This concert was the culmination of a week-long residency for NYC-based pianist Helen Sung in Guildhall’s Jazz Department, a week during which – so I was told by a number of those involved – she has imparted a particularly positive, encouraging and enabling buzz.
There was a really “good energy” about last night’s concert from all involved, which is also a tribute to the taut and clear direction of the band from Matt Skelton, who had most of the evening’s conducting duties, before passing the (metaphorical) baton to Finn Genockey.
Helen Sung’s piano playing is a phenomenon, a wonder of the world. I am reminded that when the late great Marian McPartland interviewed her for NPR’s Piano Jazz show in 2006, the first adjective she used to describe Sung’s playing was ‘dazzling’. And Sung’s solo piano feature – jesting with Gershwin, calming with Stanley Cowell, then triumphing with Geri Allen – was exactly that.
However, there was so much more to enjoy from last night’s concert, played in front of a lively, mostly young, and nearly full house. We heard Sung playing short one-chorus solos with the big band where each section of her solo on the song form felt like the turning of a completely fresh page. And when she played in a trio with guitar and bass, “Everybody’s Waltz” from the duo album with Marquis Hill, we in the audience could see vividly and in real-time her capacity to inspire.
But the biggest revelation of the night for me was quite how inventive, lively and unexpected her writing for large ensemble is. She has explained the background in an interview (link below) but the “story” doesn’t prepare the listener for how the music will sound. There were moments (the opening of “Nica’s Dream” with a Ronnie Cuber-ish baritone solo from Max Lo and the rising tide of anarchy in “Strange Vibes”) when she drew on her deep knowledge of the Mingus repertoire from her regular role in the Mingus Big Band. But her Clark Terry tribute ” Positively CT” had echoes from much further back, and both “Tall Tales” in honour of Ron Carter and her tribute to Wayne Shorter brought out fascinating contrasts of timbre and moments of real beauty.
So here we go…with the most reckless prediction of the year. The album of Helen Sung’s “Portrait’s in Jazz”, resulting from her Guggenheim Fellowship hasn’t been released yet. I haven’t heard it yet. But on the strength of what I heard last night from these superb Guildhall players, the quality, freshness and range of this writing must already put “Portraits in Jazz” in contention for a 2026 Grammy, or at the very least for a nomination.
FIRST SET
Horace Silver: Filthy McNasty
Horace Silver: Nica’s Dream
Solo piano medley: Gershwin – ‘Nice Work…’/Stanley Cowell – Equipoise /Geri Allen – ‘Feed the Fire’
Trio: Everybody’s Waltz (Sung)
Horace Silver: Strange Vibes
Joe Henderson: The Kicker
SECOND SET
Helen Sung ‘Portraits in Jazz’ Suite:
A Little Bird Watchin’ (for Jimmy Heath)
Positively CT (for Clark Terry)
Wayne’s World (for Wayne Shorter) – directed by Finn Genockey
Tall Tales (for Ron Carter) – directed by Helen Sung
Piano Festival (for Barry Harris – for Kenny Barron – for Herbie Hancock) – directed by Finn Genockey
Guildhall Jazz Orchestra
Saxes, winds: Harris Dakin, Jamie Harms, Max Barnard, Arion Thompson, Max Lo
Trumpets: Luke Lane, Benny Tayler, Carmen Llena Pérez, Matthew Hill
Trombones: Cat Eden, Anna Bailey, Max Lawrence, George Good (bass)
Guitar: Maddy Salter, Arun Thavasothy
Piano: Ben Liu, Martina Petrova, Sara Dhillon
Bass: Oscar Ho, Mo Cook
Drums: Luke Brueck Seeley, Finn Genockey
