Hayasaka, Sachi

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Hayasaka, Sachi

Hayasaka, Sachi, avant-garde jazz alto and soprano saxophonist, b. Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 26, 1960. Leader of the eclectic group Stir Up!, Hayasaka is a protégé of leading avant-gardists such as Yosuke Yamashita and Leo Wadada Smith. After graduating from Tamagawa Univ., she performed in her own groups and toured Western Europe with the Hans Reichel Trio in 1987. She plays in Germany and N.Y. nearly every year, either as a member of other groups or with Stir Up! (which includes her husband Nagata Toshiki on bass). Stir Up! performs one of Japan’s most popular annual jazz events, the “2.26” concert, which is the mutual birthday of Hayasaka, drummer Tsunoda Ken, and guest pianist Yamashita.

Discography

Straight to the Core (1990); 2.26 (1994).

—E. Taylor Atkins