Show Description: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby interviews pianist and composer Edward Simon to discuss the trio Three Visitors, a deeply collaborative project with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade. This trio consists of three composers writing for one another, built on a long history, shared language, and deliberate listening. We talk about how the group developed from their New York connections in the 1990s, how the new album on GroundUP Music was created with guests like Chris Potter and Becca Stevens, and what Bay Area audiences can expect when Three Visitors performs at the Joe Henderson Lab at SFJAZZ.
What we cover in this episode:
· Edward’s musical roots in Venezuela and his path through New York’s jazz scene
· How he, Scott Colley, and Brian Blade discovered their “we-already-know-each-other” chemistry
· Why Three Visitors is a fully collaborative project, not “Edward Simon’s trio”
· Writing music that invites conversation, space, and high-level improvisation
· Deep dive on the album track “You Are” — a meditation on human potential, with strings and Chris Potter
· How vocalist Becca Stevens reshaped “I Wanna Be With You” and why the trio welcomes guests
· What changes (and what doesn’t) when they bring this music into an intimate room like the Joe Henderson Lab
· How the group keeps sets fluid so each show feels like a new “visit”
About the album — Three Visitors
Show Description: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby interviews pianist and composer Edward Simon to discuss the trio Three Visitors, a deeply collaborative project with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade. This trio consists of three composers writing for one another, built on a long history, shared language, and deliberate listening. We talk about how the group developed from their New York connections in the 1990s, how the new album on GroundUP Music was created with guests like Chris Potter and Becca Stevens, and what Bay Area audiences can expect when Three Visitors performs at the Joe Henderson Lab at SFJAZZ.
Upcoming show
Three Visitors: Edward Simon, Scott Colley & Brian Blade
Where: Joe Henderson Lab, SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco
When: Friday, November 21, 2025 — 7:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, November 22, 2025 — 7:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/25-26/edward-simon-three-visitors/
Listen / Buy the album:
GroundUP Music store: https://store.groundupmusic.net/products/three-visitors-cd
Bandcamp: https://threevisitors.bandcamp.com/album/three-visitors