Saxophonist, flutist, composer and arranger Steve Sacks conveys a message of hope and peace through jazz which transcends the boundaries of genre. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1953, he grew up in Chicago and Connecticut. He began learning piano at age 7, and saxophone from age 13. After graduating Harvard with a B.A. summa cum laude in musicology, Steve moved to Paris for two years, then to New York City, where for twenty years he was active on the jazz, Brazilian, and Latin American musical scenes. He subsequently moved to Hong Kong for two years, and has lived in Tokyo, Japan since 1999.
Steve speaks five languages fluently. In 1991 he became a Christian through Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York), and is currently a member of Musashino Chapel Center in Tokyo. He has been married to Tomoko (Sawada) since November 1996.
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Steve Sacks portrait photo by David M. Sacks
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Steve has recorded on over 100 albums, including four as a leader of the New York-based Brazilian jazz groups "Guanabara" and "Trilogia". In addition to his first solo album "First Dream", his second solo album "Look To The Sky" is now on sale.
Some of the artists for whom Steve has performed, recorded and/or arranged are:
[ Brazilian music ]
Astrud Gilberto, Lisa Ono, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim,Toninho Horta
[ Latin music ]
Tito Puente, The Mambo Kings, Mongo Santamaria, Adalberto Santiago
[ Jazz ]
Paquito D'Rivera, Joe Lee Wilson, Earl Klugh, Yoshiaki Masuo, Claudio Roditi, Steve Lacy, Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra
[ Pops ]
Paul Simon, David Byrne, Talking Heads, Joe Jackson
[ Japanese Pops ]
Yukari Ito, Eikichi Yazawa, Akina Nakamori, Keiko Nakajima, Kahimi Karie
[ Chinese pops ]
Andy Lau, Kelly Chen, Leon Lai
[ Classical music ]
Hong Kong Philharmonic
[ Christian music ]
The 6:30 Band, Ronnie Rucker, Keiko Takenouchi
[ YouTube video clips featuring Steve Sacks]
with the Tito Puente Orchestra "Para Los Rumberos" (Bronx, NY 1980)
with the Tito Puente Orchestra "Generacion del 80" (Bogota, Colombia 1983)
with David Byrne & Rei Momo "Make Believe Mambo" (New York, NY 1989)
with David Byrne & Rei Momo "Dirty Old Town" (Amsterdam, NL 1989)
with Angel Canales & Sabor "Saraguey Santoja" (Caracas, Venezuela 1981)
with Angel Canales & Sabor "Bomba Carambomba" (Caracas, Venezuela 1981)
with Minaswing "No Vento" (Tokyo, Japan 2004)
with Minaswing "Voo de Aviao" (Tokyo, Japan 2004)
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