UnicityEven while he was working with Terence Blanchard from 1995-2001, pianist Edward Simon was steadily building a solid catalog of his own ensemble albums that fused jazz with Latin and a multitude of South American rhythms. That vibe has continued in his years since leaving the trumpeter's fold, coming to its greatest fruition with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade (half of Wayne Shorter's Quartet) on Patitucci's discs Communion and Songs, Stories & Spirituals. With Unicity, Simon leads his own project with the trio, expanding upon their vibrant chemistry. The project can be appreciated by casual jazz fans who just like thoughtful, sometimes swinging melodies (the galloping "The Midst of Chaos" being the most explosive, spirited moment) and hypnotic meditation passages. True students of the art form and its potential for fusion with world cultures will appreciate this outing on a deeper level, as the brooding, multi-movement "Abiding Unicity" and its reprise are shout-outs to Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti, and "Prelude #9" features a clever time signature switch from the original composition by Catalonian composer Federico Mompou. Some of this contemplative depth might be lost on the casual listener seeking something to emotionally connect with, but what comes through is the effortless shared passion the trio have for true jazz invention.
06/10/06http://allmusic.comJonathan Widran UNICITY Edward SimonPiano jazzbo Simon hooks up with his well traveled pals currently putting in time with Wayne Shorter for a dynamic improv date that shows he's one of the serious up and comers. With a solid setting that sounds and feels deceptively simple, this is a bunch of pros working at the top of their game making something new and exciting well worth hearing.
Paying his dues on the road to become a well rounded leader, Simon has come a long way in a relatively short time and now he's certainly here to stay. Solid work throughout.
14/09/06Midwest Record RecapChris Spector UNICITY Edward Simon - three starsEdward Simon at the piano, John Patitucci, bass and Brian Blade, drums have fashioned a nice smooth jazz ensemble that might be defined as classical jazz. If you are looking for a swinging quality, you won't hear it here. It is simply fine musicianship in a controlled mode.
This music is esoteric in every sense of the word.
31/08/06eJazzNews.comJohn Gilberg Edward Simon UnicityLet the sideman come forth.
Pianist Edward Simon, who logged many choruses in the bands of alto saxophonist Bobby Watson (1989-1994) and trumpeter Terence Blanchard (1994-2002), is emerging more and more as a leader.
The Venezuelan-born Simon, who studied and taught at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, makes a trio recording that simmers darkly and creates some stealth beauty.
Many people complain about the chaos in jazz, especially when there's no perceived artistic payoff. Simon is a cat who doesn't cause unnecessary clutter. And what comes out here isn't tight, either. It's this stream of intelligent skeins with classical leanings and Latin touches that can draw out the colors in a cloudy day.
This trio recording with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade is full of elegant melodies, including Simon's hushed take of "Prelude No. 9" by Catalonian composer Frederic Mompou. The trio's interplay is high throughout, and while there are no raucous moments, there are no dull ones either.
10/10/06The Philadelphia InquirerKarl Stark Edward Simon UnicityThe trio Edward Simon has put together for Unicity is versatile. They can play everything from moody to cinematic to straight-up swinging. This is no surprise considering that while in the employ of trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, Simon released a series of ensemble albums that mixed jazz with music from Mexico, Cuba, and Argentina to create something totally unique. While Unicity is relatively free of a Latin influence, Simon's eagerness to experiment remains.
The first clue that something interesting is afoot is the bowed bass solo by John Patitucci on Abiding Unicity, a moody piece written by Patitucci that wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack to an old detective movie. Another unique song is Prelude No. 9, a haunting classical piece written by Catalan composer Frederic Mompou. Simon's trio treats Mompou's composition with respect, refusing to make the small, sad piece showy. There is a wonderful tension to the Simon compositions Pathless Path and Eastern, both using a lot of space to create memorable melodies with very few chords and notes.
Space is also important on Gerviasolas, a piece written by avant-garde alto saxophonist Dave Binney. Led by a simple strong bass line from Patitucci, the song has a uncomplicated but memorable melody. The track that follows it on the album, The Midst of Chaos, while melodic as well, could have benefited from some space and paring down of notes. It's the curse of the trio's often elegant restraint that when they tread into more conventional piano trio territory, it seems a little stale.
Overall, Unicity is a gorgeous collection of songs, with just a few duds. By focusing less on showy improvisation and more on strong, melodic compositions, Simon's trio is able to utilize the spaces between notes and chords to full effect, though that isn't to say that the three musicians aren't putting their own individual mark on the pieces.
13/09/06AUDIOFILE AUDITIONJeff Krow UNICITY Edward SimonEdward Simon, John Patitucci and Brian Blade did a few magical things on a 2003 album under Patitucci's name (Songs, Stories and Spirituals, Concord). At the time these three musicians decided that they ought to get together and do, well, what they do well here. After a minute's “Invocation,” they're jamming heartily on Patitucci's ”The Messenger,” as if they'd met up overjoyed at three in the morning and were so accomplished they could do everything unbridled without disturbing a neighbour.
Simon's “Abiding Unicity” has an almost concert-room theme statement from Patitucci on bowed bass, and amazing impressionistic playing from the pianist, rising to the dramatic climax(es), and floating in the midst of calm sections. There's a sense of nobody having cared to make this too tidy a performance—it was spontaneous. Spontaneous is also the word for the empathic playing on Dave Binney's “Gevriasolas,” at slow-medium tempo and full of ideas and expression. Simon does not believe in just playing notes, he phrases, attacks, and means what he plays. To call Brian Blade's drumming magnificent is only fair.
Listen to the bassist solo on Simon's (I suppose cryptically titled) “The Midst of Chaos”: joyous, like the pianist's subsequent trading of fours with the drummer. This splendid hard bop composition, played with a lot of colour, is followed by a prelude from the Catalan composer Frederic Mompou (1893-1987) with an alteration of time signature. Where some less than first-rate jazz pianists can stray into dull concert playing on ballads, Simon shares the capacity of the early stride pianists to stay in touch with both, even the several sides of his inspiration—and animation.
His “Pathless Path” echoes Ornette Coleman's “Lonely Woman” and also John Lewis's ”Django,” somewhere between the two, and then the pianist gets to accompany the front-line solo guitar Patitucci makes of his bass instrument on “Evolution”: a naughty man, Patitucci, with those flamenco chords that nearly push the performance over the verge of out-of-tune then seem to set the pianist off in an inspired rush of solo inspiration. If Simon's “Evolution” is rather similar to his “Pathless Path,” that's all to the good. The effect's cumulative, if in a different way from “Eastern,” where the piano begins with a sort of Latin American rhapsody until the other guys' influence switches things oriental, taking the music about as far from mainstream jazz as Duke Ellington's Far East Suite.
This is very consistent music-making and through and through jazz—any reference to other music is just something more. No chameleons here, and the reprise of “Abiding Unicity” is just like three guys come back on stage for an encore to celebrate.
20/10/06All About JazzRobert R. Calder UnicityWhile a sideman with the inimitable Terence Blanchard, pianist/composer Edward Simon released a series of recorded ensemble works, including La Bikina and Afinidad, which impressed upon his listeners his sense of swing, melodic structure, and harmonic balance. Later, with drummer Eric Harland and bassist John Patitucci, Simon released The Process, followed by Simplicity in 2004 with bassist Avishai Cohen and drummer Adam Cruz. These trio recordings were critically acclaimed and led Simon to continue his legacy as a bandleader in the classic trio format. With his third recorded trio work, Unicity, Simon now offers his audience an impeccable selection of ten songs accompanied by drummer Brian Blade and bassist Patitucci. As his best recording to date, Unicity brilliantly captures Simon's gold-standard abilities with Afro-Hispanic rhythms, instruments, and classical and jazz forms. The haunting theme "Abiding Unicity," which he has dedicated to Egberto Gismonti, surrenders Gismonti's remarkable influence on the pianist with elaborate, romantic beauty. Simon's delicate classicism is brilliantly underlined by the subdued basslines of Patitucci and creative percussive expressions of Blade. This song is absolutely beautiful. "Prelude No. 9" -- a stunning composition written by Federico Mompou -- has been given a new 4/4 time signature and a solo section based on the composition where the award-winning Simon truly shines. Patitucci takes the lead on "Pathless Path," with a memorable electric bass intro that eventually evolves into a priceless solo by Simon. The interplay of this trio is beyond expectations. The remaining songs are just as extraordinary. Simply put, the entire recording is amazing. Each song is performed to perfection and it's no wonder that this particular trio is being compared to the powerful expressions of such spectacular jazz trios as Peterson, Brown, and Thigpen; Jamal, Crosby, and Fournier; and Evans, LaFaro, and Motian. A must-have for any jazz trio devotee.
02/11/06All Music GuidePaula Edelstein CD: Patitucci cambia volto…In “Unicity”, come accennavamo, il protagonista principale è il pianista Venezuelano Edward Simon accompagnato dalla splendida sezione ritmica che già conosciamo: John Patitucci al basso e Brian Blade alla batteria.
In questo album le composizioni sono per lo più di Simon eccezion fatta per “The messenger” di Patitucci , “Gevriasolas” scritta dal sassofonista David Binney, e il magnifico “Prelude n. 9” del compositore catalano Federico Mompou che il pianista confessa di avere scoperto durante la realizzazione di un album con la cantante Luciana Souza.
Il Cd si fa ascoltare dalla prima all’ultima nota con grande interesse grazie soprattutto allo stupefacente interplay instauratosi fra i tre protagonisti.
In particolare Simon evidenzia uno stile del tutto personale in cui dimostra di ben conoscere l’intera letteratura pianistica jazz da cui ha saputo trarre una ben precisa cifra stilistica caratterizzata da tocco raffinato, gusto melodico, armonizzazioni mai banali.
Dal canto suo Patitucci si ritaglia molti spazi in cui riesce ad esprimere compiutamente la sua nuova poetica, perfettamente integrato con il drumming allo stesso tempo preciso e fantasioso di Brian Blade.
22/11/06OnLine-News.it / A suon... di noteGerlando Gatto UnicityArtistic evolution is an interesting phenomenon. Emerging musicians, filled with the brashness of youth, are often more focused on chops, energy and complexity. But as many mature they evolve into players more concerned with space and profound simplicity. Edward Simon is a strong case in point: the pianist's earlier albums are filled with detailed compositions and an almost pathological approach to blending his South American roots with the sophisticated language of modern jazz.
Recently he’s been paring down his approach, and Unicity represents his most compositionally stripped-down effort to date. But it’s the very brevity of the charts here that frees Simon, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade to create some of the most evocative music of Simon’s career.
Shorter charts needn’t imply any less challenge when it comes to improvisation, nor do they suggest a lack of spirited energy. In fact, with less detailed roadmaps, the trio is forced to rely even more on interpretive interplay and the kind of dynamics that can only occur when the musicians are speaking with a single voice.
“Pathless Path” revolves around a simple ostinato pedal point that’s reminiscent of Keith Jarrett’s Changeless (ECM, 1982). But Simon contrasts with Jarrett’s stream-of-consciousness aesthetic through an equally emotive but more thoughtfully evolved chordal approach where the drama builds imperceptibly, noticeable only when Patitucci and Blade bring the dynamics back down and Simon becomes more linear.
“The Midst of Chaos” could suggest greater turbulence, and while it’s the most exuberant track on the album, it’s a centered piece featuring Patitucci’s best solo of the set. Simon, while retaining his characteristically deft touch, is at his most intense while Blade—always a vibrant player—manages a unique combination of muscular power and refined elegance rarely experienced since Tony Williams passed away.
Frederic Mompu’s dark and brooding “Prelude N.9,” primarily a solo vehicle for Simon, allows him to surrender himself to the needs of the song. When Patitucci and Blade come in for just a third of the tune, their support is so understated that it’s more felt than heard—noticed more, in fact, when they leave Simon alone again at the song’s end.
Simon includes two versions of “Abiding Unicity.” The first is a free-flowing affair: a tone poem with fluid time. The reprise, equally open-ended, bears a stronger pulse and more clearly defined changes. Together they demonstrate how the same idea, approached perhaps only hours apart, can yield diametric results. Unicity may find Simon paring down his approach, but it also finds him sounding emotionally deeper and more compelling with each successive release.
23/12/06www.allaboutjazz.comJohn Kelman EDWARD SIMON strikes (piano keys just right)!And to think there was a time when This Writer wasn't all that excited by piano trios…as a lad, I respected them, true, but I was always thinking, "Where's the horns or guitar?" I was young and got over it. I learned the Power of 3 via Bill Evans and Marilyn Crispell – they set me on the Path of Righteousness re: the keys/bass/drums configuration. Which brings us, pilgrims, to today's subject, the latest from key-cracker Edward Simon.
He's a pianist of sublime enchantments, as he's of the school of never blitzing the listener with a torrent of notes where/when a few spare tinkles will work magic. While never tentative or ponderous, Simon plays like a painter lovingly, intently strokes n' dabs his canvas. He mixes the contemplative approach of Evans with the dignified drama of Hancock and the noir-ish ballad side of Brubeck – wistful and introspective, but never self-absorbed or mope-y.
The other 2/3 equal his poised intensity – from their work with Wayne Shorter, most folk know of the capabilities of John Patitucci and Brian Blade as movers of the Earth. Here, Blade makes with subtle, crackling percussive swirls, forward-propulsion, and mini-quakes, while JP makes his basses (acoustic and electric) hum, sigh, and sing, drawing out guitar-like sonorities from time to time. Hard churning swing with forceful solos? Look elsewhere. But for tunefully impressionistic, mutedly lyrical piano trio jazz with sterling, low-volume soloing like cut gems and uncanny group empathy, perfect for late-night/ruminative listening, Unicity is IT. Five stars.
27/12/06Jazz Review.comMark Keresman Edward Simon Unicity…Ritroviamo Edward Simon, che è di origine venezuelana, anche in trio con John Patitucci e brian Blade: “Unicità” è un lavoro molto piacevole, che conferma le qualità di splendido narratore del pianista, assecondato con grande sensibilità da contrabbasso e batteria. Come diceva Paolo Conte… ah, Sudamerica!
15/02/07Il Giornale della MusicaE.B. EDWARD SIMON UnicityEdward Simon is only 37, but his musical résumé is deep and long. At 16, he came from a small town in Venezuela (where he played salsa, cumbia and merengue in a family band) to study European classical piano at the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. He also studied jazz at the Manhatatn Scool of Music. He has had long tenures in bands led by Bobby Watson and Terence Blanchard. “Unicity” is his eight recording as a leader.
Given his cross-cultural interdisciplinary background, the diversity of his music is not surprising, but its lucidity and richness and especially its poise are distinctive. In “Pathless Path”, a mesmerizing, patient piano ostinato suggests that you do not investigate mysteries, you wait them out. “Eastern” has a subtly insidious vamp embedded in it, from which it expands to large vistas. Simon’s touch on the keyboard is perfectly matched to his music: intellectually precise yet sensuous.
The team of John Patitucci and Brian Blade is extraordinary on this album. For the last five years, they have been known for power and creative explosiveness in Wayne Shorter’s quartet. Here, they are all about nuanced sensitivity, in the fervent whispers of Blade’s brushes and the meaningfully placed, resonant, conclusive punctuations of Patitucci’s bass.
15/12/06JazztimesJT EDWARD SIMON UnicityIl pianista venezuelano ha dimostrato in più occasioni (e lo fa anche in questo suo nuovo disco) di essere un solista che cerca di coniugare la vocazione al sentimentalismo con l’economia di mezzi. Quest’ultimo aspetto lo distacca definitivamente dal modello del primo Chick Corea, al quale si era riferito agli inizi e che si può tuttora cogliere qua e là (“The Messenger”). Il modo di procedere di Simon attribuisce un grande valore espressivo alle pause, il che avviene a volte con una perfetta scelta del momento (anche in un pezzo rapido quale “The Midst Of The Chaos) e altre volte con una circospezione che alla lunga può ingenerare noia (“Gevriasolas”).
Si tratta, a ogni modo, di un jazzista che sta cercando una via personale all’improvvisazione, via alla quale non è estranea una caratteristica e lievissima tinta latina (esplicita nel preludio del catalano Federico Mompou, implicita in “Pathless Path”). L’intesa con Patitucci e Blade, consolidata nel corso degli anni, fa sì che i brani si sviluppino quasi sempre lungo un percorso logico, come se fossero racconti (ed è soltanto un peccato che in ceri momenti ciò venga sospeso in un eccesso di “souplesse”). Pochi trii, peraltro, sanno instaurare come questo un clima, sin dalle prime battute, mantenendolo fino in fondo con tanta convinzione.
02/04/07Musica JazzGiuseppe Piacentino Unicity Edward SimonPianist Edward Simon’s seventh CD as a leader is his best effort to date. On display are his gifts as an improviser, composer and arranger with two sympathetic partners—bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. The entire CD has the feeling of a suite, rather than separate unrelated tracks that just happened to be recorded during the same session, even though the leader did not compose everything himself. The Venezuela-born pianist’s light touch works in his favor as he restrains himself from excessive notes when just a few will suffice; likewise, his band mates are of the same mindset.
Simon performs Catalonian composer Frederic Mompou’s haunting “Prelude No. 9” with minimal accompaniment, adding an improvised section and slightly modifying its time signature. His driving original “The Midst of Chaos” is the best overall solo showcase for the musicians. The character of his hypnotic vamp in “Eastern” is reminiscent of Keith Jarrett’s concert improvisations of the mid ‘70s, with Blade’s hand percussion adding a nice touch.
There are two versions of the pianist’s brooding “Abiding Unicity.” The initial rendition is more dramatic, enhanced by Patitucci’s warm arco bass in its swirling introduction, with Simon’s enchanting solo displaying subtlety, backed by Blade’s stirring percussion. The reprise of the theme at the end of the CD is of a totally different character, with a more straight-ahead rhythm, retaining a bittersweet flavor while offering a degree of hope not heard on the initial take. Patitucci switches to electric bass and takes the lead for much of the ominous-sounding “Evolution,” and also contributed the cheerfully post-bop “The Messenger.” Piano trios rarely reach the heights of Unicity.
25/03/07All About JazzKen Dryden EDWARD SIMON UnicityIl pianista venezuelano Ed Simon, che molti ricorderanno ai suoi esordi al fianco del sassofonista Bobby Watson, poi con Terence Blanchard, Dave Binney ed altri esponenti del jazz contemporaneo, firma l’album della piena maturità insieme a due superbi musicisti quali il bassista John Patitucci ed il batterista Brian Blade (oggi membri del formidabile quartetto di Wayne Shorter). Maturità perché Simon ha trovato una mirabile sobrietà di tratto ed un tocco chiaroscurale espressivo, che evidenzia nei brani in repertorio tra cui, oltre ad originals e a pezzi di Binney e Patitucci, compare una composizione del catalano Mompou, sommo maestro dell’essenzialità.
13/04/07Musica e DischiMaurizio Franco Edward Simon UnicityNegli ultimi anni, il venezuelano Ed Simon si è fatto un nome sulla scena newyorkese suonando con musicisti come Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby e Mark Turner. Le sue due uscite solistiche (“The Process” del 2003, e “Simplicitas” del 2005, entrambi per la Criss Cross) avevano mostrato un pianista dalla tecnica cristallina, capace di assorbire la lezione della più sofisticata scena downtown e di fonderla da una parte con le sue radici classiche, dall’altra con un discreto ma percepibile retrogusto sudamericano. Tutte doti che si ritrovano su questo “Unicity”: il tocco attentamente calibrato e lo splendido suono, uniti alla capacità di costruire l’assolo con coesione, fanno spesso pensare al miglior Hancock, ma la rilettura di un preludio di Federico Mompou mostra anche tutto il suo solidissimo bagaglio accademico. Sulle capacità di Blade e Patitucci non c’è nulla di nuovo da dire: eccellenti come solisti, I due assieme formano una ritmica felpata e precisissima, capace di infinite sottigliezze e sfumature. Un disco di gran classe, al quale si può muovere l’unico rimprovero di non osare un po’ di più, confinandosi nei limiti di un gusto impeccabile e di una squisita eleganza.
13/02/07JazzitSergio Pasquandrea Ed Simon UnicityIn Jazzwise 88 I welcomed the Simon album “Simplicitas”, which was also largely a trio performance, though with brief guest appearances from Luciana Souza and Adam Rogers. This time it’s just bass and drums, a completely different team from last time but equally top-drawer, with Patitucci contributing an original as well as taking a beautiful cello-register ballad solo on Simon’s ‘Evolution’. Two other non-Simon compositions show the pianist’s wide range and reach, with one by Dave Binney and the other from Spanish composer Federico Mompou (who was being investigated seriously by pianist Richie Beirach a few years back).
Although Blade hasn’t written anything here and, at one level, doesn’t draw any attention to himself, he is on the money as usual and always makes everyone else sound great. Many of the pieces revolve around gentle vamps of one kind or another, but their variety and the freedom with which they’re used ensures non chance of boredom. It makes you wonder, what does Simon have to do to become better known?
16/03/07JazzwiseBrian Priestley UnicityUna volta si usava dire “trio stellare” e sembrerebbe che anche stavolta la denominazione ci sta tutta. Edward Simon è una delle non numerosissime nuove realtà del piano jazz che si caratterizzano per una dose rilevante di personalità e capacità di far prevalere anche sulla tecnica l’impronta individuale. C’è qualcosa di Herbie Hancock in questo tocco che riesce ad unire lievità e nitidezza, precisione ed evocatività. Il percorrere temi con eleganti spezzature, fluidi ma con quell’elemento di novità cercato spesso sul piano armonico, fa di Simon un musicista che non lascia indifferenti e non invita a confonderlo nel mucchio. Una sezione ritmica così poi (stiamo tra l’altro parlando della metà del quartetto di Wayne Shorter, cioè – secondo più di qualcuno – quanto di più alto negli ultimi anni possa significare la parola jazz) come minimo si fa ascoltare, per dirla alla leggera. “Naturalmente” il trio produce meraviglie, con Blade che mette da parte un po’ della sua vibrante e innervata grinta sul rullante e nei cambi di tempo per assecondare una formula più ordinata moderata di jazz. Patitucci sembra ormai uno in grado di fare semplicemente quel che vuole (o, nei casi peggiori, esattamente quel che serve) senza dare il benché minimo segnale di fatica. Simon non ha altro da fare che sentirsi decisamente ben supportato e andare tranquillo, e lo fa. Forse alcuni momenti lirici in cui Jarrett fa capolino potevano godere di maggior originalità, ma si tratta comunque dell’ennesimo bel disco a marchio Cam.
Commento tecnico:
qualità musicale: 8
qualità tecnica: 7.5
20/04/07SuonoPier Luigi Zanzi Edward Simon UnicitySimon (piano) leads a trio with John Patitucci (bass) and Brian Blade (drums). They work their way through ten tunes mostly written by Simon. The music is mostly soft bop but "Abiding Unicity" has more of a classical feel. "Gevriasolas" and "Pathless Path" are warm relaxed songs while "The Midst of Chaos" and "Evolution", our favourites, is more upbeat. They are all well developed compositions played by exceptional musicians with exceptional sound that gives us an outstanding listening experience.
30/05/07O's PLACE Jazz Newslettereditorial EDWARD SIMON Unicity – four starsPourquoi ce disque nous ébouriffe-t-il? Parce qu’il est à la fois impeccable et stimulant ! Impeccable, il l’est par son savoir-faire, sa pâte, son style. Il force l’admiration par la parfaite maîtrise de la forme, du son, du toucher, du passage de témoin d’un musicien à l’autre, de la clarté de l’enregistrement… Mieux que des professionnels, des experts flegmatiques : on se croirait dans “Mission impossible” ! Et stimulant parce que nos experts ne jouent pas aux précieux dégoûtés : ils croient à la jubilation du risque, au sourire de l’obstacle franchi. Et l’on a envie d’en finir avec le mythe du “trio équilatéral”, où chacun se devrait d’être soliste à part entière, où l’on jetterait aux orties l’idée d’un piano leader, soutenu par une rythmique. De toute façon, face à des musiciens de la trempe de Patitucci et Blade, le pianiste n’a pas trop intérêt à faire le fiérot ; mais ce qui frappe, c’est que chacun explore sa fonction, soutient les deux autres quand il le faut, monte à son tour sur le devant de la scène, baisse d’un ton sa voix à la séquence suivante… Les morceaux sont soigneusement découpés, réservant les surprises de climats successifs qui s’enchâssent savamment, ou parfois faisant gonfler le drame d’un motif lancinant qui se répète et se gonfle. Le romantisme poignant du compositeur catalan Federico Mompou alterne avec des ambiances orientalisantes : les ornements “à l’indienne” du bassiste, entendus dans l’“Invocation” qui ouvre le disque, se retrouve à la fin d’“Eastern”. Et la “saudade” légère d’une bossa parfume l’“abiding unicity” qui concourt au titre général. Ebouriffant !
07/06/07JazzmanYvan Amar Edward Simon UnicityCet album est le huitième que ce jeune pianiste vénézuelien a enregistré sous son nom. Il a en particulier fait partie des groupes de Paquito D’Rivera et de Terence Blanchard. La reconnaissance a commencé à venir avec sa “Venezuelian Suite”, travail de composition récompensé par la Chamber Music of America. Attentif à l’héritage de Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock et aux acquis apportés par les pianistes apparus plus récemment, il réussit ici un disque aimable et à l’évidence maîtrise faisant la part belle à ses propres compositions, qui constituent le meilleur de son talent. Brillamment accompagné par deux “monstres”, John Patitucci,qui fit les beaux jours du trio de Chick Corea des années 1990, et Brain Blade, qui fit ceux du quartet de Joshua Redman, au fil des plages il manifeste une belle digitalité et une inspiration ne cédant pas à la facilité des artifices de l’école. Un arrangement bâti sur le “Prélude n°9” de Mompou achève de rendre singulière la musique de ce trio délicat qui verse davantage dans la banalité lorsque le saxophoniste David Binney se joint à lui, ce dernier, quoique bon technicien, ne faisant preuve d’aucune personnalité musicale. Un disque irrégulier mais intéressant.
10/05/07Classica repertoireeditorial La sensibilità di Edward SimonEdward Simon, uno dei più talentuosi pianisti delle ultime generazioni di jazzmen d’oltreoceano, firma per l’etichetta Cam Jazz l’album “Unicity” che lo vede leader di un trio completato da John Patitucci (contrabbasso e basso elettrico) e Brian Blade (batteria) (entrambi componenti del formidabile quartetto di Wayne Shorter). Registrato a New York il 26 e 27 febbraio di quest’anno, il disco mette in piena evidenza la grande sensibilità espressiva di Simon e dei suoi partner, il cui primo incontro risale al 2003 durante l’incisione dell’album di Patitucci dal titolo “Songs, Storie and Spiritual”.
”Unicity” include 10 brani, principalmente composizioni delle stesso Edward Simon; fanno eccezione “The Messenger” firmato da Patitucci e “Gavriasolas” scritta dal sassofonista David Binney, al quale Simon è legato da lunga e proficua frequentazione artistica. Episodio a sé stante, ma nel contempo perfettamente integrato con gli altri brani del Cd, è “Prelude N. 9” del compositore Federico Mompou, scoperto dal pianista nel corso della realizzazione di un album della cantante Luciana Souza.
Nato nel 1969 a Cardòn (Venezuela), Edward Simon si è messo in luce a partire dalla fine degli anni 80 suonando con Greg Osby, Bobby Watson, Kevin Eubanks, Jerry Gonzales, Herbie Mann e Paquito D’Rivera. Grazie al suo variegato background ha una profonda conoscenza e padronanza sia del lessico jazzistico, sia del vasto patrimonio delle musiche latine.
10/12/06PIU'editorial EDWARD SIMON UNICITYPianista venezuelano – cresciuto ascoltando Chucho Valdes e soprattutto Emiliano Salvador – Simon è una delle voci pianistiche di maggior interesse contemporaneo. Sarà per la tendenza alla coincisione, per al maestria tecnica coniugata al senso della misura, per la profonda capacità d’interplay, il jazzista sudamericano si impone per la sua lontananza da stereotipi sonori. Svezzatosi nei gruppi del trombettista Terence Blanchard, Simon dal 2002 ha intrapreso una carriera di bandleader con vari trii: nel cd si ascolta quello con il contrabbassista John Patitucci e il batterista Brian Blade (la creativa ritmica di Wayne Shorter). La bellezza, soffusa, della musica del pianista sta proprio nell’incrocio tra Sudamerica (ivi compreso il mondo iberico, da Egberto Gismunti – “Abiding Unicity” – a Frederic Mompou, il preludio n. 9) e Nordamerica (“The Messenger”), tra Pablo Neruda e Bobby Watson.
29/09/07Alias - Il ManifestoLuigi Onori Flowing and Intricate, With a Toe in Many StylesThe pianist Edward Simon reconciles a few different agendas in his music, borrowing judiciously from classical impressionism, post-bop modality and the folk music of his native Venezuela. He’s careful with his calibration of these and other influences, but the effort doesn’t feel belabored. In his first set on Tuesday night at the Village Vanguard, his debut there as a leader, he projected flowing ease along with a canny sense of drama.
Mr. Simon wasn’t alone in creating this feeling. His trio includes the bassist John Patitucci and the drummer Brian Blade, who have clocked meaningful time together in the Wayne Shorter Quartet. A couple of years ago Mr. Simon enlisted the same sterling rhythm team for an album called “Unicity” (Cam Jazz). On some level these musicians’ Vanguard run is preparation for a sequel, which they are scheduled to record later this week.
A few pieces in the set were episodic, packed with cozy spaces for solo elaboration. “Abiding Unicity” began as a showcase for Mr. Patitucci, who bowed his bass with mournful ardor and then moved on to an impressively nimble pizzicato. What came next was an open-ended solo piano interlude. Mr. Simon made expressive use of his sustain pedal, so that even his more dissonant runs suggested a ripple instead of a rumble.
Mr. Simon’s resourcefulness as a composer often involves some aspect of rhythm: he uses fluctuating tempos or asymmetrical vamps as a means of advancing his plot. On the arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Woody ’n You” that closed the set, he had the trio repeatedly shift gears — from polyrhythmic 12/8 to fluttering waltz time to express-lane 4/4 swing — before clearing an open space for Mr. Blade, whose dazzling and supple improvisation stealthily traced the form of the song. There were similar twists and turns on “Impossible Question”; here Mr. Blade was let loose over an ostinato in 9/4 meter.
Yet intricacy wasn’t the only mode of the set, which began with an untitled new piece with a straightforward post-bop feel, and elsewhere included a tune by Mr. Patitucci in tribute to the tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. Swinging hard may not be Mr. Simon’s strong suit — he has a way of skating over a groove rather than digging in — but he played with crisp assurance, and his bandmates threw themselves into the task.
They sounded just as committed to their purpose on “Pathless Path,” an exercise in static harmony and gradual exposition. And as it does on “Unicity,” “Path” followed a somber but engrossing rendition of “Prelude No. 9,” by the Catalan composer Frederic Mompou. Mr. Simon played that melody in a ruminative cadence and with only the slightest and most respectful of variations.
14/02/08New York TimesNate Chinen Unicity“Unicity” a été très justement salué l’année dernière par le milieu du jazz : Edward Simon propose une musique moderne, remarquablement construite et captivante. Pour accompagner ses idées, ce pianiste d’origine vénézuélienne a fait appel à une section rythmique de luxe qui semble plaire aux Sud-Américains : John Patitucci et Brian Blade. Mais les deux compagnons de route de Wayne Shorter et de Danilo Perez se retrouvent avec Simon dans une ambiance quelque peu différente.
Les six thèmes écrits par Simon fleurent bon le classicisme, avec quelques dissonances de bon aloi. “The Messenger”, de la plume de Patitucci, penche vers le contemporain. Le trio joue également “Gevriasolas”, un morceau dansant signé David Binney, collègue de longue date du pianiste. Enfin une excursion catalane nous emmène dans l’univers ascétique du compositeur Frédéric Mompou. Un programme varié qui permet à ce trio d’imposer une musique originale et ingénieuse. La basse de Patitucci, toujours admirable à l’archet, est très présente : solos inventifs, walking bass particulièrement porteuse, grande sagacité dans le soutien. C’est le versant musical et fin de Blade que le trio a mis à profit, assez loin des explosions “shorteriennes”. Quant à Simon, son phrasé oscille entre contemporain et bop, mais son toucher d’une grande sensibilité le rapproche souvent des musiciens classiques. Doté d’un sens mélodique et dramatique sûr, il gère habilement la tension.
Sans folie, mais avec une maîtrise confondante et une construction tendue, “Unicity” peut tourner longtemps dans le lecteur, réservant à chaque écoute son lot de découvertes.
28/03/08www.citizenjazz.comBob Hatteau Edward Simon UnicityAttention, ne passez pas à coté de ce petit volume à la pochette insipide et sans grande saveur. Se cache là, mené par le pianiste vénézuélo-américain Edward Simon, un petit trio fort élégant qui mérite le détour. Cette fois sans son Binney – autant dire Roche sans Bobois ou Villeroy sans Bosch ! – il parvient avec ses remarquables compagnons de route à stimuler agréablement non ensablées de service. Soit un désherbage en profondeur – oui je sais, je ne devrais pas ! – qui nous permet de reléguer aux oubliettes “Océanos”, plus world music que réellement jazz, enregistré en 2004 pour Criss Cross et sorti des fontes de la firme new-yorkaise en même temps que ce dernier album.
C’est qu’il est doué de ses mains, l’Edward ! Je ne vous la referai pas une seconde fois référencée cinéma, mais elles valent de… l’or ! De Punta Cardón à New York où il s’installe en 1989, des rythmes latins et caribéens de son enfance à la Manhattan School of Music où il étudie avec Harold Danko, des premiers gigs en culottes courtes, s’il vous plaît, aux côtés de Kevin Eubanks et du saxophoniste Greg Osby à celles plus régulières de sideman derrière Bobby Watson, Paquito D’Rivera et Terence Blanchard, sans compter ses multiples contributions à la musique de chambre comme “The Venezuelan Suite”, il a eu le temps de se créer une belle personnalité musicale. A ce jour, neuf albums sous son nom ou en co-direction en portent témoignage. Les rencontres se ramassent alors à la pelle et c’est d’ailleurs en 2003 qu’il grave une première fois un volume remarqué - “The Process” en trio avec l’impressionnant John Patitucci à la basse et Eric Harland à la batterie. Il réitère cette fois-ci l’exploit en 2006 avec Brian Blade aux peaux d’âne.
Huit compositions originales et une émouvante interprétation du “Prelude N.9” de Frédéric…perdu !... Mompou (compositeur espagnol de la fine de XIXe siècle), comment vous ne le saviez pas ? donnent un aperçu du talent protéiforme d’un pianiste parfaitement à l’aise dans tous les styles. Il va sans dire que les deux habiles compères lui facilitent grandement la tâche ! Entre ces trois-là l’osmose est totale et la voix inédite qu’ils font jaillir, résultant d’une imbrication aussi raffinée que bien sentie – le titre de ce petit opus se justifie sans problème ! – laisse espérer, pour le moins, d’autres albums de cette qualité-là.
15/11/07jazz hotJean-Jacques Taïb
