“There are multiple fluencies, along many frequencies, in the music of Edward Simon... His luxurious new album, Sorrows & Triumphs, is a sleek expression of modernist chamber-jazz writing.”
- Nate Chinen
Sorrows & Triumphs
Sorrows and Triumphs showcases the long-running virtuoso quartet Afinidad and the acclaimed chamber quintet Imani Winds, plus special guests including vocalist Gretchen Parlato. It brings together the distinct and often exclusive worlds of jazz and classical music, challenging chamber musicians to stretch their improvising and interpretive skills, while inviting jazz musicians into the formal structures of classical music. Their harmonious collaboration on two bodies of work commissioned by Chamber Music of America’s New Jazz Works, the suites “Sorrows and Triumphs” and “House of Numbers,” results in a holistic listening experience that brims with a lyricism both intimate and majestic. About this music, influenced by his Buddhist practice, the pianist says: “I wanted these compositions to bring joy to the listener, to be direct and accessible, with singable melodies.” Summing up a string of glowing reviews for the album, All About Jazz said: “Edward Simon's sensitivity, eloquence, strength and intelligence stand in full view throughout this gorgeous collection.”
What the press is saying
“Simon achieves a rare feat, creating music of extraordinary depth that’s easy to listen to. Meditative, grooving, and above all joyful, Sorrows & Triumphs soars into the jazz stratosphere.”
— Monarch Magazine
"Sorrow & Triumphs really is quite triumphant. It is music that frees the spirit, music that is, at times, dreamlike and at other times, rooted to the rhythms of Venezuela. The impressive melodies, the intelligent arrangements, and the delightful musicianship. “
— Richard Karmins, Step Tempest
“This is majestic, lush music put together with intelligence and emotional depth. Simon writes as profoundly as Maria Schneider and fits a lot of disparate musical elements together with imagination. This is one of 2018's finest musical achievements so far.”