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Sadao Watanabe (musician)

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Sadao Watanabe
Watanabe at Expo Zaragoza 2008
Watanabe at Expo Zaragoza 2008
Background information
Born (1933-02-01) 1 February 1933 (age 91)
Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan
GenresJazz, jazz fusion, bossa nova, pop
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, banjo, flute
Years active1953–present

Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫, Watanabe Sadao, born 1 February 1933) is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, banjo, and flute. He is known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles, with collaborations from musicians all over the world.[1]

Career

Watanabe was born on 1 February 1933 in Utsunomiya, Japan. His father, a professional musician, sang and played the biwa.[1] He was attracted to jazz from an early age, in part due to the strong cultural influence stemming from the American post-war presence in Japan.[2] Watanabe learned the clarinet while in high school after convincing his father over the course of six weeks to buy him a second-hand instrument.[1][2]

In 1951, Watanabe moved to Tokyo and began playing the alto saxophone. He started studying the flute in 1953 with Ririko Hayashi from the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.[1] He joined Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Cozy Quartet and began leading the group when Akiyoshi moved to the USA.[1]By 1958 he had performed with leading musicians and quartets.[3][4] In 1961 Watanabe's first album as a leader, the self-titled Sadao Watanabe, was released.[5]

In 1962 he left Japan to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston.[4] Studying led to a broadened stylistic scope that began to incorporate Brazilian music.[5] During his time in the USA, Watanabe worked with Gary McFarland, Chico Hamilton, and Gábor Szabó.[1]

Returning to Tokyo, Watanabe became the director of the new Yamaha Institute of Popular Music, a school which based its curriculum on Berklee's.[1] From 1966 onwards, Watanabe toured Japan and internationally with his own quartet playing bop, Brazilian music, jazz-rock, soul, and pop music.[1][5] He played with the John Coltrane quintet in Tokyo while the group was touring Japan 1966.[6] By the time Watanabe played at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival he was a well-known and often highly-regarded jazz performer.[5]

In 1969, Watanabe began working part time as a radio broadcaster, promoting jazz across Japan. From 1972, his programme My Dear Life ran for 20 years. He continued to perform internationally, including performances at Montreux Jazz Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. In 1970, he released his album Round Trip, featuring Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, and Miroslav Vitouš.[7] Watanabe continued performing and recording throughout the 1970s and 1980s, amassing a catalogue of more than 70 albums as leader.[1]

In addition to his musical career, Watanabe has published six photography books in Japan.[8]

Sadao Watanabe is in charge of visiting professor of Jazz course in Kunitachi College of Music since 2010.[9]

Honors

Among his awards are the Order of the Rising Sun, the imperial medal of honor for contribution to the arts, and the Fumio Nanri award.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Year recorded Title Label Notes
1961 Sadao Watanabe King with Akira Nakano, Kazuo Yashiro, Masanaga Harada, Takeshi Inomata, Akihiro Hasegawa
1962 Cocktails for Two Toshiba with Kazuo Yashiro & His Trio, Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd
1965 Sadao Watanabe Plays Polydor with Akira Miyazawa, Akira Nakano, Norio Maeda, Kazuo Yashiro, Masahiko Togashi, Masanaga Harada
1966 Goin' Home - Modern Jazz Album Denon with Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd (excp. 3, 7) Kazuo Yashiro & His Trio (3, 7)[12]
1966 Jazz & Bossa Takt with Masabumi Kikuchi, Eijiro Hagiwara, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata
1967 Bossa Nova '67 Victor with Masabumi Kikuchi, Isao Suzuki, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata with strings
1967 My Romance - Sadao Plays Ballads Takt with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi with strings
1967 Encore!! Jazz & Bossa - Sadao Meets Sharps & Flats Takt with Nobuo Hara & Sharps and Flats
1967 Jazz Samba Nivico with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi
1967 Bossa Beat Collection Union Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata
1967 The Girl From Ipanema RCA (released 1974) Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata
1967 Charlie Mariano & Sadao Watanabe Victor with Charlie Mariano, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi
1967 Bossa Nova Concert Takt Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata and Strings Orchestra
1967 Music Break Takt Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata and Strings Orchestra
1967 Iberian Waltz Takt with Charlie Mariano, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Fumio Watanabe
1968 We Got a New Bag Takt with Charlie Mariano, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Fumio Watanabe, Yoshiaki Masuo, Tadashi Shigami, others
1968 Sadao Meets Brazilian Friends Takt with Brazilian 8: Jose Ferreira(as), Godinho Filho(as), Carlos Alberto Alcantara(ts), Waldir De Barros(tp), Aparecido Bianchi(org, p), Joao Carlos Pegorro(vib, p), Olmir Seocaer(g), Douglas De oliveira(ds), Mathias Da Silva Matos(b)
1968 Sadao Plays Beatles and Bacharach Takt with Tetsuo Fushimi, Terumasa Hino, Yoshiaki Masuo, Fumio Watanabe, Yoshio Ikeda, Hiroshi Suzuki, Nao Imai, Yasushi Ichiura, Yoshio Suzuki, Yuji Imamura, Tomoaki Hashizume, Isao Etoh, Kazuo Yashiro
1969 Swing Journal Jazz Workshop 2 - Dedicated To Charlie Parker Takt Live with Terumasa Hino, Masanaga Harada, Fumio Watanabe, Kazuo Yashiro
1969 Pastoral CBS/Sony with Kazuo Yashiro, Yoshiaki Masuo, Hiroshi Matsumoto, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Syota Tanaka, Chiyoshige Matsubara
1969 Songbook CBS/Sony with Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Kazuo Yashiro, Masabumi Kikuchi
1969 Live at the Junk CBS/Sony Live with Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe
1970 Sadao Watanabe at Montreux Jazz Festival CBS/Sony Quartet (Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiro Tsunoda) Live
1970 Around The Time WAM (released 1972) Quartet (Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiro Tsunoda)
1970 Round Trip CBS/Sony with Jack DeJohnette, Miroslav Vitouš, Chick Corea
1970 Collaboration Philips (Japan) Quartet (Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiro Tsunoda) with Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet (Kosuke Mine, Masahiro Kikuchi, Yoshio Ikeda, Hiroshi Murakami, Keiji Kishida
1971 Paysages CBS/Sony with Masabumi Kikuchi, Gary Peacock, Masahiko Togashi, Hiroshi Murakami
1972 Sadao Watanabe CBS/Sony with Hiroshi Fukumura, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki Takayanagi, Mitsuaki Furuno, Arihide Kurata
1973 Open Road CBS/Sony with Shunzo Ohno, Hiroshi Fukumura, Kosuke Mine, Takehiro Honda, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Yuji Imamura, and strings
1973 Kenya Ya Africa Meets Inter-African Theatre Group CBS/Sony Live with Takehiro Honda, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, and Inter-African Theatre Group
1974 Mbali Africa CBS/Sony Live with Terumasa Hino, Hideo Miyata, Takehiro Honda, Kazumi Watanabe, Isao Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Akira Okazawa, Motohiko Hino, Masahiko Togashi
1974 At Pit Inn CBS/Sony Live with Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins
1975 Swiss Air CBS/Sony Live with Takehiro Honda, Osamu Kawakami [ja], Shinji Mori
1975 Pamoja East Wind Live with Hiroshi Fukumura, Yoshiaki Masuo, Takehiro Honda, Isao Suzuki, Hiroshi Murakami, Masahiko Togashi
1976 I'm Old Fashioned East Wind with the Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones, Ron Carter, Tony Williams
1976 Recital East Wind Live with Kosuke Mine,Hiroshi Fukumura, Takehiro Honda, Kazumi Watanabe, Tsutomu Okada, Shinji Mori, Masahiko Togashi, Akira Okazawa
1977 Bird of Paradise (album) Flying Disk with the Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams
1977 My Dear Life Flying Disk with Harvey Mason, Chuck Rainey, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Steve Forman, Hiroshi Fukumura
1977 Live In Nemuro 1977 Victor (released 2016) Live with Hiroshi Fukumura, Takehiro Honda, Tsutomu Okada, Shinji Mori
1977 Autumn Blow Flying Disk Live with Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, Anthony Jackson, Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts
1978 Carnaval Galaxy (released 1983) with the Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams
1978 California Shower Flying Disk with Harvey Mason, Chuck Rainey, Lee Ritenour, Ernie Watts
1979 Morning Island Flying Disk with Michael Brecker, Steve Gadd
1980 How's Everything Columbia Live with Dave Grusin, Steve Gadd, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Anthony Jackson, Jon Faddis
1981 Orange Express CBS/Sony  with Dave Grusin, George Benson, Bobby Broom, Marcus Miller, Buddy Williams
1983 Fill Up the Night Elektra  with Ralph MacDonald, Richard Tee, Marcus Miller, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Paul Griffin, Jorge Dalto, Grady Tate
1984 Rendezvous Elektra with Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Marcus Miller, Richard Tee
1985 Maisha Elektra with Don Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Nathan East, Harvey Mason
1985 Parker's Mood - Sadao Watanabe Live at Bravas Club '85 Elektra Live with Seigen Ono [ja](remix), James Williams, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Charnett Moffett
1985 Tokyo Dating Elektra with James Williams(p), Charnett Moffett(b), Jeff "Tain" Watts(ds)
1986 Good Time for Love Elektra with Soichi Noriki [ja], Hideo Yamaki, Will Lee and others
1987 Birds of Passage Elektra with Russell Ferrante, George Duke, Abraham Laboriel, Carlos Vega, Paul Jackson Jr., John Robinson, Alex Acuña, Diana Acuna, and others
1988 Elis Elektra with Cesar Camargo Mariano(key), Heitor Teixeira Perira(g), Papeti(per), Toquinho(g,vo), and others
1988 Made in Coracao Toquinho Elektra with Toquinho(g,vo), Ivani Sabino(el-b), Papeti(per), and others
1989 Front Seat Elektra with Patti Austin with Russell Ferrante, Jeff Porcaro, George Duke, Jimmy Haslip
1991 Sweet Deal Elektra with Don Grusin, Peter Erskine, Russell Ferrante, Abraham Laboriel
1992 A Night with Strings Elektra Live with Souichi Noriki, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, and The Tokyo Symphony Strings
1993 Earth Step Verve Forecast with Rob Mounsey(key), Jeff Mironov(g), Will Lee(b), Steve Gadd
1993 A Night with Strings Vol. 2 Fun House with Souichi Noriki, Ricardo Silveira(g), Brian Bromberg(b), Alex Acuña(ds), Paulinho Da Costa(per), Vince Mendoza(conduct,arr), and Tokyo Symphony Strings
1994 in Tempo Verve Forecast with , Cesar Camargo Mariano(key), Marcelo Mariano(el-b), Pantico Rocha(ds), Paulinho Da Costa(per), Leila Pinheiro(vo), Wilson De Castro(vo), and others
1994 A Night with Strings Vol. 3 – Sadao Plays Parker Fun House with Russell Ferrante, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, and Tokyo Symphony Strings
1997 Go Straight Ahead 'n Make a Left Verve with Bernard Wright, Stephen Teele(b), Mike Flythe(ds), Hassan Flythe(ds), Steve Thornton(per), Charley Drayton(ds)
1997 Kuroi Hitomi Song Book Verve with Akira Onozuka(p,key), Jun Kajiwara(g), Tomohito Aoki(b), Kouichi Osamu(b), Masaharu Ishikawa(ds), Olodum Juvenil(per), Junior High School Students in Tochigi(cho), Cesar Camargo Mariano(key), Leila Pinheiro(vo), Vaneese Thomas(vo), and others
1998 Viajando Verve with Cesar Camargo Mariano(key), Romero Lubambo(g), Nilson Matta(b), Paulo Braga(ds), Cafe(per), PamelaDriggs(vo)
1999 Remembrance Verve with Cyrus Chestnut, Christian McBride, Billy Drummond, Nicholas Payton, Robin Eubanks, Romero Lubambo
2000 Sadao 2000 Verve with Richard Bona(b,g,per,vo), George Whitty(p,key), Jonathan Joseph(ds), Mike Stern(g), Cafe(per)
2000 Minha Saudade Universal Music Classics Live with Cesar Camargo Mariano(p), Romero Lubambo(ac-g), David Finck(b), Paulo Braga(ds), Mauro Refosco(per), and Tokyo Symphony Chamber Orchestra
2003 Wheel of Life Verve with Richard Bona, (el-b, el-g, per, vo), George Whitty(pf,key), Nathaniel Townsley(ds), Mike Stern(el-g), Romero Lubambo(ac-g)
2005 One for You Victor Live with Richard Bona(elb,vo), Etienne Stadwijk(pf,key), Nathaniel Townsley(ds), N'Diassé Niang(per)
2005 Sadao & Charlie Again Victor (released 2006) Live with Charlie Mariano(as), Bob Degen(p), Dieter Ilg(b), Bill Elgart(dr)
2007 Basie's at Night Koch (released 2008) Live with Akira Onozuka, Kouichi Osamu, Masaharu Ishikawa, N'Diassé Niang
2009 Into Tomorrow Victor with Gerald Clayton(p), Ben Williams(b), Johnathan Blake(ds)
2011 Come Today Victor (released 2013) with Gerald Clayton(p), Ben Williams(b), Johnathan Blake(ds)
2013 Outra Vez Victor with Fabio Torres(p), Swami Jr.(g), Paulo Paulelli(b), Celso de Almeida(ds), Cleber Almeida(per), Fabiana Cozza(vo)
2014 I'm with You Victor (released 2015) with Russell Ferrante, Peter Erskine
2015 Naturally Victor with Lula Galvão(g), Itamar Assiere(p), Alberto Continentino(b), Paulo Braga(ds), Sidinho Moreira(per), Jaques Morelenbaum(cello)
2017 Encore! Victor with Dave Grusin, Russell Ferrante, Robben Ford
2017 Re-Bop Victor with Cyrus Chestnut, Chris Thomas, Brian Blade
2018 Re-Bop the Night Victor with Russell Ferrante, Ben Williams, Kendrick Scott
2019 Sadao 2019 - Live at Blue Note Tokyo Victor with Russell Ferrante, John Patitucci, Steve Gadd

As sideman

Compilation albums

  • 2001: Sadao Watanabe My Dear Life 50th Anniversary Collection (Verve)
  • 2005: Sketches of Nature (Verve)
  • 2005: Broadcast Tracks '69–'72 (Victor)
  • 2018: Love Songs (Victor)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sugiyama, Kazunori; Kernfeld, Barry (20 January 2002). "Watanabe, Sadao". Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J474500.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b Whatley, Katherine (25 June 2019). "Sadao Watanabe, Japan's godfather of jazz, passes on his wisdom". The Japan Times. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Cityline". Venue.cityline.com. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Sadao Watanabe". Blue Note Jazz Festival. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Collar, Matt. "Sadao Watanabe | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Porter, Lewis; DeVito, Chris; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Wild, David; Schmaler, Wolf (2008). The John Coltrane Reference. Routledge. p. 350.
  7. ^ "Sadao Watanabe – World of Jazz".
  8. ^ Sadao Watanabe web site: biography (in Japanese), with photos
  9. ^ "ニュース:ジャズ専修設置記者会見を行いました" [News: Announced about the establishment of Jazz course] (in Japanese). Kunitachi College of Music. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  10. ^ "About Berklee | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Biography". Sadao Watanabe Official Site. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  12. ^ "渡辺貞夫 / モダン・ジャズ・アルバム~家路 [廃盤] - CDJournal". Artist.cdjournal.com. Retrieved 30 January 2020.