Simon’s Valley Stream Jazz Festival, Inc.

It all started when…

An event that has been in existence for 17 years must have naturally secured a humble amount of history in time; however, this short narrative is only intended for this video called# 17.  

Dr. Herold Simon created the Valley Stream Jazz festival in 2003 following his lifetime admiration for Jazz, attendance at many jazz events, past obsession with the discontinued BET Jazz Channel and multiple family barbecues in the house backyard organized by his wife, Doris.

The Simon's Valley Stream Jazz Festival since its creation has only been held in that backyard where notable players, in chronological order, Chardavoine, Buyu Ambroise, Waldron Wicks, Jeremy Powell, Marks Schwartz, Bobby Raymond, Jean Caze and Pauline Jean, Gary’s Japanese drummer in 2018, to name a few, played with great character, rare musical fabric and unforgettable, colorful notes. Among them, Ashley Simon playing piano solo in between sets in 2008. 

With the development and inclusion of CESIMI, families of CEsar, SImon and Mlrville, a non-professional, family, musical group from a karaoke idea presented by Marthelly Cesar, the event became popular in 2015 as more guests were invited to attend. Later, combined with CESIMI's continuing superb performances and more robust and sophisticated jazz productions involving between 9-12 influential musicians at a time, led by collaborator, Gary Sylvain, the event became much more appreciated. Anticipation of many to attend became contagious among friends from Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, Boston, Connecticut, Canada, Haiti and of course, New York. As a result of all that, every year the event raises the bar for the next through meticulous preparation, diverse musicality, greater enthusiasm, better performance and attendance. By popular exclamation, the event of 2019 remains the most recent apogee/highest point.

Dr. Simon's vision since 2013 has been to transfer the event to a Valley Stream public park and feed it to grow and become a event for Haitians in Valley Stream and indiscriminately New York State and so on. He has been working with Valley Stream officials to facilitate this endeavor. The festival has already been incorporated in New York state archives.