Venezuelan Pianist Edward Simon Continues Musical Exploration with Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2, out February 27, 2026 via ArtistShare
ArtistShare is pleased to announce the February 27, 2026, release of Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2, a richly detailed recording from pianist and composer Edward Simon. This second volume continues the NAACP Image Award winner’s exploration of Latin American repertoire through jazz-informed interpretation, reuniting Simon with his acclaimed trio of Reuben Rogers on bass and Adam Cruz on drums, with a guest appearance by Venezuelan multi-instrumentalist Jackeline Rago on cuatro and maracas.
Throughout his three-decade career, Simon has consistently woven together jazz and Latin American musical traditions in work that honors both equally. Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2 represents a deeper engagement with this musical terrain, drawing from the rich heritage of his homeland and neighboring countries to bring beloved classics and lesser-known compositions into contemporary dialogue.
Recorded on January 28-29, 2025 at Tin Roof Studio in Sonoma, California, the album features six compositions arranged and produced by Simon. The recording’s polished, high-fidelity production, engineered and mixed by Jeff Cressman and mastered by Nate Wood, renders each musical detail with clarity and presence.
The album features sprawling and lush arrangements that cast folk melodies and forms in a contemporary light. These reinterpretations demonstrate the malleability of the source material, which is well-suited to the kinds of sophisticated transformations that Simon has cultivated over years of performing with leading contemporary jazz ensembles. The rhythm section of Cruz and Rogers brings authenticity to the specific rhythms of Venezuelan merengue on the opening track “Presagio” and to the buoyant joropo rhythm of “El Vuelo de la Mosca.”
“This music is part of who I am,” says Simon. “With Vol. 2, I wanted to go deeper, to offer an immersive listening experience that honors the original songs while bringing them into the trio’s expressive language.”
Simon’s performances unfold with unhurried elegance, building improvisations as rich elaborations on each theme. The album’s lyrical, harmonically complex mood reflects his deep command of jazz traditions, informed by decades working across contemporary styles. This is music from an artist who treats Latin American, Caribbean, West African, and American musical elements not as separate traditions but as inextricably related and universal.
MORE ABOUT EDWARD SIMON
A native of Punta Cardón, Venezuela, and longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, Simon is a Guggenheim Fellow, Chamber Music America New Jazz Works grantee, and a current member of the SFJAZZ Collective since 2009. Praised by DownBeat as “one of the strongest pianists of his generation,” he has worked with luminaries including Paquito D’Rivera, Terence Blanchard, Bobby Watson, Magos Herrera, Don Byron, Luciana Souza, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Chris Potter, David Binney, Diane Reeves and John Patitucci, among many others.
His recent releases, including Femeninas, 25 Years, and Solo Live, affirm his place as a compelling creative voice in Latin jazz. Simon has received numerous fellowships and grants, including from the Doris Duke Foundation, MacDowell, Lucas Artist Program, and New Music USA. This recording was made possible in part by a grant from InterMusic SF’s Musical Grant Program.
Simon serves on faculty in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Roots, Jazz and American Music department, teaching jazz theory, composition and piano. He also serves as curator for the San Francisco Performances Salon Series and on the Board of Creative Advisors for Music One and San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
JazzTimes has noted that “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.”
Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2 will be available on February 27, 2026, via ArtistShare in digital, CD and LP format.
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Track Listing:
- Presagio (8:26)
- Atardecer (7:06)
- Dama Antañona (17:50)
- Anhelante (5:10)
- El Vuelo de la Mosca (4:49) featuring Jackeline Rago
- Sabana (7:03)
Personnel: Edward Simon – piano Reuben Rogers – bass Adam Cruz – drums Jackeline Rago – cuatro, maracas (track 5)