is a Japanese jazz pianist.
Career Ozone was born in Kobe, Japan. He began playing organ at two and by seven was an improviser. He appeared on Japanese television with his father, himself a pianist and club owner in Kobe, from 1968 to 1970. At the age of twelve, Ozone switched to piano after being impressed by the albums of Oscar Peterson, taking two years of classical piano lessons. In 1980, he entered the Berklee College of Music and later worked with Gary Burton. He also had his recording debut in 1983 before returning to his native Japan.
Ozone has collaborated with vocalist Kimiko Itoh. They appeared as a duo at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and he produced her album Kimiko, which won the 2000 Swing Journal jazz disk grand prix for Japanese vocalist.
Ozone has been visiting professor of jazz at the Kunitachi College of Music since 2010.
Honors 2003: Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music."Jazz alums to receive honorary doctorates". UPI.com. September 4, 2003. 2018:
Discography As leader/co-leader Live!! At The Berklee Performance Center with Phil Wilson (Shiah, 1983) – live Makoto Ozone (CBS/Sony, 1984) – rec. 1981 After (CBS/Sony, 1986) Spring Is Here (Columbia, 1987) Now You Know (Columbia, 1987) Starlight (JVC/Victor, 1990) Paradise Wings (JVC/Victor, 1991) Walk Alone (JVC/Victor, 1992) Breakout (Verve, 1994) Face to face with Gary Burton (GRP, 1995) Nature Boys (Verve, 1995) At the Montreux Jazz Festival (Videoarts, 1997) – live Makoto Ozone: The Trio (Verve, 1997) Three Wishes (Verve, 1998) – rec. 1997 Dear Oscar (Polydor, 1998) No Strings Attached (Polydor, 1999) Pandora (Verve, 2000) So Many Colors (Verve, 2001) Treasure (Verve, 2002) Reborn (Verve, 2003) Virtuosi with Gary Burton (Concord, 2003) New Spirit (Universal, 2004) Real (Verve, 2005) Duet with Satoru Shionoya (Verve, 2005) – live Alive!!: Live at Blue Note Tokyo (Universal, 2007) – live rec. 2006 Falling in love, again (Universal, 2007) Ballads (Verve, 2008) Jungle (Verve, 2009) Road to Chopin (Universal, 2010) Haiku with Anna Maria Jopek (Universal Music Polska, 2011) Live & Let Live - Love For Japan (Verve, 2011) - live Pure Pleasure For The Piano with Ellis Marsalis Jr. (EmArcy, 2012) My Witch's Blue with Christian McBride, Jeff "Tain" Watts (Verve, 2012) Time Thread with Gary Burton (Verve, 2013) Dimensions (Verve, 2017) Until We Vanish (Universal, 2019) Resonance with Chick Corea (Universal, 2021) – live rec. 2016 Ozone 60 (Verve, 2021) Ozone 60: Standards (Verve, 2022) A Night in Tokyo (Live at Bunkamura Orchard Hall 2013) (Universal Music, 2023) – live rec. 2013 Trinfinity (Universal Music, 2024) – rec. 2023
As No Name Horses No Name Horses (Universal, 2006) No Name Horses II (Verve, 2008) Jungle (Verve, 2009) Back at The Club "IN TRIBUTE" (Universal, 2011) Road: Rhapsody in Blue (Universal, 2014) Day 1 (Universal, 2024)
Soundtracks - Original Soundtrack (Universal, 2008) NHK The World Heritage: The Swell of Time - Original Soundtrack (Universal, 2011)
As sideman With Gary Burton Real Life Hits (ECM, 1984) Whiz Kids (ECM, 1986) Generations (Concord, 2004)
With others Bobby Shew, Breakfast Wine (Pausa, 1985)
References
External links Official website [ All Music]