Edward Simon’s “Latin Heart” Beats with the Pulse of the Present
At the Presidio Theatre, the Venezuelan pianist wove folklore, jazz, and chamber strings into a living, breathing map of his musical heritage.
Edward Simon
A little after the lights dropped at Presidio Theatre, Edward Simon’s trio began “Dama Antańona” without a stage introduction. The choice set the tone: the music arrived first, and the explanation followed later, if it was needed at all. The Venezuelan song unfolded as a long, patient build: quiet piano chords, cymbal shimmer, and an unhurried bass foundation that let the melody open gradually. As the piece intensified, the band shifted into a stronger jazz pulse, then into darker colors—Rogers bowed the bass, and Cruz answered with a marching-style beat—before the ending softened again.
Latin Heart named Simon’s method. He treated Venezuelan song, Caribbean-inflected feel, and contemporary jazz writing as a single language, and he presented the repertoire as still evolving. In a preshow interview, he said the expanded format would keep growing and pointed to Venezuelan tonadas—“very simple pieces, but really beautiful”—as a source he wanted to bring into the project.
Ruben Rogers
The trio’s internal communication made those ambitions feel sturdy. Simon angled the piano so he could catch his bandmates’ eyes through the lid, and dynamics rose and fell together. Several times in the opener, Rogers, unamplified, let out a quick “Yeah!” from inside the groove. Simon also sketched the band’s history: he and Cruz had played together since 1995, and he reconnected with Rogers in 2021 while working with Diane Reeves. He described Rogers, born and raised on St. Thomas, as bringing a “Caribbean feeling,” and the rhythm section conveyed that breadth by staying buoyant without rushing.
Simon’s brief remarks after “Dama Antańona” tied the arrangement back to social detail. He translated the title as “old-fashioned lady,” describing someone admiring a woman at Mass and adding that “back in the days, people would really dress up to go to church.” Then he introduced saxophonist Chris Potter with a plain statement of awe: “Every time that I have an opportunity to play with this next gentleman, it’s like a revelation.” Potter joined for “Presagio,” which Simon identified as a piece by Enrique Hidalgo. The tune stayed upbeat with “classical piano moments,” then increased tempo midstream. Simon took a beautifully shaped solo, and Potter followed with a brilliant one on tenor sax.
Chris Potter
After “Presagio,” Del Sol Quartet joined, transforming the group into an octet. “Guardian of the Oceans” began with strings alone before the rhythm section entered, and Potter opened on bass clarinet, giving the piece a darker center. Simon introduced it through his SFJAZZ Collective work and a de Young Museum collaboration, inspired by Rupy C. Tut, an Oakland artist’s triptych titled “New Normal.” “Now You Know,” from Simon’s album Tradewinds, showed how he wanted the expanded ensemble to behave. In a preshow interview, he said he wrote “for the ensemble as an ensemble” and wanted the strings to improvise “in an experimental context.” The performance began with strings while bass and drums established a tapped pulse, and Potter switched to soprano sax as the rhythmic design thickened.
The emotional center arrived with the world premiere of “Bolero,” commissioned by German Music America. Simon framed it as a return to childhood, explaining that he began music because of his father, “an amateur musician, singer, and guitarist who loved playing boleros,” and speaking about love “in all its manifestations.” He quoted Paquito D’Rivera, calling bolero a “ballad with rice and beans on the side,” then dedicated the piece to his father. The arrangement stayed intimate: Cruz used brushes, the two violins traded the melody lead, and Potter returned on tenor sax to trade lines with the strings as the music faded.
Kathryn Bates
Late in the set, Simon briefly mentioned that Venezuela had been on his mind lately, and the audience responded with a pause and murmurs before the music resumed. “Caribeńo” began with Potter and Simon, then brought the strings in behind the melody. Cruz kicked up the tempo midway, and Simon took a moving solo. The close turned sharply articulated, with the strings plucking while Cruz tapped cymbals with one hand and worked a shell shaker with the other. “Remembrance” followed as a slow, dramatic counterweight, led by a violin melody over intentionally shaky notes and a strong bass line. Potter wove in and out, then took the lead, and the piece ended with only piano, bass, and strings, leaving a silence.
Edward Simon Trio w/ Chris Potter
Simon’s trio plus Potter stayed onstage for the encore, “Sabana,” which Simon introduced as a Simón Díaz song from the Venezuelan plains, “a cowboy land,” tied to a folk repertoire about animals, trees, wind, and the ache of leaving for the city. The performance opened with bowed bass and piano, then Potter entered on alto sax and led, while Cruz staged the drama across toms, a shaker, and crash cymbals. The band built to a clear summit, then receded to Simon alone on the final notes. A standing ovation and loud cheers followed. Afterward, Simon noted that he and members of the string quartet would be in the lobby to answer questions and sign merchandise. There, audience members were overheard saying several pieces had moved them deeply. “Latin Heart” ultimately showed Simon expanding his palette without softening its rhythmic and cultural fingerprint.
PROGRAM NOTES
Band: Edward Simon Trio with Chris Potter & Del Sol Quartet
Event: Latin Heart
Date: January 10, 2026
Showtime: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Presidio Theatre, San Francisco
Personnel
Edward Simon Trio +1: Edward Simon (piano), Chris Potter (saxophones), Reuben Rogers (bass), and Adam Cruz (drums).
Del Sol Quartet: Benjamin Kreith (violin), Hyeyung Sol Yoon (violin), Charlton Lee (viola), and Kathryn Bates (cello).
Setlist: “Dama Antańona,” “Presagio,” “Guardian of the Oceans,” “Now You Know,” “Bolero,” “Caribeńo,” “Remembrance.”
Encore: “Sabana”
