Bringing together some of the finest improvising musicians of his generation.

In 2003 Simon founded Ensemble Venezuela as a vehicle for exploring the affinities between jazz and Venezuelan music. Its mission is the exploration of the marriage between these styles through the creation of new works and arrangements of compositions by Venezuelan masters. In 2005 Chamber Music America awarded Simon a grant to compose his "Venezuelan Suite", a work that crosses the boundaries between jazz, chamber music and Venezuelan folk music.