Sungbird (After Albeniz)

Sungbird (After Albeniz)

Having come to jazz relatively late (during college when she thought she wanted to be a classical pianist), Helen Sung spent most of the years since trying to swing and soak in the blues. At the same time, there is the desire to improvise and write with increasing clarity and variety of texture seen in the classical music she played. This CD project is an attempt to begin integrating the different parts of her musical experience.<br>When Helen found Isaac Albéniz's España, Op.165, a suite of 6 pieces for solo piano, it was what she was looking for: beautifully written pieces that were distinctive, simple yet profound, concise and with room for adaptation! The resulting jazz pieces range from simple orchestrations to complete transformation. Although she opted not to adapt the Serenata, happily her own piece Sungbird turned out to be an appropriate trade. <br>So here we have Sungbird (after Albéniz) along with the original, Albéniz's España, Op.165.<br>With Helen Sung on piano, Marcus Strickland on tenor & soprano saxophone, Reuben Rogers on bass, Nasheet Waits on drums and, Samuel Torres on percussion.