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Akira Sakata

Akira Sakata was born in Kure-city, Hiroshima in 1945. Studied marine biology at Hiroshima university. Formed a group Saibo-bunretsu (Cell fission) in Tokyo in 1969, and was also performing with various free-jazz musicians during this time. Since the late 1960s, Sakata has been a constant figure in jazz and creative music scenes as an ever evolving and adventurous, multi-instrumentalist, and member of classic groups such as Yamashita Yosuke Trio, from 1972 till 1979, and Wha-ha-ha plus many of his own, like the Sakata Akira mii. He has recorded with Chris Cosey, Peter Brotzmann in Last Exit, DJ Krush, Yoshimio, and others.

In 2005 he began peforming with guitarist Jim O'Rourke, drummer Chris Corsano and acoustic bassist Darin Gray. They've since released five albums together. Friendly Pants (Family Vineyard, 2009) was the first American release by Sakata in more than 20 years. It paired the 65-year-old traveler alongside bombast Chikamorachi (Corsano/Gray) and O'Rourke as the producer.

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6
Album Review

Bonjintan: Dental Kafka

Read "Dental Kafka" reviewed by Mark Corroto


The sophomore effort by Akira Sakata's quartet Bonjintan, which translates into “ordinary person" might actually be better interpreted as “egalitarian." Notice that neither the quartet's name nor the album cover mention the saxophonist's name. Like the initial, self-titled 2017 release on Sakata's Daphnia Records, Dental Kafka focuses on a quartet sound and four equal musicians improvising. Certainly due to the legendary status of the septuagenarian saxophonist, listeners will focus attention on the great man, but this release is ...

3
Album Review

Akira Sakata, Johan Berthling, Paal Nilssen-Love: Arashi

Read "Arashi" reviewed by Enrico Bettinello


Furia transgenerazionale e intercontinentale quella condivisa dal sassofonista giapponese Akira Sakata (70 anni a febbraio) con Johan Berthling e Paal Nilssen-Love, basso e batteria che chi conosce un po' le meraviglie del jazz scandinavo ormai ha imparato a considerare “di famiglia." Figura storica del free nipponico, Sakata è musicista che può piacere o meno, ma cui non si può, pena la disonestà intellettuale, negare una adesione totale e onestissima alla pratica dell'improvvisazione, al flusso incontenibile e irrefrenabile di ...

5
Album Review

Akira Sakata, Giovanni Di Domenico, John Edwards, Steve Noble: Live at Cafe Oto

Read "Live at Cafe Oto" reviewed by John Eyles


Recorded in concert at London's Cafe Oto in January 2014, this album features the kind of cosmopolitan ensemble in which the venue specialises. It brings together veteran Japanese reedsman Akira Sataka and Spanish pianist Giovanni Di Domenico with London's own John Edwards and Steve Noble. The latter pair have virtually become the house bassist and drummer at Cafe Oto, appearing with many visiting musicians, some of whom play at the venue for that very reason. It is no exaggeration to ...

6
Album Review

Akira Sakata & Giovanni Di Domenico: Iruman

Read "Iruman" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Surprisingly, Iruman is saxophonist Akira Sakata's first piano duo recording in his forty-plus year career. The question this disc raises is not why did it take him so long to record in this format, but could another duo performance eclipse this one? Sakata has been flag bearer of the Japanese free jazz movement since the 1970s. Recording first with pianist Yosuke Yamashita, then he was 'discovered' by bassist Bill Laswell and he went on to record with Material, ...

208
Multiple Reviews

Akira Sakata and the Ghost of Albert Ayler

Read "Akira Sakata and the Ghost of Albert Ayler" reviewed by Mark Corroto


For so very long, since Albert Ayler's death in 1970, the faithful have been, to paraphrase Bruce Springsteen, “hiding 'neath their covers, studying their pain...wasting their summers, praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets."And for the last 40 years, Japanese saxophonist Akira Sakata has been a hero, and that's understood. His music has allowed listeners to, indeed, case the promised land.Western audiences may have first noticed him playing in 1986 with Last ...

213
Album Review

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew Live

Read "Bitches Brew Live" reviewed by Doug Collette


Bitches Brew Live documents Miles Davis, as he moved off the cusp of acoustic and electric jazz. The hour-long disc contains two live performances that constitute concert corollaries to the studio albums of their time, with which The Man With The Horn revolutionized modern jazz. The three recordings from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1969 have the streamlined clarity of In A Silent Way (Columbia, 1969), in part because saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter missed the gig. There is none ...

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1

Recording

Akira Sakata, Pete Cosey, Hamid Drake, Bill Laswell - Two Releases Out On M.O.D. Technologies As Part Of Incunabula Digital Series

Akira Sakata, Pete Cosey, Hamid Drake, Bill Laswell - Two Releases Out On M.O.D. Technologies As Part Of Incunabula Digital Series

Source: hubtone PR

Akira Sakata with Bill Laswell, Pete Cosey, Hamid Drake KAIGARABUSHI - BILL LASWELL REMIX Japanese free jazz icon Akira Sakata in collaboration with the legendary guitarist Pete Cosey (Miles Davis, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf), drummer Hamid Drake and bassist Bill Laswell. A remix of a track from the album fisherman's.com released in 2001, it offers traditional Japanese folk art meets funk and free improvisation. Mix- construction by Bill Laswell. TRACK: 1. Kaigarabushi Return (11:44) BILL LASWELL'S BILMAWN - LITTLE VILLAGE ...

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Performance / Tour

Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi tour Europe, Russia and Japan

Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi tour Europe, Russia and Japan

Source: Eric Weddle

Akira Sakata, the legendary Japanese alto player, is heading out on tour in October and November with his long-running American rhythm section Chikamorachi. Sakata, Chris Corsano (percussion) and Darin Gray (double bass), are touring in support of their two new releases And that's the Story of Jazz... 2xCD (Family Vineyard) and Live at Hungry Brain LP (Family Vineyard). The dates are:

10/21 Tokyo, Japan—Pitt Inn, quartet with Jim O'Rourke 10/22 Tokyo, Japan—Pitt Inn, quartet with Jim O'Rourke 10/25 Moscow, Russia—School ...

66

Recording

Akira Sakata & Jim O'Rourke with Chikamorachi "And That's the Story of Jazz..." (2011) and live LP

Source: Eric Weddle

Akira Sakata is revered as the most powerful alto saxophonist to ever come out of Japan since starting with the Yosuke Yamashita trio in the 1970's. But for far too long Sakata's albums, as leader or side player, have been only available as expensive Japanese imports limiting Western ears from hearing him—until now. Family Vineyard Records is excited too announce the October 2011 release of Sakata's first ever U.S.-only 2xCD set and LP as leader. Both albums feature Sakata's long-running ...

112

Recording

Family Vineyard to Release New Akira Sakata CD on September 22

Family Vineyard to Release New Akira Sakata CD on September 22

Source: Michael Ricci

Family Vineyard is proud to announce a new partnership with legendary Japanese saxophonist Akira Sakata. On Sept. 22 the label will issue Friendly Pants-- his first U.S. album in more than 20 years.

Friendly Pants pairs the 65-year-old traveler alongside Chikamorachi, the bombast rhythm section of drummer Chris Corsano (Paul Flaherty Duo, Bjork, Jandek) and acoustic bassist Darin Gray (On Fillmore, Grand Ulena, Brise-Glace).

Since 2005 Sakata has been aligned with Corsano and Gray--a duo equally informed by underground American ...

"Sakata pushed from melodic warmth to upper register cries in long natural arcs, driven by an unstoppable momentum and clear logic." (4 stars) -- Peter, Margasak, Downbeat

"Sakata has rarely played with such simplicity and such beauty. His characteristic sound, difficult to convey in words, has a softly buzzing, almost woody quality that fragments the more intense tones into momentary harmonics." -- Brian Morton, The Wire

"Sakata can still play the hell out of the alto sax and he tears through registers with all of the beautiful force of a Noah Howard or Marion Brown. Corsano is, of course, explosive throughout, playing at breakneck speed through Sakata's wild soloing while Gray wraps his strings all the way around the kit

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Tornado!

Euphorium Records
2023

buy

Dental Kafka

Trost Records
2020

buy

BRIDGES

Ictus Records
2019

buy

Arashi

Trost Records
2015

buy

Iruman

Mbari Musica
2014

buy

Live at Cafe Oto

Clamshell
2014

buy

Nagoya 2

From: And That's The Story Of Jazz...
By Akira Sakata

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