Yet again, Edusei

It occurred to me at mid-day today that I could go to the symphony again, see Kevin John Edusei and Makoto Ozone one more time before they leave Portland. I could even go early and attend the pre-concert talk. And so I did. I made these photos during the talk, during which Edusei mentioned that he and Ozone will be performing together again, a completely different program—in Glasgow in February, 2026. Then the two of them will be together again in London in May, doing Gershwin again. UK blippers: take note! Thanks to Tweedy (for Glasgow link) and NickyR (for London link).

They really are extraordinary musicians, and the respect they have for each other, their enjoyment of each other’s artistry: is clear. The program was even more spectacular the second time than the first. For his encore, Ozone played one of his own compositions. It’s a prayer entitled, “Where do we go from here?” It's on his album called Treasure, performed with Chick Corea and other great jazz musicians. Might be streaming on a platform near you.

P.S. Here's Edusei's 2025-26 calendar. It includes performances in Seattle, Sydney, Austria, Taiwan, Prague, etc. Classical music is slipping away from us as devotees (like me) die out and young people are busy on their screens. Next year the Oregon Symphony will only be doing two performances per program, a Saturday night and a Sunday matinee. So it will no longer be possible to grab a Monday night as I did this time.