Edward Simon
Encyclopedia
Edward Simon is a Venezuela
n jazz pianist and composer.
Simon was born into a musical family; both his brothers, Marlon and Michael Simon are also noted professional musicians. His father sent him to the United States at the age of fifteen to study classical piano at the University of the Arts
in Philadelphia with Susan Starr
, and following this with Harold Danko
at the Manhattan School of Music
from 1989, As a student he played with Kevin Eubanks
and Greg Osby
.
In New York City
he played with musicians such as Herbie Mann
, Paquito D'Rivera
, Bobby Hutcherson
, Jerry Gonzalez
, John Patitucci
, Arturo Sandoval
, Manny Oquendo
, and Don Byron
. He was a member of Bobby Watson
's band Horizon from 1989 to 1994, and since 2002 a member of the Terence Blanchard
Group. He recorded his first album as a bandleader in 1994. In the same year he was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Then the following year he composed his Rumba Neurotica for the Relache Ensemble. He also composed his Venezuelan Suite on behalf of Chamber Music America.
Simon has played on several Grammy
-nominated jazz albums. Besides his trio he also leads the Sexteto Venezuela, the Afinidad Quartet, and the group Simon, Simon & Simon, with his brothers. He teaches at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York.
Simon is currently working on Bolero Project
with Leonardo Granados. It is scheduled to be released through ArtistShare
in July, 2009.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n jazz pianist and composer.
Simon was born into a musical family; both his brothers, Marlon and Michael Simon are also noted professional musicians. His father sent him to the United States at the age of fifteen to study classical piano at the University of the Arts
University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia with Susan Starr
Susan Starr
-Biography:She began her studies with Eleanor Sokoloff at age four. She later entered the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Rudolf Serkin until her graduation in 1961...
, and following this with Harold Danko
Harold Danko
Harold Danko is an American jazz pianist.Danko attended Youngstown State University. Among his credits are work in the big bands of Chet Baker, Woody Herman, and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, as well as smaller ensembles with Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz...
at the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
from 1989, As a student he played with Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
and Greg Osby
Greg Osby
Greg Osby is an American jazz saxophonist who plays mainly in the free jazz, free funk and M-Base idioms.-Biography:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, where he majored in Jazz Studies, and then at the Berklee College of Music, with Andy McGhee...
.
In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
he played with musicians such as Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
, Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera is a Cuban alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist. The winner of multiple Grammys and other awards, D'Rivera has lived in the United States since the early 1980s. He has worked in a variety of contexts, but is perhaps best known for playing Latin...
, Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern...
, Jerry Gonzalez
Jerry Gonzalez
Jerry Gonzalez is an American-born Latino jazz trumpeter and percussionist, most noteworthy for his contributions to Latin jazz.-Biography:-Early life and career:...
, John Patitucci
John Patitucci
John Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
, Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpeter and pianist. He was born in Artemisa, in the newest renamed Artemisa Province, Cuba....
, Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo was an American percussionist. His main instrument was the timbales, and was strongly influenced by Cuban drumming.Oquendo grew up in New York, and began studying percussion in 1945...
, and Don Byron
Don Byron
Don Byron is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet, but has also used bass clarinet and saxophones....
. He was a member of Bobby Watson
Bobby Watson
Bobby Watson is an American post-bop jazz alto saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator. Watson now has 26 recordings as a leader. He appears on nearly 100 other recordings as either co-leader or in a supporting role...
's band Horizon from 1989 to 1994, and since 2002 a member of the Terence Blanchard
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz...
Group. He recorded his first album as a bandleader in 1994. In the same year he was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Then the following year he composed his Rumba Neurotica for the Relache Ensemble. He also composed his Venezuelan Suite on behalf of Chamber Music America.
Simon has played on several Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated jazz albums. Besides his trio he also leads the Sexteto Venezuela, the Afinidad Quartet, and the group Simon, Simon & Simon, with his brothers. He teaches at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York.
Simon is currently working on Bolero Project
Bolero Project
Bolero Project is an ArtistShare recording project led by Latin singer Leonardo Granados and jazz pianist Edward Simon.-ArtistShare Project - Bolero Project:...
with Leonardo Granados. It is scheduled to be released through ArtistShare
ArtistShare
ArtistShare is a crowdfunding website and labelWharton Innovation and Entrepreneurship Consulted on 10/12/2011 for musicians and other creative artists which allows them to fund their projects utilizing a "fan-funding" model to allow the general public to directly finance, watch the creative...
in July, 2009.
Discography
- Beauty Within with Horacio HernándezHoracio HernandezHoracio "El Negro" Hernandez is a renowned Cuban drummer and percussionist."El Negro" is a gifted musician who represents a new generation of great players following in the footsteps of countrymen Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D'Rivera, Ignacio Berroa, and others. Hernandez plays on the cutting edge of...
, Anthony Jackson, Diego Urcola (Sledgehammer BluesSledgehammer BluesSledgehammer Blues is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment that was formerly named AudioQuest Music.From the label’s website, “The blues label was founded in the late 1980s with the mission to create the highest standard audiophile recordings based on the technology available...
(formerly AudioQuest Music)), 1993) - Edward Simon with Larry GrenadierLarry GrenadierLarry Grenadier is an American jazz double bassist.His father, Albert, was a trumpet player, and his two brothers, Phil and Steve, would eventually play trumpet and guitar respectively. Grenadier too began on trumpet when he was 10 years old. His father taught him to read music and gave him his...
, Adam CruzAdam CruzAdam Cruz is an American jazz drummer . He is best known for his work with pianist Danilo Perez, saxophonist Steve Wilson, David Sanchez, and pianist Edward Simon...
, Mark TurnerMark TurnerMark Turner may refer to:*Mark Turner *Mark Turner *Mark Turner *Mark Turner *Mark Turner , jazz saxophonist...
, Milton CardonaMilton CardonaMilton Cardona is a percussionist, vocalist and conga player from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.-Biography:Milton has made over 500 recordings in his career and was highly influenced by Mongo Santamaria. He studied violin during his childhood in Puerto Rico and played bass professionally in New York City...
(Kokopelli RecordsKokopelli RecordsKokopelli Records was a record label established by jazz flautist Herbie Mann during the 1990s. Mann had previously established Embryo Records during his tenure at Atlantic Records.-Discography:*1994: Deep Pocket - Herbie Mann...
, 1995) - La Bikina with Adam Cruz, Ben StreetBen StreetBen Street is a New York-area jazz double bassist. He has played with many great jazz artists, notably Kurt Rosenwinkel on the album Next Step, Ben Monder on the album Dust and Sam Rivers on the album Violet Violets...
, Mark Turner, David BinneyDavid BinneyDavid Binney is an American alto saxophonist and composer living in New York City.-Biography:David was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Southern California. His parents were jazz fans, and introduced Binney to jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson and Wayne Shorter...
, Pernell SaturninoPernell SaturninoPernell Saturnino is a Grammy-award winner percussionist from the Caribbean island of Curaçao. He is continuing a musical legacy established by his distinguished family in the island. His grandmother, granduncle and grandaunt, were among those who originated and developed the island's indigenous...
, Diego Urcola, Milton Cardona (Mythology Records, 1998) - Afinidad with David BinneyDavid BinneyDavid Binney is an American alto saxophonist and composer living in New York City.-Biography:David was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Southern California. His parents were jazz fans, and introduced Binney to jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson and Wayne Shorter...
, Scott ColleyScott ColleyScott Colley is an American jazz bassist and Composer.Scott has performed extensively in bands led by: Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Andrew Hill, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Pat Metheny, Carmen McRae, Edward Simon, Adam Rogers, Brian Blade, David Binney, Antonio Sanchez, Kenny Werner...
, Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
, Adam Cruz, Lucia Pulido, Adam RogersAdam RogersAdam Rogers is an American guitarist specializing in post bop, contemporary jazz, and classical music. Rogers has had a prolific and extensive session history as a recording guitarist having played on over 150 commercially released recordings...
(2001) - The Process with John PatitucciJohn PatitucciJohn Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
, Eric HarlandEric HarlandEric Harland is an American jazz drummer.Besides leading his own group Harland has performed with many renowned artists, including Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Ravi Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, Dave Holland, Charles Lloyd, Michael Brecker, Terence Blanchard, Walter Smith...
(Criss Cross JazzCriss Cross JazzCriss Cross Jazz is a Dutch jazz record label, specializing in American jazz.Criss Cross was founded in 1980 by Gerry Teekens, a drummer and German professor. The label, which releases about 20 albums per year, is noted for its simple, block-color cover art...
, 2002) - Fiestas de Agosto with David BinneyDavid BinneyDavid Binney is an American alto saxophonist and composer living in New York City.-Biography:David was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Southern California. His parents were jazz fans, and introduced Binney to jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson and Wayne Shorter...
, Donny McCaslinDonny McCaslinDonny McCaslin is an American jazz saxophonist.McCaslin's father was a vibraphonist, and he played in his father's ensemble at the age of twelve. He had his own group in high school which played three years at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He studied under Paul Contos and Brad Hecht, both of whom...
(Red RecordsRed RecordsRed Records is an Italian jazz record label established in 1976.Artists who have recorded for the label include Joe Henderson, Bobby Watson, Billy Higgins, Roberto Gatto, Franco d'Andrea, Dave Liebman, Cedar Walton, Edward Simon, Stafford James, Ray Mantilla, Jim Snidero, Black Note, Julius...
, 2003) - Simplicitas with Avishai Cohen, Adam Cruz, Luciana SouzaLuciana SouzaLuciana Souza is a Brazilian jazz singer and composer who has crossed over into classical music.Daughter of poet Tereza Souza and singer-composer-guitarist Walter Santos, she grew up in São Paulo. She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston from which she received a Bachelor's...
, Adam Rogers, Pernell Saturnino (Criss Cross JazzCriss Cross JazzCriss Cross Jazz is a Dutch jazz record label, specializing in American jazz.Criss Cross was founded in 1980 by Gerry Teekens, a drummer and German professor. The label, which releases about 20 albums per year, is noted for its simple, block-color cover art...
, 2005) - Unicity with John PatitucciJohn PatitucciJohn Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
, Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
(Camjazz, 2005) - Océanos with David BinneyDavid BinneyDavid Binney is an American alto saxophonist and composer living in New York City.-Biography:David was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Southern California. His parents were jazz fans, and introduced Binney to jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson and Wayne Shorter...
, Scott ColleyScott ColleyScott Colley is an American jazz bassist and Composer.Scott has performed extensively in bands led by: Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Andrew Hill, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Pat Metheny, Carmen McRae, Edward Simon, Adam Rogers, Brian Blade, David Binney, Antonio Sanchez, Kenny Werner...
, Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
, Luciana Souza, Adam Rogers, Shane Endsley, Jesse NewmanJesse NewmanJesse Newman is a former Canadian football guard for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the first round with the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders. He played college football for UL Lafayette...
, Alan Ferber, Pernell Saturnino (2007) - Poesia with John PatitucciJohn PatitucciJohn Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
, Brian BladeBrian BladeBrian Blade in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.-Early years:...
(2009) - Danny Boy with Philip Donkin, Stephen Keogh (2010)