Helen Sung

DIGIPACK EDITION

Helen Sung keeps up the glowing sophistication in her way of playing that withstands any sort of a synthetic approach to music. She puts this skill into use in her new recording, Sung With Words, the first containing all original compositions. Every single piece was inspired by the words of Californian poet Dana Gioia.

Sung puts together a central sextet with saxophonist/clarinetist John Ellis, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Kendrick Scott, and percussionist Samuel Torres. The vocal tracks, in which every syllable is served with lyric refinement after Gioia’s spoken-word intros, are ‘entrusted’ to whether one or two accomplished guest singers such as Jean Baylor, Carolyn Leonhart, Christie Dashiel, and Charenee Wade.

PERSONNEL:

• HELEN SUNG, piano
• DANA GIOIA, spoken word
• JOHN ELLIS, tenor and soprano sax, bass clarinet
• INGRID JENSEN, trumpet
• REUBEN ROGERS, bass
• KENDRICK SCOTT, drums
• SAMUEL TORRES, percussion

• GUESTS VOCALIST: Jean Baylor, Carolyn Leonhart, Christie Dashiel, Charenee Wade

TRACKS:

• 01. Meet Me at the Lighthouse (Intro) [feat. Dana Gioia]
• 02. Convergence
• 03. The Stars on Second Avenue (feat. Dana Gioia)
• 04. Hot Summer Night (Spoken Intro)
• 05. Hot Summer Night
• 06. Pity the Beautiful (Spoken Intro)
• 07. Pity the Beautiful
• 08. Too Bad (Spoken Intro)
• 09. Too Bad
• 10. Lament for Kalief Browder
• 11. Into the Unknown
• 12. Touch
• 13. Coda (Spoken): Touch
• 14. In the Shadwoland
• 15. Mean What You Say (Spoken Intro)
• 16. Mean What You Say