Edward Simon (born July 27, 1969) is a Venezuelan jazz pianist and composer.
Early life Simon was born in Punta Cardón, Venezuela. At the age of ten, he moved to the United States to study at the Philadelphia Performing Arts School. After graduating, he attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied classical piano, and then the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied jazz piano.
Later life and career In 1988, he recorded as a sideman with Greg Osby, then worked as a member of the band Horizon led by Bobby Watson. For the next eight years, he was a member of Terence Blanchard's band. He has also worked with Herbie Mann, Paquito D'Rivera, Bobby Hutcherson, Jerry González, John Patitucci, Arturo Sandoval, Manny Oquendo, and Don Byron. Simon recorded Beauty Within (AudioQuest, 1994), his first album as a bandleader, with bass guitarist Anthony Jackson and drummer Horacio Hernández. During the same year, he was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition (now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz). Then, the following year, he composed Rumba Neurotica for the Relâche ensemble.
He formed Ensemble Venezuela in 2003 to combine jazz with the music of Venezuela. He was commissioned by Chamber Music America to write Venezuelan Suite, for which he recorded an album in 2012, with musicians from Venezuela, Colombia, and the U.S.
Simon has played on several Grammy-nominated jazz albums. Besides his trio, he leads the Sexteto Venezuela, the Afinidad Quartet, and the group Simon, Simon, & Simon with his brothers. He has taught at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City and has been artist in residence at Western Michigan University.
Discography
As leader Release year Album Label Session musicians1994 Beauty Within AudioQuest Horacio Hernández, Anthony Jackson, 1995 Edward Simon Kokopelli Larry Grenadier, Adam Cruz, Mark Turner, Milton Cardona1998 La Bikina Mythology Adam Cruz, Ben Street, Mark Turner, David Binney, Pernell Saturnino, Diego Urcola, Milton Cardona2001 Afinidad Red David Binney, Scott Colley, Brian Blade, Adam Cruz, Lucía Pulido, Adam Rogers2003 The Process Criss Cross John Patitucci, Eric Harland2005 Fiestas de Agosto Red David Binney, Donny McCaslin2005 Simplicitas Criss Cross Avishai Cohen, Adam Cruz, Luciana Souza, Adam Rogers, Pernell Saturnino 2006 Unicity CAM Jazz John Patitucci, Brian Blade2007 Océanos Criss Cross David Binney, Scott Colley, Brian Blade, Luciana Souza, Adam Rogers, Shane Endsley, Jesse Newman, Alan Ferber, Pernell Saturnino2009 Poesia CAM Jazz John Patitucci, Brian Blade2010 Danny Boy Audio & Video Labs Philip Donkin, Stephen Keogh 2013 Live in New York at Jazz Standard Sunnyside John Patitucci, Brian Blade2014 Venezuelan Suite Sunnyside —2016 Latin American Songbook Sunnyside —2018 Sorrows & Triumphs Sunnyside David Binney, Scott Colley, Brian Blade, Adam Rogers2021 Solo Live Ridgeway —
As sideman With Craig Handy Split Second Timing (Arabesque, 1992) – recorded in 1991
With Greg Osby Mindgames (JMT, 1988) Season of Renewal (JMT, 1990) – recorded in 1989
With Terence Blanchard 1994: Romantic Defiance (Columbia, 1995) 1995: The Heart Speaks (Columbia, 1996) 1999: Wandering Moon (Sony Classical, 2000) 2001: Let's Get Lost (Sony Classical, 2001)
References
External links