Helen Sung Group

Rooted in the jazz tradition, infused with a modern, adventurous spirit, the music of jazz pianist and composer Helen Sung ranges from timeless piano trio to jazz-classical adventures to jazz settings of contemporary poetry and to big band. She dismantles stereotypes as an Asian-American female jazz artist and is being hailed as one of the leading voices in jazz today.

During her studies at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (renamed the Herbie Hancock Institute), she studied and worked directly with some of the greatest masters of jazz music including Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, Barry Harris, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Barron, Herbie Hancock, and more. Her latest release Oracles (Sunnyside Records, 2026) celebrates these mentors, consisting of musical portraits that Sung wrote and arranged for big band. Oracles is a tour de force and heartfelt thank you to artists that changed her life and artistic trajectory, and a milestone in Sung's unfolding career.

Sung recalls the words of Jimmy Heath: “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 create something bigger, richer and deeper.” This is the world Sung yearns for, a spacious place where each person’s story and distinctive contribution is important and valued. 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. [Oracles] 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.”

But this deeply personal 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.