Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫, Watanabe Sadao, born February 1, 1933) is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, and flute. He is known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles, with collaborations from musicians all over the world.

Watanabe was born on 1 February 1933 in Utsunomiya, Japan. His father, a professional musician, sang and played the biwa. He was attracted to Jazz from an early age, in part due to the strong cultural influence stemming from the American post-war presence in Japan. Watanabe 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 1951, Watanabe moved to Tokyo and began playing the alto saxophone. He started studying the flute in 1953 with Ririko Hayashi from the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He joined Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Cozy Quartet and began leading the group when Akiyoshi moved to the USA.^[1]By 1958 he had performed with leading musicians and quartets. In 1961 Watanabe’s 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. Studying led to a broadened stylistic scope that began to incorporate Brazilian music. During his time in the USA, Watanabe worked with Gary McFarland, Chico Hamilton, and Gábor Szabó.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al7gJfF9_hE