In 1984, at the age of 15, pianist Ed Simon left his home in Punta Cardón, Venezuela and moved by himself to Pennsylvania. The South American nation’s famous public conservatory program, El Sistema, hadn’t yet reached his hometown — a small port dominated by the booming petroleum industry — and Simon’s father thought his middle son’s best chance to thrive would come in the United States.
His dad was right. Enrolled at the Philadelphia Performing Arts School, a now-defunct private academy, Simon discovered jazz, and eventually connected with Philly masters like bassist Charles Fambrough and guitarist Kevin Eubanks, who encouraged him to move to New York.
Leaving Venezuela was just the first in a series of disorienting leaps that have marked Simon’s career. Landing in Manhattan in 1988, he quickly established himself as an essential new voice through touring and recording with altoist Bobby Watson and trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Part of a wave of brilliant Latin-American musicians infusing the New York scene with influences beyond Cuba and Brazil, Simon recorded a series of acclaimed albums documenting his growing ambition as a composer. Years later, looking for a family-friendly environment to raise a family, he and his wife relocated to central Florida, which he used a base for a decade of international touring and teaching.
And then, much like Simon’s father sought out a fertile environment for his son, the Simon clan decided to head to the Bay Area last year — eventually settling in Emeryville, where Simon’s son attends the Oakland School for the Arts. In many ways, he’s in the process of introducing himself to the Bay Area scene.