For Your Grammy Consideration: Edward Simon – Best Jazz instrumental Album/Best Improvised Solo/Best Instrumental Composition/Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Best Jazz instrumental Album – Sorrows and Triumphs
Best Improvised Solo – "Triangle"
Best Instrumental Composition – "Uninvited Thoughts"
Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals – "Chant"

EDWARD SIMON – SORROWS AND TRIUMPHS

Featuring Simon's virtuoso quartet Afinidad

Edward Simon, piano

David Binney, alto saxophone

Scott Colley, bass

Brian Blade, drummer

with special guests

Imami Winds chamber quintet

Gretchen Parlato, vocals

Adam Rogers, guitar

Rogerio Boccato, percussion

Luis Quintero, percussion

“There are multiple fluencies, along many frequencies, in the music of Edward Simon... His luxurious new album, Sorrows & Triumphs, is a sleek expression of modernist chamber-jazz writing.”

— Nate Chinen, WBGO Take Five

“Maybe it’s the careful construction of his music, or the musical bond created by years of playing with the same band, or the influence of Buddhist practice and ideas that makes Simon’s new CD so simultaneously complex, deeply satisfying and listenable. Probably it’s all those factors, along with Simon’s stunning pianism and the prowess of his longtime quartet Afinidad... Simon achieves a rare feat, creating music of extraordinary depth that’s easy to listen to. Meditative, grooving, and above all joyful, Sorrows & Triumphs soars into the jazz stratosphere.”

— Monarch Magazine

“This is majestic, lush music put together with intelligence and emotional depth. Simon writes as profoundly as Maria Schneider and fits a lot of disparate musical elements together with imagination. He also has the good fortune of working with excellent musicians—especially Gretchen Parlato, who sounds amazing here. This is one of 2018's finest musical achievements so far."

– Jerome Wilson, All About Jazz

"Sorrows & Triumphs really is quite triumphant.  It is music that frees the spirit, music that is, at times, dreamlike and at other times, rooted to the rhythms Edward Simon heard growing up in Venezuela.  The impressive melodies, the intelligent arrangements, and the delightful musicianship are all good reasons why you should dig into this sublime recording."

– Richard Kamins, Step Tempest

Pianist Edward Simon, a native of Venezuela, has made a name for himself over decades in America as a jazz improviser, composer-arranger and bandleader, with his profile heightening in recent years as he has explored the commonalities of jazz with the folkloric sounds of Latin America. JazzTimes summed up his impact this way: “Simon is less talked about than many other important jazz pianists from the Caribbean and South America, but he may be the most complete creative artist among them.” Based in the San Francisco Bay Area as a member of the all-star SFJAZZ Collective, he has been a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of multiple composition grants through Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works initiative.

His brand new recording Sorrows and Triumphs showcases the long-running virtuoso quartet Afinidad and the acclaimed chamber quintet Imani Winds, plus special guests including vocalist Gretchen Parlato. It brings together the distinct and often exclusive worlds of jazz and classical music, challenging chamber musicians to stretch their improvising and interpretive skills, while inviting jazz musicians into the formal structures of classical music. Their harmonious collaboration on two bodies of work commissioned by Chamber Music of America’s New Jazz Works, the suites “Sorrows and Triumphs” and “House of Numbers,” results in a holistic listening experience that brims with a lyricism both intimate and majestic.

About this music, influenced by his Buddhist practice, the pianist says: “I wanted these compositions to bring joy to the listener, to be direct and accessible, with singable melodies.” Summing up a string of glowing reviews for the album, All About Jazz said: “Edward Simon's sensitivity, eloquence, strength and intelligence stand in full view throughout this gorgeous collection.”

“In my music, I aim to balance the structural clarity of classical music with the moment-to-moment interaction of jazz,” Simon concludes. “I revel in the hybrids that come from combining ethnic rhythms, jazz harmony and improvisation. Of course, the music of Latin America – with its infectious rhythms, poetry and passion – has always been one of my greatest resources, as it offers an ocean of possibilities both rhythmically and melodically. But I’ve also been influenced by the works of minimalist composers, being attracted to the idea of taking an essential idea and exploiting it to its fullest potential. Aesthetically, I’m concerned with directness and economy. I strive to communicate, to get to the heart of the matter by making every note count, just as every word counts in a good story. I think of music as a living art, something that’s constantly evolving.”

www.edwardsimon.com

Edward Simon (with Afinidad & Imani Winds) - Sorrows & Triumphs (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS April 20, 2018)

Pianist-Composer Edward Simon Presents the Album Sorrows and Triumphs,

Featuring Afinidad, his Quartet with Alto Saxophonist David Binney,

Bassist Scott Colley and Drummer Brian Blade 

The richly textured Sorrows and Triumphs - to be released April 20, 2018, via Sunnyside Records - is also colored by very special guests: vocalist Gretchen Parlato, guitarist Adam Rogers

and chamber quintet Imani Winds

"One of the strongest pianists of his generation, with intuitive empathy and drum-like ingenuity, Simon solos compositionally with passionate elegance." - DownBeat

Pianist Edward Simon - a native of Venezuela who has made a name for himself over decades in America as a jazz pianist, bandleader and composer-arranger, along with being a Guggenheim Fellow and member of the hit SFJAZZ Collective - presents his latest album, Sorrows and Triumphs, via Sunnyside Records on April 20, 2018. The recording showcases his virtuoso quartet Afinidad, featuring alto saxophonist David Binney, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade; the album's color-rich arrangements also include special guests: vocalist Gretchen Parlato, guitarist Adam Rogers and the chamber quintet Imani Winds, along with percussionists Rogerio Boccato and Luis Quintero. The album's material blends two bodies of music commissioned by Chamber Music of America's New Jazz Works program: the suites "Sorrows and Triumphs" and "House of Numbers," their individual movements re-sequenced to form a holistic listening experience that brims with a lyricism both intimate and majestic. This release follows Simon's Latin American Songbook, with the four-and-a-half-star DownBeat review for that 2016 album praising its "grand and sophisticated" sound. Latin American Songbook also won Simon an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. JazzTimes has said: "Simon is less talked about than many other important jazz pianists from the Caribbean and South America, but he may be the most complete creative artist among them."

The three tracks on Sorrows and Triumphs drawn from the original title suite - "Equanimity," "Rebirth" and "Triumphs" - feature Afinidad with Parlato, Rogers and Baccato, the compositions inspired by Simon's studies of Buddhism over two decades. Afinidad first performed the "Sorrows and Triumphs" suite in 2009 at Walton Performing Arts Center in Arkansas and later at New York's Jazz Standard, with performances broadcast on NPR's Jazz Set. "The music isn't narrative in any way," Simon explains. "But it was inspired intuitively by the effects Buddhist practice has had on me, the perspective and the little bits of enlightenment that come every day. I wrote my own words for 'Triumphs,' but Gretchen has also studied Buddhism, so when I asked her to contribute lyrics to 'Rebirth,' she knew exactly how to convey the message. Gretchen is such a special singer, who has the gift making the most of small details to expressive effect. She knows that just a whisper can have a big impact. As for the compositions, I wanted them to bring joy to the listener, to be direct and accessible, with singable melodies."

The album's tracks taken from the suite "House of Numbers" - "Uninvited Thoughts," "Triangle," "Chant" and "Venezuela Unida" - feature Afinidad with Quintero and award-winning classical group Imani Winds. The ballad highlight "Chant" also includes words and vocals by Parlato. Simon's compositions explore the cross-cultural resonance of numerology, as well as the musical possibilities that arise when jazz and classical artists combine. The music draws on traditions from Europe, Africa, North America and South America, blending composed structures with sections for improvisation; the numbers 3, 4, 5 and 7 - and their cultural and musical implications - form the basis of the suite's four pieces. The composer explains: "The number 3, for instance, can suggest triple meters, such as 3/4, 6/4 or 6/8, which in turn can suggest certain grooves, particularly in the music of South America. It can also point to the use of triads and three-bar phrases. Above all, the number 3 points to the even distribution of forces into three equal parts, which suggests balance - an ideal in nature and life." Afinidad and Imani Winds unveiled House of Numbers in 2016 at California's University of the Pacific.

Simon Rowe, executive director of Roots, Jazz & American Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, attended the premiere of "House of Numbers," saying afterward that the blend of the five Imani Winds with Simon's jazz quartet was "mesmerizing," as the "writing juxtaposed the lyrical and often dense textures of the quintet with the ever-changing, percolating rhythmic drive of Afinidad." Reviewing Afinidad's music-making, All About Jazz described the band's sound as "wonderful, accessible and deep." Simon remarks on his bandmates: "Their musicality, openness, and breadth give me the greatest freedom as a composer. I write with the sound and sensibilities of Dave, Scott and Brian in mind, and I depend on our instant empathy and almost wordless communication in the studio. It is our artistic bond of trust, built over many years, that underpins and encourages my exploration in these pieces." Simon and Binney co-founded Afinidad in 2000, with the kindred-spirit rhythm section of Colley and Blade there from the start. The quartet has previously released the albums Afinidad (Red Records, 2001) and Océanos (Criss Cross, 2007).

Simon and Binney share a 25-year affinity, their musical visions as simpatico as their personalities. "Dave is eclectic, open to all sorts of influences, and has the ability to put them together into something personal, as a player and as a composer," Simon remarks. "We have both composed for Afinidad over the years, even though this album is mine as a composer. But David's sharp ear for aesthetic beauty makes him a great sounding board in the studio - in addition to being a featured player, he has real producing chops. He co-produced the track 'Triumphs' with me, adding electronics." For his part, Binney says: "I've always enjoyed Ed's sensitive musicality. His musical concept sums up the way I hear things, and because of his Latin American roots, his rhythmic sense is very strong, which complements the way I play. Sometimes I play with more abandon, and he locks things in. And his compositions have such thought behind them." About Colley and Blade, who are leaders in their own right, Simon adds: "Musicians who are composers interpret other people's music in a more informed way, so Scott and Brian have the sensibility to articulate my music with sensitivity to space, to quality of sound, to textural nuance."

Guitarist Adam Rogers has been part of the extended Afinidad family for years. "He's such a strong improver," Simon explains, "and his versatility as a player, whether on electric or acoustic, adds a lot to what we can do texturally." About the extra percussion of Boccato and Quintero, Simon adds: "Groove has always been a vital aspect of music for me, and with a lot of this music influenced by classical minimalism - especially Steve Reich - the extra percussion helps articulate the groove. And in 'Venezuela Unida,' Luis plays the culo'e puya, a long, narrow drum, played in sets of three, associated with Afro-Venezuelan music. This composition is dedicated to my homeland. Venezuela has undergone tremendous socio-economic and political changes during the past decade. It pains me to see the strong divisions that have emerged as a result and the great difficulty people are going through. I wish for my fellow Venezuelans to elevate themselves beyond differences in views and hope they manage to find peace, understanding and unity once again."

Edward Simon

Edward Simon - who first came to the U.S. in 1981 at age 12, then settled permanently stateside after attending the Performing Arts School in Philadelphia - grew up in a musical family in the oil-refinery town of Punta Cardón, Venezuela. His father planted a musical seed with young Edward and his siblings, the kids raised on the strains of their dad playing guitar and singing boleros with his drinking buddies. Chucho Valdés was Simon's first big influence on piano, then he got the jazz bug watching a VHS tape of Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz playing at the White House - with "the freedom of jazz" forever instilled in him as an ideal. After graduating from the Performing Arts School at age 15, Simon received a music scholarship from the University of the Arts where he studied classical music. Later, he transferred to the Manhattan School of Music where he studied jazz piano. During his stint as a young jazzer in New York City, Simon was inspired by the innovative Nuyorican jazz of Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band, eventually playing with the group.

As a young striver, Simon took the piano chair in Bobby Watson's band Horizon (1989-94), later moving to the Terence Blanchard Group (1994-2002). Simon made his debut album as a leader in 1994 with Beauty Within (Audioquest). The same year, he placed third in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, with the albums Edward Simon (Kokopelli, 1995) and La Bikina (Mythology, 1998) to follow. Simon co-founded the quartet Afinidad with David Binney, releasing the discs Afinidad (Red Records, 2001) and Océanos (Criss Cross, 2007) with the rhythm duo of Scott Colley and Brian Blade. Simon and Binney also released the duo album Fiestas de Agosto (Red Records, 2008). In 2010, Simon was named a Guggenheim Fellow, and he became a member of the SFJAZZ Collective, which comprises what The New York Times called "eight of today's most in-demand" performer-composers.

Following his leader discs The Process (Criss Cross, 2003) and Simplicitas (Criss Cross, 2005), Simon recorded several albums featuring his All-Star Trio with Blade and bassist John Patitucci; complementing the studio discs Unicity (CamJazz, 2006) and Poesía (CamJazz, 2009), the group's most recent release is the 2013 Sunnyside album Trio Live, recorded at New York's Jazz Standard. The New York Times praised Simon's "warm touch" as a pianist, while Jazz Journal International singled out his "deep emotional statements" as a composer. With the folk-accented compositions of his album Venezuelan Suite (Sunnyside, 2014), Simon garnered some of the most glowing reviews of his career, including a rating of four-and-a-half out of five stars from DownBeat. With Venezuelan Suite, the pianist blended the tuneful, buoyant sounds of his native country with the harmonically sophisticated, forward-looking manner of jazz. The compositions - written on a grant from Chamber Music America - featured star saxophonist Mark Turner alongside virtuosos of the Venezuelan folk tradition. All About Jazz marveled over the album: "Venezuelan Suite is pianist Edward Simon's love letter to his homeland, but that's not all it is; it's the perfect confluence of Venezuelan ideals, jazz language and chamber-esque sophistication. In short, it's a masterpiece."

Latin American Songbook (Sunnyside, 2016) saw Simon create artful piano-trio arrangements of such classics as Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango" and Antônio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade," as well as the Cuban ballad "En La Orilla Del Mundo" (On the Edge of the World). NPR's All Things Considered said: "This recording works because an expert musician applies himself so sincerely to songs that were formative for him. Simon puts his head and heart into Latin American Songbook, and the album gives Latin standards a rightful and joyful place at the center of instrumental jazz." In fall 2017, Simon, Colley and Blade released their first album as a cooperative trio, the eponymous Steel House.

1. "Incessant Desires"

2. "Uninvited Thoughts"

3. "Equanimity"

4. "Triangle"

5. "Chant"

6. "Venezuela Unida"

7. "Triumphs"

8. "Rebirth"

Produced and composed by Edward Simon

"Triumphs" co-produced by Edward Simon & David Binney

Lyrics for "Chant" and "Rebirth" by Gretchen Parlato

Edward Simon, piano

David Binney, alto saxophone

Scott Colley, double-bass

Brian Blade, drums

Gretchen Parlato, vocals

Adam Rogers, guitars

Imani Winds:

Valerie Coleman, flute

Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe

Monica Ellis, bassoon

Mark Dover, clarinet

Jeff Scott, French horn

Rogerio Baccato, percussion (3, 7)

Luis Quintero, percussion (2, 4, 6)

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SFJAZZ Collective - Live: SFJAZZ Center 2017 (SFJAZZ RECORDS 2018)

Announcing the SFJAZZ Collective's new album, featuring original compositions by each member, and the music of Ornette Coleman, Stevie Wonder, and Thelonious Monk performed by the new lineup, plus a DVD featuring fresh versions of four Miles Davis compositions.

Original Compositions & The Music of Ornette Coleman, Stevie Wonder, & Thelonious Monk

Recorded over four nights at the SFJAZZ Center from October 26-29, 2017, this collection consists of one CD of new pieces composed by each member of the current SFJAZZ Collective with a second CD of fresh versions of selections from the Collective’s vast trove of tunes including Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder arranged over the years by former SFJAZZ Collective members, saxophonist Joshua Redman, trumpeter Dave Douglas, arranger Gil Goldstein, and trumpeter Avishai Cohen, for the current SFJAZZ Collective members.

DISC ONE - ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS:

Give the Drummer Some by Warren Wolf

Venezuela Unida by Edward Simon

Tidal Flow by Miguel Zenón

Tune for June by Matt Penman

Off Kilter by Sean Jones

Perseverance by Robin Eubanks

Soundless Odyssey by Obed Calvaire

Living the Question by David Sánchez

DISC TWO - ARRANGEMENTS:

Criss Cross by Thelonious Monk, arr. Dave Douglas

Reflections by Thelonious Monk, arr. Dave Douglas

Una Muy Bonita by Ornette Coleman, arr. Gil Goldstein

School Work by Ornette Coleman, arr. Gil Goldstein

When Will the Blues Leave by Ornette Coleman, arr. Gil Goldstein

Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, arr. Avishai Cohen

Creepin by Stevie Wonder, arr. Avishai Cohen

Superstition by Stevie Wonder, arr. Miguel Zenón

BONUS DVD:

The physical release includes a bonus DVD that includes live footage of the SFJAZZ Collective’s October 2016 performances of the Music of Miles Davis at the SFJAZZ Center including Edward Simon’s arrangement of “All Blues,” Warren Wolf’s arrangement of “Joshua,” Matt Penman’s arrangement of “Milestones,” and David Sánchez’s arrangement of “Teo.”

Miguel Zenón | David Sánchez | Sean Jones | Robin Eubanks | Warren Wolf | Edward Simon | Matt Penman | Obed Calvaire

Edward Simon / Scott Colley / Brian Blade - Steel House (2018)

Three well-known instrumentalists are building a new band called Steel House. The foundations of this house are deep and strong, the roof sturdy.  Inside is one big, light-filled room occupied by the three leaders: Edward Simon on piano, Scott Colley on acoustic bass, and Brian Blade on drums.

Each man is a world-class jazz player with his own robust composing, recording, and performing career. Since meeting in New York in the early 1990s, they have shared stages and studios, playing many different styles of music together. They decided to form (build) Steel House to create a dedicated place for their own musical explorations.

The music of Steel House embraces both silence, and emerging from that stillness, conversation.  The communication among Simon, Colley, and Blade stays nimble, focused on moment-to-moment interaction.  Musical structure is minimal, poetic, and full of purpose.

Walls of genre, category, and style are torn down.  Light and space abound. We can hear them down the street now, Simon, Colley, and Blade building their Steel House.  The music is infectious.  It is everything you wanted – spirited and serious, caring and carefree.

1. Glad You're Here

2. What If ?

3. Kingpin

4. 87.5% Of You

5. Way Of No Return

6. Country

7. The End And The Beginning

8. Lover's Park

Edward Simon(p/key)

Scott Colley(b)

Brian Blade(ds, pump organ)

Guest: Genevieve Artadi(vo-2)

www.steelhousemusic.com

www.edwardsimon.com

www.scottcolley.com

www.brianblade.com

SF JAZZ Collective - Music of Miles Davis & Original Compositions (Live: SF JAZZ Center 2016) 2017

This limited edition 2-disc set was recorded throughout the Collective’s four-night residency October 20-23, 2016 on the Robert N. Miner Auditorium stage at the SFJAZZ Center, documenting the Collective’s arrangements of the music of Miles Davis as well as their own fresh compositions.

Disc One – Music of Miles Davis

1. “So What” arranged by Sean Jones

2. “Nardis” arranged by Miguel Zenón

3. “Milestones” arranged by Matt Penman

4. “Tutu” arranged by Robin Eubanks

5. “Bitches Brew” arranged by Obed Calvaire

6. “All Blues” arranged by Edward Simon

7. “Joshua” arranged by Warren Wolf

8. “Teo” arranged by David Sánchez

Disc Two – SFJAZZ Collective Original Compositions

1. “Tribe” by Miguel Zenón

2. “Canto” by David Sánchez

3. “Your Turn” by Matt Penman

4. “111” by Obed Calvaire

5. “In the Heat of the Night” by Warren Wolf

6. “Shields Green” by Robin Eubanks

7. “Hutcherson Hug” by Sean Jones

8. “Feel The Groove” by Edward Simon

Featuring

Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone)

David Sánchez (tenor saxophone)

ean Jones (trumpet)

Robin Eubanks (trombone)

Warren Wolf (vibraphone)

Edward Simon (piano)

Matt Penman (bass)

Obed Calvaire (drums)

TOUR

March 28, Brooks Center, Clemson University, Clemson, GA

March 30, Rockport Music, Rockport, MA

April 1, Miller Theater, Columbia University, New York, NY

April 2, Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA

April 7-9, Blues Alley, Washington, DC

April 13, Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA

April 15, Ferst Center for the Arts, Atlanta, GA

April 21, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH

April 26-29, Jazz at the Bistro, St. Louis, MO

May 4, St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids, MI

May 5, Symphony Center, Chicago, IL

May 6, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA

Edward Simon - Latin American Songbook (2016) SUNNYSIDE RECORDS

present

Edward Simon - Latin American Songbook (2016)

Releases August 26, 2016

The music of Latin America has long been some of the world’s most beloved, whether Brazilian bossa nova, Argentinean tango, Cuban bolero or irresistible songs from Chile, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Pianist Edward Simon – a native of Venezuela who has made a name for himself over decades in America as a jazz pianist, bandleader and composer-arranger, along with being a Guggenheim Fellow and member of the hit SFJAZZ Collective – has created fresh, supple interpretations of melodies from all these countries for Latin American Songbook. To be released via Sunnyside Records on August 26th, 2016, the album – the San Francisco Bay Area-based pianist’s 14th – sees Simon leading his working trio with bassist Joe Martin and drummer Adam Cruz. The trio’s subtly virtuosic performances brim with lyricism, color and groove, giving instrumental voice to songs originally made famous by such singers as Caetano Veloso, Mercedes Sosa and Carlos Gardel. The New York Times has praised Simon’s “light, warm touch” as a pianist, while the Jazz Journal International singled out “his deep emotional statements.” JazzTimes said: “Simon is less talked about than many other important jazz pianists from the Caribbean and South America, but he may be the most complete creative artist among them.” 

Latin American Songbook is the follow-up to Simon’s 2014 Sunnyside release, Venezuelan Suite, which saw the pianist blend the tuneful, buoyant sounds of his native country with the harmonically sophisticated, forward-looking manner of jazz. These rich compositions - written on a grant from Chamber Music America - featured star saxophonist Mark Turner alongside virtuosos of the Venezuelan folk tradition. All About Jazz marveled over the album: “Venezuelan Suite is pianist Edward Simon’s love letter to his homeland, but that’s not all it is; it’s the perfect confluence of Venezuelan ideals, jazz language and chamber-esque sophistication. In short, it’s a masterpiece.” DownBeat gave Venezuelan Suite a four-and-a-half star review, summing up: “Simon doesn’t forcibly create connections – he opens our eyes to natural connections that have always been there.” 

For the new album, Simon created artful piano-trio settings of such songs as Astor Piazzolla’s famously rhapsodic “Libertango” and Antônio Carlos Jobim’s lilting “Chega de Saudade,” as well as the gorgeous Cuban ballad “En La Orilla Del Mundo” (At the Edge of the World), a number jazz fans may know from its appearance on the hit Charlie Haden & Gonzalo Rubalcaba album Nocturne. About these songs and five others on Latin American Songbook, Simon explains: “I grew up listening to and loving this music – it sings and it dances. It’s irresistible. Later, I dealt with this material playing in Paquito D’Rivera’s band in the ’90s, and in my collaborations with Luciana Souza. As a mature jazz artist now, I wanted to delve into these songs more deeply and make them my own. I tried to start from the original source. For something as well-known as ‘Libertango,’ I began by transcribing Piazzolla’s first recording. Then I strove to subtly transform the originals, taking Carlos Gardel’s ‘Volver’ from a tango to a 5/4 jazz tune, for instance.” 

One of the elements of making the album that Simon enjoyed most was “the pleasure of the interaction in my trio with Adam and Joe,” the pianist says. “Adam and Joe have such a broad knowledge of music that I can draw at any point on the three key strands of my musical identity – Latin American, jazz, classical music – and they’re right there with me. 

Adam, who has been one of my most longstanding collaborators over the past decade, is one of the rare drummers who can draw on various Latin ethnic traditions as well as jazz to make something seamless and undeniable of this own.

 He is such an inventive player, able to orchestrate a groove and help shape a composition. As for Joe, he has such a warm sound on his instrument and is such a solid player you can see why great artists like Mark Turner and Chris Potter rely on him. He’s a very versatile and sensitive bassist, enabling Adam and me to take chances with the music. That’s what makes the music special, personal. I think this album came out wonderfully, and I can’t wait for people to hear how beautiful and expansive these songs can be.”

1. Libertango

2. Alfonsina y El Mar

3. Capullito

4. Volver

5. Gracias a La Vida

6. Chega de Saudade

7. En La Orilla Del Mundo

Edward Simon - piano 

Joe Martin - bass 

Adam Cruz - drums

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SFJAZZ Collective - The Music of MICHAEL JACKSON and Original Compositions NEW LIMITED EDITION ALBUM (2016)

NEW LIMITED EDITION ALBUM

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RELEASE DATE: MARCH 4

Music of Michael Jackson and New Compositions

Live at SFJAZZ Center

The SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star ensemble comprising eight of the finest performers/composers at work in jazz today. The group’s new limited edition two-disc live CD, which was recorded live at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco this past October, features new arrangements of Michael Jackson classics like "Thriller", "Smooth Criminal", "Human Nature", "This Place Hotel" and more, as well as eight new original compositions by the band. The 22-page booklet contains exclusive photos, interviews and commentary from the band. 

· Limited edition 2-CD set available exclusively through SFJAZZ – not available in stores.

· Each CD set is numbered.

· Booklet contains exclusive photos from the live performances at the SFJAZZ Center, liner notes by jazz journalist Jesse Hamlin, insights by the musicians and artist bios.

· The compositions of King of Pop Michael Jackson, arranged by members of the Collective.

· New compositions by individual Collective members commisioned by SFJAZZ.

SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE

Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone

David Sánchez: tenor saxophone 

Sean Jones: trumpet 

Robin Eubanks: trombone 

Warren Wolf: vibraphone 

Edward Simon: piano 

Matt Penman: bass 

Obed Calvaire: drums

Track Listing

DISC 1

1. The Love You Save – Michael Jackson (arranged by Robin Eubanks) 

2. Blame It On the Boogie – Michael Jackson (arranged by Matt Penman w/ Miguel Zenón) 

3. Fall Prelude – Miguel Zenón 

4. Gray Skies in Baltimore – Warren Wolf 

5. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson (arranged by David Sánchez) 

6. Franklin & Fell – Sean Jones 

7. Beauty of Space – Edward Simon 

8. Thriller – Michael Jackson (arranged by Obed Calvaire) 

Disc 2

1. Rock With You – Michael Jackson (arranged by Sean Jones) 

2. Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson (arranged by Miguel Zenón) 

3. Mr. Right – Matt Penman 

4. Lineage – David Sánchez 

5. 150 Million Gold Francs – Obed Calvaire 

6. Human Nature – Michael Jackson (arranged by Warren Wolf) 

7. Why – Robin Eubanks 

8. This Place Hotel – Michael Jackson (arranged by Edward Simon)

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REPUBLIC OF JAZZ TEAM