Simon Brothers Holiday Special – 8PM & 10PM

Todd Simon served 4.5 years as pianist, saxophonist, and percussionist for the United States Naval Academy Band. Born and raised in Dover, DE, Todd enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he received his Bachelor’s of Music degree specializing in Jazz Piano Performance in 2007. While there, he studied piano/organ with Tim Murphy and saxophone with Gary Thomas. He had the privilege of playing in Peabody concerts alongside Conrad Herwig, Sam Rivers, David Sanchez, Ingrid Jensen, George Garzone, Rufus Reid, and Dave Samuels.

Upon graduation, Todd began performing more regularly on the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. jazz scene. He has had the opportunity to perform with Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Tim Warfield, Wayne Bergeron, Dontae Winslow, Gary Thomas, Alex Norris, Mike Pope, Tarus Mateen, Stephanie Jordan, Sean Rickman, Daryl Davis, the Chesapeake Orchestra, the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club Big Band, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, the Eubie Blake Big Band, the Baltimore City Big Band, the Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra, the Rumba Club, Interplay, and The Fabulous Hubcaps, a group his father founded.  Todd was also the keyboardist with the Donvonte McCoy Quintet at the Eighteenth Street Lounge for 4 years.

His debut CD of all original compositions, Simon Says, was released in March 2013. One of the CD’s tracks, “Amalgam,” was selected as a winner of the 2014 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. The CD also led to a 2015 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award. Other recordings Todd is featured on include trumpeter Donvonte McCoy’s album Third Floor, saxophonist Lionel Lyles’ CD At the Precipice, and vocalist Tom Moore’s debut CD Restless Journey.

Professional highlights include leading a gig with Nicholas Payton and Tim Warfield at the Tinder Box, as well as being a featured performer at the Peabody Jazz Program 10th Anniversary Concert, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, the DC Jazz Festival, WPFW’s Live at Five segment, WEAA’s Baltimore Blend, and Delmarva Live. Todd is a frequent performer for All Souls Unitarian Church. In 2015 Todd served as the lead keyboardist for Howard University’s production of Anything Goes, HB Woodlawn’s presentation of Footloose,and LPN’s In Session.

Shawn:

Shawn was born in Dover, Delaware and started taking piano lessons at the age of 9.  In the 5th grade, he learned the trumpet and continued to play all throughout high school.  At 16 years old, he taught himself the electric bass, and a year later, took lessons on the double bass.  He received his bachelors degree at East Carolina University in Jazz Performance where he studied jazz bass (both electric and double bass) under professor Carroll V. Dashiell, and took classical bass lessons from Leonid Finkelshteyen.

At 24 years old, Shawn just received his Master’s Degree at Towson University in music performance where he studied jazz bass under Jeff Reed.  Shawn has played in various bands all throughout the east coast including Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, and New York.  Currently, he is continuing to play at jazz clubs throughout Baltimore, and Washington D.C. and plays with the Ashley Mitchell Band, a top 40s pop group. He is versatile in a wide variety of genres and looks forward to sharing his experiences and knowledge with his students.