Sadao Watanabe (musician)

Watanabe was born on 1 February 1933 in Utsunomiya, Japan. His father, a professional musician, sang and played the biwa. 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. In 1961, his first album as a leader, the self-titled Sadao Watanabe, was released. In 1962, he left Japan to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, he became the director of the new Yamaha Institute of Popular Music, a school that based its curriculum on Berklee's. By the time Watanabe played at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival, he was a well-known and often highly-regarded jazz performer. Watanabe continued performing and recording throughout the 1970s and 1980s, amassing a catalogue of more than 70 albums as leader. Watanabe has been in charge of the visiting professor of Jazz course at Kunitachi College of Music since 2010. ==Honors==

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. • 1995: Berklee College of Music awarded him an honorary doctorate degree for his contributions to music. • 2005: • 2015: Order of Rio Branco ==Discography==

As leader/co-leader As sideman With Ithamara Koorax • Red River (Paddle Wheel, 1995) • Rio Vermelho (Imagem, 1995) • The Luiz Bonfa Songbook (Huks, 2002) With Masabumi Kikuchi • Collaboration (Philips, 1970) • All About Dancing Mist (Philips, 1971) With Masahiko Togashi • Song for Myself (East Wind, 1974) • Spiritual Nature (East Wind, 1975) With others • Toshiko Akiyoshi, Toshiko Meets Her Old Pals (King, 1961) • Randy Brecker and Eliane Elias, Amanda (Passport, 1985) • Randy Crawford, Through the Eyes of Love (Warner Bros., 1992) • Hiroshi Fukumura, Hunt Up Wind (Flying Disk, 1978) • Dave Grusin, Live in Japan (JVC, 1980) – live • Don Grusin, The Hang (C.A.R.E., 2004) • Chico Hamilton, El Chico (Impulse!, 1965) • Terumasa Hino, Live in Concert (East Wind, 1975) – live • Akira Miyazawa, Yamame (King, 1977) • Armando Manzanero, El Piano (BMG/RCA, 1995) • Cesar Camargo Mariano, Mitos (CBS, 1988) • Gary McFarland, The In Sound (Verve, 1966) • Armando Peraza, Wild Thing (Skye, 1969) • Greg Phillinganes, Significant Gains (Planet, 1981) • Santana, At Budokan (Masterplan, 2007) • Isao Suzuki, My Spare Time (Flying Disk, 1978) • Gabor Szabo, ''Gypsy '66'' (Impulse!, 1966) • Toquinho, ''Vamos Juntos Toquinho Live at Bravas Club '86'' (Polydor, 1986) – live • Super Mario World Arranged OST, Warner-Pioneer, 1991 Compilation albums • 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==