We had the good fortune of connecting with Jinshi Ozaki and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jinshi, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
It’s been a long journey to where I’m at today.
At the age of 19, I left Japan to the US for studying Jazz, where it was originated. At the Berklee College of Music in Boston, I was guided to study “music” first – musical language, structures, theories and contents of music. Then, I studied Jazz vocabularies and rhythms. I enjoyed practicing day and night with the enthusiastic young talented players from all over the world.
After graduating, I decided to move to Los Angeles and built a professional career in music. I was surrounded by various kinds of music – particularly groovy blues rock and funk R & B. And I was impressed how soulfully players express their emotions in their music.
At the early phase of my music career, I was consciously avoiding the expression of Japanese taste, because I wanted to play Jazz with authenticity. However, as I play decades, I came up with ways to express the Japanese soul in the format of Jazz.
My music is mixture of my background and experiences– Japanese cultures, histories, and mindsets, on the fundamental elements of Jazz that I learned in Boston with the true expression of the feelings of the moment from my soul, which I discovered in LA. I guess I’m a mixture of Japan, Boston and LA!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Art district in downtown LA. Mixed cultures and arts with overflowing energy.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My father, who is a pottery artist. He showed me (not really taught but more just showed me) the joy of being an artist – fulfillment from creative states and creating artworks that are worth spending your life.
Website: http://www.jinshiozaki.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jinshi.ozaki
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=lYopgU240eFa2f7CAMHYPQ
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZGbnHs0pDK47ihN8oYpXfg
Image Credits
1st Photo by Chuck Koton 2nd Photo by Takuma Kato