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 Grace City Church Tokyo. He has been married to Tomoko (Sawada) since November 1996.

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”, “Look To The Sky” and “Christmas Presence” are 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, Nettai Jazz Orchestra, Nora

[ Jazz ]
Paquito D’Rivera, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Joe Lee Wilson, Manhattan Jazz Orchestra (David Matthews), 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, Ryoko Moriyama, Akina Nakamori, Yoshitaka Minami, Keiko Nakajima, Kahimi Karie、Yasushi Nakanishi, Ryudo Uzaki

[ Chinese pops ]
Andy Lau, Kelly Chen, Leon Lai

[ Classical music ]
Hong Kong Philharmonic

[ Christian music ]
The 6:30 Band, Ronnie Rucker, Sayuri Kume, Keiko Takenouchi

YouTube video clips featuring Steve Sacks

with the Tito Puente Orchestra “Generacíon del 80” (Bogota, Colombia 1983)

with the Tito Puente Orchestra “El Rey del Timbal” (New York, 1979)

with the Tito Puente Orchestra “Para Los Rumberos” (New York, 1979)

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 Avião” (Tokyo, Japan 2004)

with Tokyo Big Band “Light One” (Tokyo, Japan 2008)

with Tokyo Big Band “Green Sauce” (Tokyo, Japan 2008)

with Tokyo Big Band “Haru no ogawa” (Tokyo, Japan 2008)

with Serendipity 18 Big Band “A Cool Breeze” (Tokyo, Japan 2010)

with Eric Marienthal and Serendipity 18 Big Band “Crazy But…” (Tokyo, Japan 2012)

with Daisaku Kume Orchestra “My Lost City” (Tokyo, Japan 2009)

with Daisaku Kume “Lady in the Brass” “Captain Senor Mouse” (Tokyo, Japan 2011)

with Four Colors (Yokohama, Japan 2009)