Biography

Born and raised in Northen 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 200 recordings.
Tana co-led a quintet in the 90's with the bassist, Rufus Reid called TanaReid, and 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. Tana has seven releases as a leader, among them, "Moon Over the World" and "Secret Agent Men." The third US release as a leader is a project by the Secret Agent Band playing themes from the movies of James Bond, entitled “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” featuring the vocalist, Annie Sellick. A project released in 2018 is “JAZZaNOVA,” on Vegamusic-USA Guest artists include Branford Marsalis and Arturo Sandoval. Three more releases as a leader include “Otonowa,” “Stars Across the Ocean,” and “Ai San San (Love’s Radiance),” which features jazz interpretations of Japanese folk and pop melodies that date as far back as the1800’s. This group has completed seven tours of Tohoku (Northern Japan) 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, and New York University, California Jazz Conservatory, and San Francisco State University. He is currently on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mr. Tana is a product endorser of YAMAHA DRUMS, SABIAN CYMBALS, and VIC FIRTH STICKS.
More info: www.akiratana.com, www.otonowa-USA.com