»It's Makoto Again«

At the age of two, he played the Hammond organ for the first time, and at seven, he began to improvise, and at twelve, he switched to the piano – music has been the central focus of the pianist Makoto Ozone's life for over 60 years. Born in 1961 in Kobe, Japan, he inherited his passion for jazz from his father, who also played the piano and organ and taught him, and took him on stage early on. After studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Ozone recorded his debut album with Gary Burton, followed by collaborations with Randy Brecker, Chick Corea, and Branford Marsalis. Ozone is also a skilled classical pianist. In his music, he breaks down musical boundaries and combines both sound worlds. After the first joint project, "The Big Band World of Makoto Ozone," in November 2023, Ozone is now back with the WDR Big Band, featuring new compositions and arrangements.