These are challenging times: today’s world is roiling with strife and pain as aggressive factions seek to conquer and control, the rest of the planet be damned. Jazz has always preached a message diametrically opposed to such things – this music of freedom and joy insists that there is room enough for all, inviting everyone to bring their unique piece to the banquet table. This is the world from which Helen Sung’s debut big band project Oracles springs. A tour de force of musical portraits showcasing her exceptional subjects, Oracles is her heartfelt thank you to jazz legends Clark Terry, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, Barry Harris, Kenny Barron, Herbie Hancock and Sir Roland Hanna, all of whom mentored her in the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (now the Herbie Hancock Institute).