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Helen Sung Quartet + 1 at SFJAZZ Center

By Harry S. Pariser
April 7, 2022
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Helen Sung Quartet+1
Joe Henderson lab at SFJAZZ Center
San Francisco, CA
March 18, 2022

Raised by immigrants from Taiwan in Houston, Texas,

Helen Sung

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Helen Sung does not fit the traditional stereotype of a jazz musician. Sung was set to be a classical pianist, earning her bachelor's and master's degrees in classical piano at the University of Texas at Austin in 1993 and 1995, respectively. But she was lured to the community of jazz musicians, leaving classical music behind to become one of the most prominent young jazz musicians with seven CDs under her name. She has played with the likes of

Terri Lyne Carrington

drums
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Terri Lyne Carrington, the

Mingus Big Band

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Mingus Big Band,

Clark Terry

trumpet
1920 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Clark Terry, and

Wynton Marsalis

trumpet
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Wynton Marsalis.

This tour was to promote Quartet+ (Sunnyside, 2022), Sung's new album of compositions from female jazz composers. As it was, in her words, prohibitively expensive to tour with a string quartet, she settled on

Jenny Scheinman

violin
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Jenny Scheinman, which was far from a bad compromise.

An accomplished jazz violinist, Scheinman has recorded with the likes of the

Kronos Quartet

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Kronos Quartet,

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell (with whom she has appeared on nine recordings), and

Lucinda Williams

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Lucinda Williams, among others. But long-time San Franciscans may remember her for her blazing fiddle work with local scene stalwart

Charming Hostess

" data-original-title="" title="">Charming Hostess, an alt-pop ensemble fronted by the inimitable Jewlia Eisenberg (who tragically died in 2021 of GATA2 deficiency).

Donned in a a silver gown, Helen sat down at the piano and launched into "Feed the Fire," a tune written by the late distinguished jazz pianist

Geri Allen

piano
1957 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Geri Allen. It featured blue-shirted bassist

David Wong

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">David Wong before saxophonist

Dave Ellis

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Ellis jumped in—that was followed by a spirited solo by drummer

Kendrick Scott

drums
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Kendrick Scott after which the tune ended with a piano flourish.

Next up was a tribute to

Mary Lou Williams

piano
1910 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Lou Williams. Sung had determined that her initial choice, "Mary's Waltz," was originally penned by the great unsung pianist

Herbie Nichols

piano
1919 - 1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Nichols, so she added "Roll' Em" to the mix to make sure she had a Williams original included. The former featured a bass solo, a delicate flute solo, and Scheinmann's beautifully lyrical violin solo. "Roll' Em" included an up-tempo violin solo, plucked violin and a solo from Sung.

Sung related that when she met pianist

Marian McPartland

piano
1918 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Marian McPartland, she found her quite charming. She featured McPartland's "Melancholy Mood" and "Kaleidoscope" followed, which offered an atmospheric and moody violin solo from Scheinmann and a soprano sax solo from Ellis. Sung grinned as she soloed, her fingers moving with rapidly up and down the keyboard to percussive effect.

The two-part suite "Temporality" ("Elegy for the City," "Time Loops") brought the first show to a close. It featured Scheinmann, displaying delicate fingering on her violin while extracting a mournful tone. Wong fingered his bass with great dexterity, Ellis showed similar skills with his flute, while Scott offered taut drum work.

The concert ended with a well-deserved standing ovation.

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