Akira Tana

Akira Tana is a Japanese American jazz drummer and educator at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he teaches Applied Lessons, Jazz Seminar, and Ensembles. Renowned for his cross-cultural projects, Tana has performed with jazz icons like Sonny Rollins and Lena Horne while pioneering fusion of Japanese folk traditions with jazz.

• Born in Palo Alto, California (1950s)
• Harvard University (BA in Social Relations)
• New England Conservatory of Music (MM in Jazz Studies)

Research and Artistic Focus

His work emphasizes cross-cultural jazz interpretation, notably through the Otonowa Ensemble which:

• Reimagines Japanese folk songs in modern jazz formats
• Conducts educational tours in post-disaster Tohoku region
• Integrates traditional Japanese instruments with jazz
• Explores modal jazz waltz techniques (e.g., reinterpretation of 'Sakura')

As co-leader of TanaReid, he developed:

• Modal jazz compositions
• Bass-drums collaborative frameworks
• Live performance innovations
• Studio recording techniques

Artistic Impact

His discography spans 200+ recordings including:

• Secret Agent Men series (2000-2018)
• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (James Bond themes)
• JAZZaNOVA (2018) featuring Branford Marsalis
• Looking Forward (1997) with Rufus Reid

Teaching Legacy

With teaching experience at:

• Rutgers University
• Queens College
• California Jazz Conservatory
• San Francisco State University

He emphasizes technical mastery through daily practice routines and artistic self-expression while mentoring emerging musicians like the Tohoku trumpet player he inspired.