Ozzie Melendez

The incredible career of Ozzie Melendez, one of the music industry’s most prolific trombonists, can be summed up in this beautiful quote he shares on his website, and it reads: “If music is my life, then you are my music.” Powerful words that epitomize his passion for music, his love for his instrument, and the emergence of his craft that have evolved for more than 30 years.

Ozzie has shared his life compositions with fans across the globe on the same stages with some of the biggest names in the music industry including: Aretha Franklin, Tito Nieves, La India, Jose Alberto (El “Canario”), Gilberto Santo Rosa, Victor Manuel, Billy Joel, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bruce Springsteen, Celia Cruz, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Marc Anthony, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Ricky Martin, Richard Bona, Tito Puente, Rubén Blades, The Saturday Night Live Band, Jose Feliciano, Sheila E., Spyro Gyra, and Willie Colón, just to name a few! He is also a principal studio trombonist and has recorded for super Latin and multi-Grammy award-winning producer Sergio George for over three decades.

Melendez, who was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised on Long Island, NY, is a highly touted writer, arranger, producer, vocalist, and composer of countless projects across Latin, Salsa, Jazz, Pop, R & B, and Christian genres as well as for theater, television, and film.
Ozzie’s passion and talents have taken him all over the world as a clinician, composer, and music director with memorable performances on Broadway, movie soundtracks, television shows and commercials, numerous Grammy award-winning projects, and gold and platinum records. His more notable contributions and performances include Billy Joel’s “The Last Play at Shea” concert, contributed to horns arrangements for Billy Joel’s Broadway show Moving Out; composing and arranging horns for legendary Diana Ross’ “Live at Hollywood Bowl,” arranging and recording for over 20 years with C & C Music Factory, including their new single “Yo Soy Latino,” the Inauguration Balls for former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former President Obama’s “Fiesta Latino” Live at the White House in celebration of Latin Music and Hispanic Heritage Month, and ‘Live in Venezuela’ with Willie Colón and Rubén Blades. Ozzie’s most recent credits include co-producing with Willie Colón on his newest CD El Malo II and a cameo appearance in Lin Manuel-Miranda’s summer box office hit “In the Heights.” Additionally, Ozzie just completed recording with Marc Anthony on his forthcoming CD, wrapped up two new videos and eight tracks with the newly formed contemporary Latin band A Tempo, which he shares writing, producing, and vocals with three of his Marc Anthony Band bandmates.

Ozzie, like many fellow musicians and colleagues, felt the effect of the most devasting pandemic the world has ever seen with the temporary suspension of on-stage performances in front of live audiences. However, while he and others lost family, friends and loved ones, he kept pushing. “I made the decision early on that I would come out of this Pandemic better than when I went in,” he says. While in lockdown, Ozzie wrote a supplemental trombone method book entitled Dynamic Flexibility and released with A Tempo, two chart-topping singles, “Solo Sin Ti” and “Por La Vereda.”

As the world slowly transitions out of the pandemic and concerts before live audiences are returning to the stage, Ozzie is geared up and back in the saddle. He is currently touring with Marc Anthony, and continues to perform and record with Willie Colón, with whom he has been a member of the band for over 30 years (six years as his musical director), Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Diana Ross, and his own band called The Funk Filharmonik and Bruce Springsteen.

Ozzie is by far one of the hardest working musicians in the industry. His dedication, work ethic and professionalism has garnered the respect and trust of not only his colleagues, but also the many recording artists he has performed with and worked for.

It is evident from Ozzie’s incredible thirty-year career, that he is indeed the “TBone Master.”

Ozzie endorses Victory Musical.

- Ozzie Melendez, Jr.