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
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Years active1953–present
Websitewww.sadao.com

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

Career[edit]

Watanabe was born on 1 February 1933 in Utsunomiya, Japan. His father, a professional musician, sang and played the biwa.[1] Watanabe 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] He 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] Watanabe joined Toshiko Akiyoshi's Cozy Quartet and began leading the group when Akiyoshi moved to the USA.[1] By 1958, Watanabe had performed with leading musicians and quartets.[3][4] In 1961, his 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 Watanabe to a broadened stylistic scope that began to incorporate Brazilian music.[5] During his time in the USA, he worked with Gary McFarland, Chico Hamilton, and Gábor Szabó.[1]

Watanabe returned to Tokyo in 1965.[6] There, he became the director of the new Yamaha Institute of Popular Music, a school that based its curriculum on Berklee's.[1] From 1966 onwards, he 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 in 1966.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

Watanabe has been in charge of the visiting professor of Jazz course at Kunitachi College of Music since 2010.[10]

Honors[edit]

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

Discography[edit]

As leader/co-leader[edit]

Year recorded Title Label Year released Notes
1961 Sadao Watanabe King 1961 with Akira Nakano, Kazuo Yashiro, Masanaga Harada, Takeshi Inomata, Akihiro Hasegawa
1962 Cocktails for Two Toshiba 1962 with Kazuo Yashiro & His Trio, Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd
1965 Plays Polydor 1965 with Akira Miyazawa, Akira Nakano, Norio Maeda, Kazuo Yashiro, Masahiko Togashi, Masanaga Harada
1966 Goin' Home - Modern Jazz Album Denon 1966 with Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd (excp. 3, 7) Kazuo Yashiro & His Trio (3, 7)[13]
1966 Jazz & Bossa Takt 1967 with Masabumi Kikuchi, Eijiro Hagiwara, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata
1967 Bossa Nova '67 Victor 1967 with Masabumi Kikuchi, Isao Suzuki, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata with strings
1967 My Romance - Sadao Plays Ballads Takt 1967 with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi with strings
1967 Encore!! Jazz & Bossa - Sadao Meets Sharps & Flats Takt 1968 with Nobuo Hara & Sharps and Flats
1967 Jazz Samba Nivico 1967 with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi
1967 Bossa Beat Collection Union 1967 Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata
1967 The Girl From Ipanema RCA 1974 Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata
1967 Charlie Mariano & Sadao Watanabe Victor 1967 with Charlie Mariano, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi
1967 Iberian Waltz Takt 1967 with Charlie Mariano, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Fumio Watanabe
1967 Bossa Nova Concert Takt 1967 Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata and Strings Orchestra
1967 Music Break Takt 1969 Live with Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Masahiko Togashi, Sadanori Nakamure, Hideo Miyata and Strings Orchestra
1968 We Got a New Bag Takt 1968 with Charlie Mariano, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masanaga Harada, Fumio Watanabe, Yoshiaki Masuo, Tadashi Shigami, others
1968 Sadao Meets Brazilian Friends Takt 1968 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 1969 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 1969 Live with Terumasa Hino, Masanaga Harada, Fumio Watanabe, Kazuo Yashiro
1969 Pastoral CBS/Sony 1969 with Kazuo Yashiro, Yoshiaki Masuo, Hiroshi Matsumoto, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Syota Tanaka, Chiyoshige Matsubara
1969 Songbook CBS/Sony 1970 with Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Kazuo Yashiro, Masabumi Kikuchi
1969 Live at the Junk CBS/Sony 1970 Live with Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe
1970 Sadao Watanabe at Montreux Jazz Festival CBS/Sony 1971 Quartet (Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiro Tsunoda) Live
1970 Round Trip CBS/Sony 1970 with Jack DeJohnette, Miroslav Vitouš, Chick Corea
1970 Around The Time WAM 1972 Quartet (Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiro Tsunoda)
1970 Collaboration Philips (Japan) 1971 [2LP] Masabumi Kikuchi Sextet (Kosuke Mine, Masahiro Kikuchi, Yoshio Ikeda, Hiroshi Murakami, Keiji Kishida) with Sadao Watanabe Quartet (Yoshiaki Masuo, Yoshio Suzuki, Hiro Tsunoda)
1971 Paysages CBS/Sony 1971 with Masabumi Kikuchi, Gary Peacock, Masahiko Togashi, Hiroshi Murakami
1972 Sadao Watanabe CBS/Sony 1972 Live with Hiroshi Fukumura, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki Takayanagi, Mitsuaki Furuno, Arihide Kurata
1973 Open Road CBS/Sony 1973 [2LP] Live with Shunzo Ohno, Hiroshi Fukumura, Kosuke Mine, Takehiro Honda, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, Yuji Imamura, and strings
1973 Kenya Ya Africa CBS/Sony 1973 Live with Takehiro Honda, Yoshio Suzuki, Fumio Watanabe, and Inter-African Theatre Group
1974 Mbali Africa CBS/Sony 1974 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 1975 Live with Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins
1975 Swiss Air CBS/Sony 1975 Live with Takehiro Honda, Osamu Kawakami [ja], Shinji Mori
1975 Pamoja East Wind 1976 Live with Hiroshi Fukumura, Yoshiaki Masuo, Takehiro Honda, Isao Suzuki, Hiroshi Murakami, Masahiko Togashi
1976 I'm Old Fashioned East Wind 1976 with the Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones, Ron Carter, Tony Williams
1976 Recital East Wind 1977 Live with Kosuke Mine, Hiroshi Fukumura, Takehiro Honda, Kazumi Watanabe, Tsutomu Okada, Shinji Mori, Masahiko Togashi, Akira Okazawa
1977 My Dear Life Flying Disk 1977 with Harvey Mason, Chuck Rainey, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Steve Forman, Hiroshi Fukumura
1977 Autumn Blow Flying Disk 1977 Live with Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, Anthony Jackson, Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts
1977 California Shower Flying Disk 1978 with Harvey Mason, Chuck Rainey, Lee Ritenour, Ernie Watts
1977 Bird of Paradise (Sadao Watanabe album) [ja] Flying Disk 1979 with the Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams
1977 Live In Nemuro 1977 Victor 2016 Live with Hiroshi Fukumura, Takehiro Honda, Tsutomu Okada, Shinji Mori
1978 Carnaval Galaxy 1983 with the Great Jazz Trio: Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams
1979 Morning Island Flying Disk 1979 with Michael Brecker, Steve Gadd
1980 How's Everything Columbia 1980 Live with Dave Grusin, Steve Gadd, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Anthony Jackson, Jon Faddis
1981 Orange Express CBS/Sony 1981 with Dave Grusin, George Benson, Bobby Broom, Marcus Miller, Buddy Williams
1983 Fill Up the Night Elektra 1983 with Ralph MacDonald, Richard Tee, Marcus Miller, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Paul Griffin, Jorge Dalto, Grady Tate
1984 Rendezvous Elektra 1984 with Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Marcus Miller, Richard Tee
1985 Maisha Elektra 1985 with Don Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Nathan East, Harvey Mason
1985 Parker's Mood - Sadao Watanabe Live at Bravas Club '85 Elektra 1985 Live with Seigen Ono [ja](remix), James Williams, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Charnett Moffett
1985 Tokyo Dating Elektra 1985 with James Williams(p), Charnett Moffett(b), Jeff "Tain" Watts(ds)
1986 Good Time for Love Elektra 1986 with Soichi Noriki [ja], Hideo Yamaki, Will Lee and others
1987 Birds of Passage Elektra 1987 with Russell Ferrante, George Duke, Abraham Laboriel, Carlos Vega, Paul Jackson Jr., John Robinson, Alex Acuña, Diana Acuna, and others
1988 Elis Elektra 1988 with Cesar Camargo Mariano(key), Heitor Teixeira Perira(g), Papeti(per), Toquinho(g,vo), and others
1988 Made in Coracao Toquinho Elektra 1988 with Toquinho(g,vo), Ivani Sabino(el-b), Papeti(per), and others
1989 Front Seat Elektra 1989 with Patti Austin with Russell Ferrante, Jeff Porcaro, George Duke, Jimmy Haslip
1991 Sweet Deal Elektra 1991 with Don Grusin, Peter Erskine, Russell Ferrante, Abraham Laboriel
1992 A Night with Strings Elektra 1993 Live with Souichi Noriki, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, and The Tokyo Symphony Strings
1993 Earth Step Verve Forecast 1993 with Rob Mounsey(key), Jeff Mironov(g), Will Lee(b), Steve Gadd
1993 A Night with Strings Vol. 2 Fun House 1994 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 1994 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 1995 with Russell Ferrante, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, and Tokyo Symphony Strings
1997 Go Straight Ahead 'n Make a Left Verve 1997 with Bernard Wright, Stephen Teele(b), Mike Flythe(ds), Hassan Flythe(ds), Steve Thornton(per), Charley Drayton(ds)
1995–97 Kuroi Hitomi - Sadao Watanabe Song Book Verve 1997 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 1998 with Cesar Camargo Mariano(key), Romero Lubambo(g), Nilson Matta(b), Paulo Braga(ds), Cafe(per), PamelaDriggs(vo)
1999 Remembrance Verve 1999 with Cyrus Chestnut, Christian McBride, Billy Drummond, Nicholas Payton, Robin Eubanks, Romero Lubambo
2000 Sadao 2000 Verve 2000 with Richard Bona(b,g,per,vo), George Whitty(p,key), Jonathan Joseph(ds), Mike Stern(g), Cafe(per)
2000 Minha Saudade Universal Music 2001 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 2003 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 2006 Live with Richard Bona(elb,vo), Etienne Stadwijk(pf,key), Nathaniel Townsley(ds), N'Diassé Niang(per)
2005 Sadao & Charlie Again Victor 2006 Live with Charlie Mariano(as), Bob Degen(p), Dieter Ilg(b), Bill Elgart(dr)
2007 Basie's at Night Koch 2008 Live with Akira Onozuka, Kouichi Osamu, Masaharu Ishikawa, N'Diassé Niang
2009? Into Tomorrow Victor 2009 with Gerald Clayton(p), Ben Williams(b), Johnathan Blake(ds)
2011 Come Today Victor 2013 with Gerald Clayton(p), Ben Williams(b), Johnathan Blake(ds)
2013? Outra Vez Victor 2013 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 2015 with Russell Ferrante, Peter Erskine
2015? Naturally Victor 2015 with Lula Galvão(g), Itamar Assiere(p), Alberto Continentino(b), Paulo Braga(ds), Sidinho Moreira(per), Jaques Morelenbaum(cello)
2016 Encore! Victor 2017 Live with Dave Grusin, Russell Ferrante, Robben Ford
2016 Re-Bop Victor 2017 with Cyrus Chestnut, Chris Thomas, Brian Blade
2018? Re-Bop the Night Victor 2018 with Russell Ferrante, Ben Williams, Kendrick Scott
2019 Sadao 2019 - Live at Blue Note Tokyo Victor 2019 Live with Russell Ferrante, John Patitucci, Steve Gadd
2021 Jazz & Bossa Live at Suntory Hall Victor 2021 Live with Masaki Hayashi(p), como kiichiro komobuchi(b), Ittetsu Takemura(ds), Marcelo Kimura(g), Takayuki Oshikane Strings

As sideman[edit]

Compilation albums[edit]

  • Selected (Elektra, 1988)
  • Sadao Watanabe Vocal Collection (Elektra, 1991)
  • Sadao Watanabe My Dear Life 50th Anniversary Collection (Verve, 2001)
  • Sketches of Nature (Verve, 2005)
  • Broadcast Tracks '69–'72 (Victor, 2005)
  • Love Songs (Victor, 2018)

References[edit]

  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.
  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. ^ "JWLS: Sunday Jazz Gala: Sadao Watanabe Group". 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.
  6. ^ Soejima, Teruto (2018) [2002]. Free Jazz in Japan: A Personal History. Translated by Kato, David Hopkins. Public Bath Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-4-9908636-5-4.
  7. ^ Porter, Lewis; DeVito, Chris; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Wild, David; Schmaler, Wolf (2008). The John Coltrane Reference. Routledge. p. 350.
  8. ^ Paice, Joseph (10 August 2020). "Sadao Watanabe". World of Jazz.
  9. ^ Sadao Watanabe web site: biography (in Japanese), with photos
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "About Berklee | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Biography". Sadao Watanabe Official Site. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  13. ^ "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.

External links[edit]

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