Artist:Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone
Song:Laura's Dream
Album:Face to Face
Of course most jazz fans are familiar with vibraphonist Gary Burton who started out in Stan Getz's band and retired in 2017. What you may not know is that Burton taught at Berklee College of Music for thirty years. Of course he mentored many young musicians. But the one musician that really stands out is Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone. He was in Burton's band for several years and they recorded a couple of albums together. Ozone also appeared on Burton's 2017 retirement tour. Ozone was born on Mar. 25, 1961 in Kobe, Japan. His father was a pianist and nightclub owner and they once appeared together on TV. Ozone took classical piano lessons and was a big Oscar Peterson fan. While attending Berklee in 1981, he asked Burton for private lessons. Burton was so impressed with Ozone, he asked him to join his band. Ozone appeared on the Burton albums Real Life Hits (1984) and Whiz Kids (1986). After Ozone returned to Japan to resume his solo career, he occasionally reunited with Burton. Their first album together was the 1995 album Face to Face on GRP Records. There is no band. It's just the two of them. Laura's Dream was written by Tango master Astor Piazzolla and Burton and Piazzolla recorded it on the 1986 album The New Tango. Burton also recorded it with pianist Paul Bley on the 1990 album Right Time, Right Place. Face to Face is available as a budget CD. They recorded two other albums together and as I said, Ozone appeared on Burton's retirement tour. Ozone currently records for Verve and he released an album in 2022. Here's Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone performing Laura's Dream at the 1995 Munich Piano Summer Festival in Germany.
No comments:
Post a Comment