Educator, Percussionist, Composer Marlon Simon was born in the small town of Punta Cardón, Falcón state, Venezuela. His first contact with music, at the age of 10, came from his father, Hadsy Simon, a philosopher with deep insights into spiritualism and metaphysics, and guitarist and vocalist. “Whenever we had a visitor my father used to take his guitar out and invite me to join him, playing on a little bongo. Later on, I drove him nuts. When I reached the age of 15, he bought me a set of timbales. I learned most of the Latin rudiments on my own. Listening mostly to dance bands, salsa, merengue and other South American dance music styles helped me begin playing with top local bands in the area, Marlon says. By the time he was 18, Marlon had organized his own band and had begun performing locally at concerts and clubs, sometimes opening for major national acts. His interest in jazz was sparked when he was 19 and a friend brought him a video he had recorded of Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea and Miroslav Vitous, and others. Marlon also quickly became hooked, and with an abiding interest in jazz and African-originated music he came to the United States in 1987 and began formal studies on drums at The University of The Arts in Philadelphia. In 1988, he received a grant from the Philadelphia Music Foundation. He moved to New York in 1989, and later obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music from the New School for Social Research. During his studies, Marlon worked locally in the city, developing his unique style and gaining the respect of noted jazz and Latin musicians.

Marlon has also worked with such luminaries as Hilton Ruíz, Dave Valentin, Jerry González, Chucho Valdés and Bobby Watson to mention a few. After several years, he formed his own Latin jazz ensemble, Marlon Simon and The Nagual Spirits. With his own group Marlon got the opportunity to showcase his talents as a composer and drummer, defining a distinct approach to Latin Jazz. As a leader Marlon has since released: The Music of Marlon Simon (K-Jazz, 1999), followed by Rumba a la Patato (Cubop Records 2000) and Live in La Paz, Bolivia (Intrigue Records, 2005) and later In Case You Missed It (Jazzheads, 2006). After spending much time in France, Marlon forged an alliance with several local musicians and produced two critically received recordings. These are: French Latin Jazz Project - Afrocuban & Live (Chantilly Negra Productions, 2008) and Venezuelan French Project (Proyecto Venezolano Francés) - Racines (Raíces) (Chantilly Negra Productions, 2011). The 2008 recording is a prodigious example of excellence in  Latin Jazz while the 2011 recording reflects the collision between Venezuelan and French-Celtic-Music. Marlon’s music has frequently taken him around the globe apart from France to Canada, Poland, Australia, Netherland Antilles, USA and, of course, various countries in South America.

In 2024, Simon releases his album, On Different Paths. In eleven tracks Marlon Simon and the Nagual Spirits explore a captivating and superbly imagined outing, On Different Paths. Marlon and his brothers Edward Simon and Michael Simon, all born in Venezuela, all composers, all esteemed instrumentalists, join together to delve into a sonic world with ties to jazz, European classical and world music. Having some experience with Edward’s piano playing through recordings with Charlie Sepulveda, SF Jazz Collective and his band with Scott Colley and Brian Blade, Steel House, I was somewhat prepared for  On Different Paths. What I was unprepared for is the composing and drumming of Marlon taking the listener into some delightful and brilliant textures. 

Of particular interest is the title tune “On Different Paths”, encompassing many influences but not adhering to any of them. Marlon demonstrates his virtuosic ability to combine many disparate elements into a seamless whole.“On Different Paths” displays a big band sound; two trumpets, tenor sax, and bassoon all contribute to a large dense sound scape. As co-musical director, Edward takes a beautifully-wrought solo, elevating the song to new heights.