Episodes

  • Chapter 8: The Kentucky Cycle

    Chapter 8: The Kentucky Cycle
    Oct 4 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light

    In this final episode, Levy Lee Simon celebrates his Broadway debut with 'The Kentucky Cycle' at the Royal Theatre. He emphasizes the support received from his friend Nathaniel “Pop” Brown and the challenges faced, including mixed critical reception, notably from Frank Rich of the New York Times. Despite receiving standing ovations and emotional audience responses, the play was unable to run its full course. The experience marked an important moment in Simon's career, transitioning him from being in a drug treatment facility in the South Bronx to performing on the Broadway stage.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:

    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
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    19 mins
  • Chapter 7: Star Hill

    Chapter 7: Star Hill
    Sep 20 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light

    This episode of the Jazz Lion's Den features a dramatic and vivid excerpt from his time at Star Hill, a hardcore treatment facility, highlighting the intense and emotionally charged experiences he faced. This marked a critical turning point in Simon's life, filled with real-life characters and raw honesty about his battle with addiction.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
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    25 mins
  • Chapter 6: The NEC & Liza

    Chapter 6: The NEC & Liza
    Sep 6 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light

    It was the early 90s and the crack epidemic was raging in the inner cities of the United States, but not only the inner city, everywhere people were falling like flies to the plague. I never thought it would get me. I was convinced I’d done everything right, degree, budding acting career, and I was recognized, as a young woman described me “one of the dashing young men of NYC.” But little did I know, the power of that substance and the demons that came with it, but once I took that first hit, I was hooked. How could that happen to me? I was in denial. In this episode I am sharing about an experience which took place in the Hunts Point area of the Bronx, with a very extraordinary person by the name of Liza.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
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    29 mins
  • Ep 5: The Apollo

    Ep 5: The Apollo
    Aug 23 2024
    Levy Lee is in New York during the roaring 80s and finally getting his big start in theatre. After narrowly getting re-accepted into the 127th Street Repertory, Levy Lee is tasked with one of the most nerve-racking challenges of his career, playing Walter Lee in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun at the famed Apollo theatre, a notoriously harsh environment to perform in. Some of his fellow cast members in the production included: Helen Butler, Charles Watts, Gregory Wallace, Bruce Jenkins, and Tupac Shakur. Lee recounts his performance that included laughs, boos, tears, and some much needed advice from a mentor.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Ep 4: The Roaring 80s

    Ep 4: The Roaring 80s
    Aug 9 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light

    I’d just graduated with my BA in Theatre and Journalism from Cheyney State College,
    had my first apartment in the Boogey Down Bronx, and experienced my first heartbreak,
    well second if I’m to be honest. This was the beginning of what I call the roaring 80s. It
    was a wild time, sex, R&B, Hip Hop, the Hustle, and along with all that came drugs
    and alcohol. I was out and about NYC, running in the fast lane, Justines, Pippins,
    Leviticus, La Martinique, to name a few, and after hour spots such as the River Ridge,
    and the Room in the Bronx and Browns in Brooklyn. It was an exciting time. It was a fun
    time, until it wasn’t. In this episode, I’ll be reading a short excerpt from, “The Roaring
    80s.” This segment I subtitle “Gus.” You’ll see why.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
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    16 mins
  • Ep 03: G Money

    Ep 03: G Money
    Jul 26 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light.

    In this episode, Levy Lee had moved to uptown Harlem at age 13 and was thrust into a difficult no-win situation. After receiving a Timex watch from his father for his birthday, it was subsequently stolen off his wrist by a gang of boys led by G Money. Levy’s father forced him to go get his watch back and he was only left with only two options, get beat by boys down the street, or by his father.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR
    WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
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    16 mins
  • Ep 02: 353 West 115th Street

    Ep 02: 353 West 115th Street
    Jul 12 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light.

    In this episode, Lee reminisces about growing up in Harlem during the 1960s, sharing intimate details about his family and the vibrant community at 353 West 115th Street. Listeners are introduced to an array of colorful characters and family members that all lived in the same building together. Lee goes on to tell a harrowing story about a neighborhood predator that almost seriously jeopardized Lee’s childhood, had it not been for the strong community surrounding him.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR
    WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/ X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
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    20 mins
  • Ep 01: Prologue

    Ep 01: Prologue
    Jun 27 2024
    Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light

    Lee and Producer Scott Slaughter introduce the episode by engaging in a brief conversation about the memoir. This discussion spans their 16-year friendship, the inspirations behind Lee’s storytelling, and the significance of Harlem, both past and present.

    In this episode’s excerpts, Lee recounts his upbringing in Harlem during the 1960s and '70s, his family's roots in the Deep South, and the vibrant characters that shaped his life. Lee shares some of his warm family childhood memories, and tells a story about a very close call they had with the law.

    And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
    BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR
    WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/
    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
    X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05
    TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins