Edward Simon - 25 Years (2020)

In 2020, Edward Simon celebrates his illustrious three-decade career in music. During this time span, the Venezuela-born pianist and composer has led or co-led award-winning ensembles and collaborated with some of today's most prominent jazz artists, including vocalists Luciana Souza and Gretchen Parlato; Afinidad, the long-running virtuoso quartet featuring David Binney, Scott Colley, and Brian Blade; the acclaimed chamber ensemble Imani Winds; and the all-star SFJAZZ Collective. To observe this milestone, Ridgeway Records will release a compilation album comprising Simon's personal selections from his distinguished discography from 1995 to the present. Titled 25 Years, the limited-edition 2-CD set includes compelling selections from his acclaimed and influential early recordings, including the quartet album Edward Simon, with Mark Turner, Adam Cruz and Larry Grenadier, a 1995 New York Times Top Ten Album selection, and the cutting-edge, Latin-infused La Bikina, from 1998. Of more recent vintage are the chamber-esque Venezuelan Suite, on which Simon blends the tuneful, buoyant sounds of his native country with the harmonically sophisticated vocabulary and forward-looking attitude of jazz, and the NAACP Image Awards-winning trio date Latin American Songbook. Also represented is Simon's collaborative work with saxophonist David Binney on the albums Afinidad and Océanos; his all-star trio work with bass icon John Patitucci and drummers Brian Blade or Eric Harland; and Simon's most recent collaborative project, Steel House, in which the pianist, Blade and bassist Scott Colley blend acoustic jazz improvisation with electronic-tinged atmospherics for an inviting, song-oriented sound. In short, 25 Years is a unique way to experience and enjoy Simon's music -- a must-have for his fans and the perfect introduction for those not yet familiar with his elegant playing and unique compositional sensibility.