Meet Reed Simon
“Clubbin’ Unchained” Django and the Duke
Violinist Reed Simon will help us create the “CJO Club” for an evening with infectious grooves and great arrangements, as we intertwine the remarkable early brilliance of Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club with Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli's “Hot Club of France.”
“Clubbin’ Unchained” Django and the Duke
featuring Reed Simon
Friday, March 20, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Maltz Performing Arts Center
Before the show, get to learn a little more about Reed…
Who is Reed Simon?
We are delighted to welcome Reed Simon back. In 2021, he was a guest artist for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra at the Bop Stop, Lincoln Park, and Happy Days Lodge. You may have seen him around town, as he is fortunate to work with many of Cleveland’s top jazz musicians, including performing at Nighttown with the band Hot Djang!
Reed Simon performing with the CJO Little Big Band at Happy Days Lodge
Here in Cleveland, Reed has shared the Severance Hall stage with percussionist Cándido de Guerra Camero for the Northeast Ohio Jazz Society's production of Duke Ellington’s “A Drum is a Woman", under the direction of John Richmond. Reed is a current member of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, a founding member of the band Bent String, and occasionally plays with other local groups.
Musicians of note with whom Reed has played include Diego Figueiredo III, Gary Burton, and swing jazz guitarist Dennis Chang. Reed has opened for guitarists Olli Soikkeli and Stephane Wremble, as well as bands such as Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and The Hot Club of Cowtown.
Reed has worked with the New York City based band Nuage Rhythm, as well as the band Chest Fever. And Reed had the honor of meeting the legendary French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli.