4 ARTS , * r The Michigan Daily Friday, February 22, 1985 Pianist Ozone sets jazz'new course a ae r 4 by Marc S. Taras L ike the rarest of blossoms there oc- casionally appears in the world of jazz a player who possesses the at- tributes of potential genius. Such musicians combine prodigious, technique with an original voice that speaks from the individual's heart of hearts. They must couple facility with a willingness to be emotionally tran- sparent. Makoto Ozone, the 23 year old Japanese piano-phenomenon, has the necessary background, discipline, and boldness to become such a player. This wunderkind - who has already gar- nered lavish (and understandable) praise from coast to coast, and even at his young age has already been com- pared with jazz legends Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans, will be offering a solo piano recital at the Blind Pig Monday night. You'll want to be there. You will be swept away. You will have something special to tell the next generation: that you saw Makoto way back when! Makoto's magical new release on Columbia records raises more questions about this young man, but it answers the most important one. Listening to the record and reading the notes by Gary Burton you'll be amazed to discover that this world of mystical beauty is woven by a player who doesn't own a piano. Burton admits that he doesn't even know how often Ozone practices. In between the lines you'll discover that Burton, the maestro of the vibraphone, is as excited as any of Makoto's most ardent admirers. But can he play? Yes! Yes! My first im- pression of Ozone's playing was one of enchanting lyricism. Unwittingly I joined the ranks of those who would liken his style to Bill Evans. Giving life to the music is important to Makoto who has said, "My father always told me that no matter how great you can play technically, don't forget the music is coming out of your heart." Let us consider the deliberate path of Ozone's precious heart.. Makoto Ozone was born March 23, 1961, and grew up in a city near Osaka called Kobe. His father is a jazz musician who still plays today. Makoto took up the keyboards and taught him- self. "I began playing when I was five," he explains, "I was on TV when I was six, I began improvising at seven." At this tender age his favored instrument was the Hammond organ; Jimmy Smith and Wild Bill Davis were the players he revered. His youthful resistance to the tedious piano lessons in classical music which his father suggested dampened Ozone's interest in his current instrument. At 12 the world changed for makoto Ozone. He was able to attend a Japanese concert by Oscar Peterson. He was completely overawed and- turned around. "I saw what he was doing with the piano and I thought, 'this is ridiculous! that's im- possible!' "In typically dogged fashion Ozone glommed on to thirty or forty Peterson LP's and laboriously tran- scribed every piece; analyzing them, committing them to memory. His style had become Oscar's. Or rather, he had so carefully studied the master as to have absorbed Peterson's style while simultaneously acquiring incredible facility and technique. Soon he would move toward his own voice. He arrived at Boston's Berklee College of Music at the age of 19 and immediately astounded and delighted faculty and other students with his ability. His school performances became the talk of the music scene. He was attended by an ever widening group which roared its approval. But the pressure was on from teachers and friends to drop the Peterson persona and take up the greater challenge of identity. He began taping his im- \ provisational gigs and listening to the results. One night he heard something new! After developing his ideas to a certain point he had the good fortune of meeting Gary Burton (who will, in- cidentally, be appearing with his quar- tet at the Pig on April 25). Burton befriended Ozone and took him under his musical wing. "...He really helped pull me out of that pot, to put me on my own track." In the meantime Makoto had become the number one call when visiting ar- tists needed a pianist. His skills in com- position and arrangement were maturing and he was playing ever larger gigs. One performance teamed him up with trombonist Phil Wilson and was recorded for Shiah records. Another was broadcast on National Public Radio and excerpted for the Today Show. After gigging with Makoto in Boston, the be-bop pioneer Dizzy Gillespie encouraged Ozone to join his band. Makoto turned down the offer only in order to complete his studies. He is disciplined and deliberate. Now we are faced with a rare oppor- tunity to witness the fruits of the heart, gathered from the garden of Makoto Ozone's artistic life. He will fly like Bud Powell, wax rhapsodic like Keith Jarrett; but now we witness the emergence of the heart of the young man himself. When you hear the clarity and warmth of his playing you will know that Makoto Ozone is conscious, alert, and clinging to his path in per- severence and passion.' Monday night at 10 p.m. at the Blind Pig we may bear witness to the process of emerging. Of blossoming. In brilliant loving splen- dor. Marc Taras will interview Makoto Ozone on his Jazz Till Noon Program Monday morning on WC- BN-FM 88.3. Tentative time will be 11:00 to noon. Makoto Ozone brings his highly appraised jazz piano talents to the Blind Pig on Monday night. 'Crucible' tells tale of hypocricy WAShINqTON INTERN Sh ip Juniors or Seniors with a 30 average interested in Congress? Earn 16 credits on Capitol Hill. nUnique Internships based on your t interests. Work with members of Con- gress in their offices and on their com- mittees. " Seminars with leading government experts, focusing on current policy issues. s Washington Faculty headed by the chairman of the Congressional Intern Advisory Council. " Discussion Groups to share infor- mation and opinions with fellow student participants from around the country. Filing deadline for Semester I: April 1. For applications and information: BOSTON UNIVERSITy Washington Legislative Internship Program College of Liberal Arts-Room 302 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 617/353-2408 An Equal Opportunity Institution by Jeffrey Seller The Crucible is a disturbing play. Based on the famous Salem withch- trials of 1692, it places a broken down, troubled society of fanatics under a microscope to be viewed with disillusion and awe. Here, we are con- fronted with grown men who bicker like children and who believe without question the hysterical antics and ac- cusations brought forth by immature girls and who succumb without reser- vation to the pressures of distorted group consensus. Clearly, this is a diseased society, and the University Players' production, which opened Wednesday under the direction of Gavin Cameron-Webb projected this message with forceful grittiness. The play begins with a moonlit dance in the forest for an oppressed group of girls. The discovery of their frolic is misperceived as a witches ceremony and. suddenly a crisis of staggering dimensions develops. Witchcraft is used as a scapegoat for sickness and discontent, and to save themselves the USE DAILY CLASSIFIEDS girls indipt dozens of women from the community. When their accusations reach out to inlcude honorable citizens like Goody Proctor, wife of John Proc- tor, the society breaks down, losing all sense of reason and order. While the production springs from an ineffective, unclear prologue which fails to convey the meaning and severity of the situation that fuels the impending crisis, it slowly develops in- to a compelling drama which reflects the frequently defective human charac- ter. Men driven by greed, guilt, and religious fanaticism judge and manipulate the fates of others to uphold their own pretentious, often hypocratical values. The per- sonification of religious hypocricy is found in the idiotic Reverend Parris, portrayed by Brian O'Sullivan, who -works to maintain his power in the church at any cost. To shed some hope on the state of human affairs, author Arthur Miller gives us John Proctor - portrayed by Erik Fredricksen - one of the thought- ful, real humans in the play to whom we can relate. Here is a man like you or I, struggling with his shortcomings, striving to better himself, and working desperately to save his wife. Fredricksen portrays a cynical Proc- tor, disgusted with his society, yet still not without a sense of humor. As our representative in this world-gone-mad, he binds us to the severity of the situation. Indeed, the frequent laughter which emanates from an audience amused by the absurdity of the town- sfolk's fanatic behavior, stops abruptly when Proctor is indicted. Suddenly, the crisis is brought to a level one finds discomforting, if not unbearable. His wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Boyet- te) displays the self-righteous yet devoted wife with a bewildered, fearful innocence that wretches one's heart when she is yanked from her husband in the courtroom. Here is a tragic instance when two individuals, equally devoted to the welfare of the other, become vic- tims of a manipulative magistrate. He, to save her, declares his leechery, and she, unknowledgeable of his confession, denies it to uphold his dignity and honor. As Abigail Williams, leader of the hysterical girls and past lover of Proc- tor, Joy Newhouse portrays the deceit- ful innocence of the girl well, but fails to project the mature, strong, seductive quality of the woman who once attrac- ted Proctor. As a result, her role as an obstacle to Proctor and Elizabeth's happiness becomes blurred. Cameron-Webb's use of an extended thrust is extremely effective in bringing the action closer to tie audience. The fourth wall, charac- teristic of the traditional proscunium theatre, is broken down, enabling the audience to better grasp the situation at hand. The set, designed by Douglas J. Miller, is at times stunning, but more importantly, inconsistent. The first act set, merely suggestive of place, is in direct contrast to the intricate, realistic structures of the subsequent settings. Frankly, the inconsistency is uin- justified by the style and context of the play.. This drama, magnifying the often times frightening and deplorable state of our society, was written in resporpse to the famous McCarthy hearings of the 1950's. Yet today, as a fine piece -of theatre about greed, religious fanaticism, hypocricy, group confor- mity, and political and social repression, it is totally relevant. Its themes, which stretch in their ap- plicability from the Puritannical age to the 1950's to today, still merit recognition and contemplation. The Crucible continues at the Power Center through Sunday and tickets can be obtained at the door. For more in- formation, call -the Professional Theatre Program office at 764-0450. 4 Menuhin magnificent kink os The Campus Copy Shop RESUME PACKET SPECIAL 50 BOND COPIES "*50 BLANK SHEETS * 50 BOND ENVELOPES ALL FOR ONLY $6.00 " SPECIAL PRICES FOR GROUPS OF 25 AND 100 " Open 7 days a week/Mon.-Thur. till midnight. 540 E. LIBERTY ST. 761-4539 Corner of Maynard and Liberty by Mike Gallatin "W hat a sensational concert" was 'the general consensus at Hill Auditorium Tuesday evening as Yehudi Menuhin and the Royal Philharmonic. Orchestra gave an absolutely phenomenal performance of a superb program. Yehudi Menuhin is best known as a violinist but was serving as guest conductor in a capacity which suits him majestically. There is little reason to sing his praises, for his credits are well known. He is not only an expert musician and conductor, but he has achieved international fame as a great humanitarian and educator. There is a warmth and passion in his music that transforms every com- position he touches. Instead of coming across sentimental and self-pitying, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor possessed a masculine toughness and dynamic resilence which is, so refreshing to hear. The work takes on a totally different character from the of- ten lugubrious reading which takes biography and applies it to the music programatically. The Rossini Overture, "La Gazza Ladra" began the evening's program on a fast-paced and victorious note. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra played with marvelous sonority and the over- ture came alive with all its dazzling ex- citement and its flurry of melodies. The violin section in particular displayed energy, flowing phrases, and varied dynamics throughout this piece (something they continued to do the rest of the concert).4 .The brief Delius composition, "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring," performed next, celebrates the beauty and mystery of nature. The clarinet plays a quiet melody in the middle of the piece which resembles the sound of a cuckoo..The moods of the composition are subtle and the total effect is strangely beautiful. The music is very pretty as conductor and orchestra demonstrate their capacity to interpret with a sensitivity which prefers to hold back slightly rather than give all. Un- derstatement, in this respect, serves to stimulate the imagination more than to satiate the senses. see ROYAL, page 9 HOFSTRA LAW SCHOOL SUMMER SESSIONS 1985 SUMMER SESSION 1 May 20 to July 1 COURSES CREDITS Commercial Paper 3 Conflicts of Law 3 Criminal Procedure 4 Debtor-Creditor 3 Evidence 4 Housing and Community , Development 2 Law and Psychiatry 3 Real Estate Transactions 4 Remedies 3 Secured Transactions 3 Unfair Trade Practices 3 4 0 SUMMER SESSION 2 July 2 to August 12 COURSES CREDITS Administrative Law 3 Commercial Transactions Survey 4 Family Law 3 Federal Estate and Gift Tax 3 Federal Income Taxation of Individuals 4 Labor Law 3 Legal Issues in Public Education 3 f*" *e*""""" " 0 00 00 " SAT. & SUN. FIRST SHOW ONLY $2.00 " " NEW TWILIGHT SHOWS MON. THRU FRI. $2.50 TIL 6 P.M. * 0 $ . with this entire ad $1.00 off any e * $4.00 admission. 1 or 2 tickets. OFF Good all features thru 2/28/85 " WINNER BEST DIRECTOR ,A AA j BERTRAND TRAVERNIER N________MAWN * CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 0I- D E PC E 0iCuiGBEST PICTURE i " TAVERNIER'S VERY BEST ..." BEST DIRECTOR, Roland Soffe " -Janet Mason, NEW YORK TIMES B "BEAUTIFUL AND MOVING." BEST ACTOR, Sam Waterson "I ~lm['u 6 i Ad