III - trombones
Sara Jacovino - trombones
Willie Applewhite - trombones
Gina Benalcazar Lopez - trombones
Dave Pietro - saxophones
Alejandro Aviles - saxophones
John Ellis - saxophones
Nicole Glover - saxophones
Andrew Gutauskas - saxophones
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.”
“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.
