Makoto 小曽根真

Pianist Makoto Ozone, who was a member of Gary Burton's group at the time, invited the great vibraphonist to his recording debut as a leader, a trio outing with bassist Eddie Gomez. 23 at the time, Ozone already had impressive technique and a generally introspective style that meshed well with Burton. The groups performs five of Ozone's originals (including the two-part "Endless Season"), and even if the results are sometimes a bit sleepy, the pianist does show a lot of potential.

Makoto Matsushita is a well-known guitarist who participated in the fusion funk group AB’s with Tomaru Yoshino. The album is full of AOR taste, originally released in 1981. The original version is recreated and the photo jacket by Kaoru Ijima is faithfully reproduced.

Japan's Makoto Ozone is an internationally recognized, award-winning jazz pianist who is also an accomplished classical musician. Since making his recorded debut in 1984, he has been a mainstay at jazz festivals and concert halls across the globe.
His 1984 self-titled debut recording featured Burton and bassist Eddie Gomez as his sidemen. The album was critically celebrated for Ozone's knowledge and mastery of the full jazz piano spectrum. He followed it with the 1986 quintet offering After (adding Billy Pierce and Tommy Campbell to his lineup), the 1987 solo piano Now You Know, and a trio album of jazz standards, Spring Is Here, with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist George Mraz…

Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone - Face To Face (1995) {GRP 98052}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 322 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 174 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 27 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995 GRP Records | GRP 98052
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano / Vibraphone

This set of duets between vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Makoto Ozone is a bit of a surprise, not the quiet and introverted date one might expect but a consistently exciting outing. The duo (who first started working together back in 1982) clearly inspires each other and a lot of sparks fly. The music ranges from three of Ozone's diverse originals and Astor Piazzola's "Laura's Romance" to a pair of Thelonious Monk tunes, a few standards and a romping version of the Benny Goodman-associated "Opus Half"; on the latter Ozone plays some creditable stride piano. More than half of the selections are taken at medium-to-fast tempos and, whether it be "Blue Monk," a memorable version of Jobim's "O Grande Amor" or a heated rendition of Steve Swallow's "Eiderdown," this is a highly enjoyable outing, one of Burton's finest of the past decade.

If you are a fan of Makato Ozones trio then you should check this one out! It's nice to hear him with other musicians in duets and quartets and of course with the trio.

Makoto Ozone - Spring Is Here (1986) {2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4235}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 303 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 119 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1986, 2014 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICP 4235
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Postbebop / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. 1. I believe this was Makoto's 3rd album (something like that) and when it came out, I was expecting some more inventive Makoto magic–> but I was surprised to learn / hear that this was standard jazz material and I totally loved it. 2. This was produced before trio jazz stuff came back into fashion (ie prior to Chick's Acoustic Band and around the time of Keith Jarrett's trio… I think Keith had his first live trio album around this time). Anyway, the trio work is great, the song selection is classic, this is a no brainer for anyone who appreciates good / classic standard jazz.