Simplicitas (Criss Cross)
Edward Simon
Released April 26, 2005
New York Times Best Jazz Albums of 2005
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About:
Perhaps no contemporary pianist blends Latin and Jazz vocabulary with the deftness and fluency of Ed Simon, who demonstrates the point on his second Criss Cross outing.
Bassist Avishai Cohen and drummer Adam Cruz, both equally versed in the art of telling stories in swing and clave, join Simon on a program of six originals and a standard You’re My Everything. Guitarist Adam Rogers, himself a Criss Cross artist, and vocalist Luciana Souza augment the trio on the tune Unknown Path.
Track Listing:
1. Opening (Edward Simon) 0:21
2. Infinite One (Edward Simon) 7:08
3. Not So Unique (Luciana Souza) 5:10
4. You’re My Everything I (Harry Warren) 8:50
5. Simplicity (Edward Simon) 5:10
6. Fiestas (Edward Simon) 5:25
7. Unknown Path (Edward Simon) 4:15
8. Fiestas (reprise) (Edward Simon) 2:47
9. You’re My Everything II (Harry Warren) 7:08
10. South Facing (M. Buckley) 9:11
11. Exit (Edward Simon) 1:17
Personnel:
Edward Simon: piano
Avishai Cohen: bass
Adam Cruz; drums, steel drums
Luciana Souza: vocals (7)
Adam Rogers: guitars (7, 11)
Pernell Saturnino: percussion (1, 6, 8)
Recorded May 3, 2004, at Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Produced by Gerry Teekens
Executive Producer: K. Hasselpflug
Recording Engineer: Max Bolleman
Mastering: The Masters
Photography: Gildas Boclé
Cover Design: Gerry Teekens & H. Bloemendaal
Review:
Edward Simon’s Simplicitas has primary sources in
Latin jazz, but it breaks free of rigid categorization. The Venezuelan-born
Simon logged crucial time with the bands of Bobby Watson and Terence Blanchard,
leaving him with a firm grounding in contemporary postbop improvising, which is
clearly discernable on the trio pieces that make up the bulk of the album,
including “Not So Unique” and two distinct takes of the Harry Warren standard “You’re
My Everything.” Simon’s cohesive interaction with bassist Avishai Cohen and
drummer Adam Cruz on each is a thing of collective beauty.
With “Fiestas,” Latin and world-music flavors surface in the guise of
additional percussion, including steel drums, and guitar and vocals; there’s
also a wordless contribution by Luciana Souza on “Unknown Path.” It’s all a
bracing, if brief, diversion until “South Facing,” a lengthy ballad by the
original trio, reestablishes the album’s introductory mood. Extensive cross-cultural
exploration will no doubt be an integral aspect of Simon’s future recordings.
Steve Futterman (JazzTimes)
