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Sadao Watanabe is arguably the most well-known and respected Japanese jazz musician in the entire world. He began his professional career after graduating from high school in 1951 in the post-war Japan, first as a Charlie Parker-influenced bebop alto saxophonist. In 1962 he followed Toshiko Akiyoshi's footsteps and went to the US, and studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.

Throughout his long career, his music has absorbed many influences, from straight-ahead four-beat jazz to Brazilian and African music, and developed his own fusion style which can only be described as "Sadao Watanabe." His first, huge break-out hit came in 1978 in the form of California Shower, a brilliant album that started a "fusion" boom in Japan.

Watanabe has performed and recorded with hundreds of musicians, and his main collaborators over the years include Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Hank Jones, Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, Marcus Miller, Russell Ferrante and Richard Bona, among others.

Watanabe's warmth and kindness comes through from many of his compositions and performance. He has received many honors not only for his musical contribution, but also in musical education and his message of love and peace.