Sadao Watanabe: Biography

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• Gerald Albright
• Dave Koz
• Phil Woods
• The Crusaders
• George Howard
• David Sanborn
• Joh Yamada

• Charlie Parker
• Dexter Gordon
• Stan Getz
• Sonny Rollins
• John Coltrane

• Kazumi Watanabe

• Robben Ford

• Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Lorenz Hart
• William Salter
• James Van Heusen
• Ralph MacDonald
• Richard Rodgers
• Toquinho

• Russell Ferrante
• Alex Acuña
• Eric Gale
• Paul Jackson, Jr.
• Herbie Hancock
• Harvey Mason, Sr.
• Kiyoski Itoh

Born:

Feb 1, 1933 in Utsunomiya, Japan

Genres:

Jazz Music, Bop Jazz Music, Fusion Jazz Music, Contemporary Jazz Music

Decades Active:

1960's|1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Medium

Popularity

Medium

Ratings Guide

Sadao Watanabe has long had a split musical personality. He alternates excellent bebop dates with weak pop albums that pale next to the leaders of the idiom (such as Grover Washington Jr. and David Sanborn). Watanabe learned clarinet and alto in high school, and in the 1950s he moved to Tokyo, joining Toshiko Akiyoshi's bop-oriented group in 1953. When the pianist moved to the U.S. in 1956, Watanabe took over the band. He attended Berklee during 1962-1965 and had the opportunity to work with Gary McFarland, Chico Hamilton, and Gabor Szabo. However, Watanabe has remained mostly based in Japan throughout his career where he is a major influence on younger players. He has recorded steadily through the years, most notably with Chick Corea in New York (1970) and with the Galaxy All-Stars (1978). Watanabe's bop records are inspired by Charlie Parker, but his Brazilian-flavored pop dates are instantly forgettable.

- Scott Yanow, All Music Guide