Frederic Victor Simon is an American jazz pianist, composer, and recording artist known for his contributions to contemporary jazz. He first gained recognition in the late 1970s as the founder of the Chicago-based jazz fusion group Simon & Bard, which released three acclaimed albums featuring collaborations with guitarists Larry Coryell and Ralph Towner. Several members of the band later joined prominent groups including the Pat Metheny Group and Oregon. Simon launched a successful solo career with albums such as Short Story (1984), Usually/Always (1988), Open Book (1991), Dreamhouse (2000), Remember the River (2004), and Since Forever (2009). In 2018, he released The Beach Boys Distilled, a collection of solo piano interpretations of songs by The Beach Boys that was placed on the official ballot for the 61st Grammy Awards' Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.
