Helen Sung is a mighty force on piano—an adept soloist who combines her classical background with a passionate dedication to jazz and the feel of swing. Winner of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and featured in 2011 on Wynton Marsalis’ “Who’s Got Next: Jazz Musicians to Watch” list, Sung’s career has exploded over the past decade.

In addition to working with a number of top-shelf bands and bandleaders, she has received the highest praise for her own albums, which have featured both originals and inspired interpretations of compositions from Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Fiddler on the Roof, and Thelonious Monk—the latter of which, not surprisingly, seems to be a favorite source of the material.

For one night only, she returns by high demand to lead the Helen Sung Quartet. She kicks off our month-long celebration of Women in Jazz.