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Akira Tana

Born and raised in California, Akira Tana earned degrees from Harvard University and the New England Conservatory of Music. Tana has worked with SONNY ROLLINS, SONNY STITT, ZOOT SIMS, HUBERT LAWS, MILT JACKSON, JIM HALL, ART FARMER, THE PAUL WINTER CONSORT, PAQUITO D'RIVERA, JAMES MOODY, J.J. JOHNSON, LENA HORNE, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER, RUTH BROWN, CHARLES AZNAVOUR, MAURICE HINES, AND VAN DYKE PARKS. He has appeared on over 150 recordings.

Tana co-led a quintet with the bassist, Rufus Reid called TanaReid, has five releases, "Yours and Mine" and "Passing Thoughts," on Concord Records and "Blue Motion" and "Looking Forward,"and “Back to Front,” on Evidence Music. On Sons of Sound, Akira has two releases as a leader, "Moon Over the World and Secret Agent Men. The third US releasee on Sons of Sound as a leader is a project by the Secret Agent Men Band playing themes from the movies of James Bond, entitled “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” featuring the vocalist, Annie Sellick. Just released in Japan is a project entitled “JAZZaNOVA,” on Vega Records that features the vocalists, Claudio Amaral, Claudia Villela, Jackie Ryan, Carla Helmbrecht, and Sandy Cressman. Guest artists include Branford Marsalis and Arturo Sandoval. This project will be released in the US in 2018. The most recent release as a leader is a recording entitled “Otonowa,” which features jazz interpretations of Japanese folk and pop melodies that date as far back as the1800’s. This group just completed a tour of Tohoku performing and teaching for communites still rebuilding from the Earthquake/Tsunamai of 2011. An active teacher and clinician, Tana has taught at Rutgers University, Queens College, Jersey City State College, New York University, and is currently on the faculty at San Francisco State University and the Jazz Conservatory of California in Berkeley Ca.

Mr. Tana is a product endorser of YAMAHA DRUMS, SABIAN CYMBALS, and VIC FIRTH STICKS.

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3
Album Review

Akira Tana & Otonowa: Ai San San: Love's Radiance

Read "Ai San San: Love's Radiance" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


Ai San San: Love's Radiance is musical transformation of the highest caliber. It employs traditional and contemporary Japanese melodies and molds them into a marvelously arranged and performed jazz album. Traditional Japanese instruments enhance textural dimension. The opener, “Antagata Dakosa," is vaguely reminiscent of Mongo Santamaria's “Afro Blue" and is a terrific straight-ahead burner that kicks in hard after Masaru Koga's muscular tenor saxophone calls. Noriyuki Ken Okada's gorgeous bass sings the melody of the title track ...

155
Album Review

Akira Tana: Moon Over The World

Read "Moon Over The World" reviewed by John Kelman


While the influence and adaptability of European sources to modern jazz is a given, there seems to be little credit or credibility given to the Asian subcontinent. With his Asian American Jazz Trio, consisting of pianist Ted Lo and bassist Rufus Reid, drummer Akira Tana looks to Chinese and Japanese folk songs, television theme songs and popular music for inspiration. The result, Moon Over the World , is a fascinating and engaging blend of Oriental themes with contemporary post bop.

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Album Review

Akira Tana: Secret Agent Men

Read "Secret Agent Men" reviewed by Joel Roberts


Sure, it's kitschy and gimmicky and a bit predictable, but Secret Agent Men, veteran drummer Akira Tana's treatment of real and imagined movie themes, works for one simple reason - it grooves like hell! And with ringers like Dr. Lonnie Smith at the B-3, Rodney Jones on guitar, and Tana's frequent collaborator Rufus Reid on bass, what else would you expect? The ensemble - which also includes Bob Kenmotsu on saxophones and Chuggy Carter on percussion - ...

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Recording

Drum Maestro Akira Tana Puts A Gorgeous Spin On The Brazilian Songbook With JAZZaNOVA

Drum Maestro Akira Tana  Puts A Gorgeous Spin On The Brazilian Songbook With JAZZaNOVA

Source: Mouthpiece Music

AKIRA TANA didn’t have to go looking for Brazilian music as a young musician. An elite jazz drummer since the mid-1970s, he’s been immersed in the verdant hothouse of Brazil’s surging rhythms and sensuous melodies his entire career. His new album JAZZaNOVA, which is slated for release by Vega on March 1, 2018, reflects an abiding passion kindled by his formative experiences with some of Brazilian jazz’s foundational figures. It’s a treasure trove of Brazilian riches, with beautifully crafted arrangements ...

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Video / DVD

New DVD: Mimi Fox Live at the Palladium Featuring Akira Tana and Chris Enghauser

New DVD: Mimi Fox Live at the Palladium Featuring Akira Tana and Chris Enghauser

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

A note from Mimi Fox regarding LIVE AT THE PALLADIUM: This is my ninth project as a leader and I am absolutely thrilled to be presenting this live project as a video. There is something special that happens in a live situation with the audience a part of your every move...exciting! I have to say right off the bat, that my partner in crime Brad Wendkos and the entire crew from TrueFire are really amazing. They made the process of ...

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Recording

"Looking Forward" - The New Album by Ken Berman Featuring Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana!

"Looking Forward" - The New Album by Ken Berman Featuring Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana!

Source: Michael Ricci

Looking Forward features eight inspirational original tracks showcasing Ken Berman's distinctive sound as a composer and pianist, leading a dynamic trio including bass virtuouso Kai Eckhardt and the phenomenal Akira Tana on drums. “When listening to Ken Berman's trio," noted jazz critic Scott Yanow writes, “it is easy to think of Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, for Berman's chord voicings and his close interplay with his sidemen recall the work of his two predecessors. The difference is that Berman wrote ...

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Performance / Tour

Ken Berman Trio Featuring Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana in Concert April 12th

Ken Berman Trio Featuring Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana in Concert April 12th

Source: All About Jazz


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Performance / Tour

Ken Berman Trio with Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana at the Hertz Concert Hall

Ken Berman Trio with Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana at the Hertz Concert Hall

Source: All About Jazz

The Ken Berman Trio, featuring internationally acclaimed bassist Kai Eckhardt and legendary drummer Akira Tana, will be performing a special program of original music at UC Berkeley's Hertz Concert Hall on September 19th.

The historic Hertz Concert Hall has hosted a wealth of outstanding jazz and classical recording artists, including Dawn Upshaw, Steve Reich, Cecilia Bartoli, Steve Coleman, John Abercrombie, Roscoe Mitchell, Steve Lacy, John Zorn, Henry Threadgill, Ravi Shankar, and the Kronos Quartet. Since joining the faculty at UC ...

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Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Ai San San: Love's...

Vega Music USA
2019

buy

JAZZaNOVA

Vega
2018

buy

Jazz Noir

Papillon/Blueport Jazz
2016

buy

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Sons of Sound
2011

buy

Moon Over The World

Sons of Sound
2004

buy

Secret Agent Men

Sons of Sound
2003

buy

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