New York City Jazz Record – September 2025
Sirius Quartet: Incantations

The Sirius Quartet finds Fung among like-minded string players—Gregor Huebner (violin), Sunjay Jayaram (viola), Jeremy Harman (cello)—and proves equally adept at ensemble playing, improvising and composing. The quartet’s latest album, Incantations, features pieces by each member (three by Harman and two by each of the others), which are united by several common threads, regardless of the composer. Many share a similar form, combining intricately-arranged rhythmic themes with open-ended solo sections to create a unique sound that is equal parts jazz and minimalism.

Fung’s compositions stand out for their dramatic, yet gradual shifts of tempo and mood. The album pays tribute to ancestors of all kinds, from individual mentors to historically marginalized peoples, including the most powerful track, which is Huebner’s “Chant Pour l’Ile Gorée”, named for an island off Africa’s westernmost point (infamous for its significance to the transatlantic slave trade). This piece begins with a monumental litany of call-and-response on a single ornamented pitch, before breaking into a somber lament of a theme, which fits its subject perfectly. more