Akira Sakata

Akira Sakata (born 21 February 1945) is a Japanese free jazz saxophonist.

Early life Sakata was born in Kure, Hiroshima on 21 February 1945. He first heard jazz on short-wave radio and Voice of America, then became more interested in it from listening to film soundtracks. He began studying music seriously at high school, where he played clarinet. He played alto sax in a jazz band when at Hiroshima University. and moved to Tokyo in 1969. He later worked with DJ Krush and Chikamorachi (Darin Gray and Chris Corsano).

Sakata's career nearly ended in 2002, when he had a brain haemorrhage. Soro Wo Tobu (King, 2012) Flying Basket (Family Vineyard, 2015) Proton Pump (Family Vineyard, 2018) Not Seeing Is a Flower (Leo, 2018)