Simon lets jazz improvisation and Venezuelan song sit side by side, close enough to rub against one another without either losing its shape
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Edward Simon – piano; Reuben Rogers – bass; Adam Cruz – drums; Jackeline Rago – cuatro, maracas
On Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2, Edward Simon returns to familiar ground with his long-standing trio of Reuben Rogers and Adam Cruz. The album continues his careful exploration of Latin American material through a jazz lens, with the melodies left intact, the pulse gently adjusted, and space doing real work. Guest Jackeline Rago joins on one track with cuatro and plays maracas on “El Vuelo de la Mosca,” contributing subtle textural color.
Repeating descending lines that rock back and forth hypnotically open “Presagio.” Simon’s piano is fluid and playful in the upper register, with occasional phrases that sound classical before moving on. Reuben Rogers ’bass and Adam Cruz’s drums add spare, repeated figures that mirror the piano. Like the tides, the trio swells and recedes together. As the piece unfolds, the piano grows more forceful, Cruz’s drumming gets sharper, and Rogers stays planted, keeping the pulse steady. The mood softens again—Rogers switches to arco, Cruz lightens his touch, and Simon pares his lines down to a few quiet notes.
The mood stays calm on “Atardecer,” with soft, rolling piano figures. Simon’s touch is light, almost caressing the keys, pushing and pulling the beat while letting the melody unfold. Rogers ’woody, resonant bass notes hang just long enough to blur into one another. A brief, guitar-like shimmer from Jackeline Rago’s cuatro adds a bright accent. Adam Cruz’s brushwork is airy and well placed, with the bass solo echoing the piano’s lyricism.
At nearly eighteen minutes, “Dama Antañona” unfolds slowly, built on repeating piano phrases that rise and fall in waves. Cruz shifts between brushes and sticks, letting the cymbals shimmer as the music gradually gathers momentum. Rogers and Cruz lock in firmly while Simon moves between block chords and surging runs that threaten to spill over. The trio treats repetition as architecture: each cycle subtly evolves, creating a sense of motion and structure that feels deliberate. The piece breathes in cycles—building, pulling back, then building again—almost narratively, like a story told in waves of sound.
A classical-leaning piano figure with a Spanish tinge announces “Anhelante.” Rogers answers in the upper register, his bass line moving lightly while Cruz rides the cymbal, gently nudging the groove forward. As the rhythm settles into a steady walk, Simon shifts to concise, single-note lines, keeping the tune upbeat and in motion.
In a crowded field of piano trio releases, this one doesn’t need to announce itself to stand apart. Simon lets jazz improvisation and Venezuelan song sit side by side, close enough to rub against one another without either losing its shape
