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Verified Global Musician

Akira Tana

Akira Tana is a drummer, bandleader, producer, educator, and broadcaster whose projects include TanaReid, Otonowa, and film-theme ensembles.

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Photo source · Official artist media

Career Overview

About Akira Tana

Tana’s official biography documents more than two hundred recording appearances and leader work developed alongside extensive touring, teaching, and production. It separates his individual albums from the co-led TanaReid partnership with bassist Rufus Reid.[1]

His project history moves from TanaReid and straight-ahead leader dates to the Secret Agent Men Band and Otonowa. Otonowa recasts Japanese folk and popular melodies and has supported repeated goodwill performances for communities rebuilding after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[1][3]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Co-leader and drummer with Rufus Reid

TanaReid

Five releases documented from the 1990s

Tana’s biography records a five-album partnership with bassist Rufus Reid across Concord and Evidence Music.[1]

Leader, drummer, and arranger

Otonowa

The project interprets Japanese folk and popular melodies and connects recording with educational and goodwill tours in Tōhoku.[1]

Leader, drummer, and producer

Secret Agent Men Band

Tana’s dedicated project page and biography identify the group as a jazz treatment of themes associated with James Bond films.[1][3]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

2002 · Sons of Sound

Secret Agent Men

Leader and drummer

Tana’s leader project places spy-film repertoire in a jazz ensemble setting developed further on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.[1][3]

Release details

2004 · Sons of Sound

Moon Over the World

Leader and drummer

The artist biography lists Moon Over the World among Tana’s own leader releases outside the TanaReid catalog.[1]

Release details

2012

Otonowa

Leader, drummer, and arranger

The Otonowa album begins a sequence of jazz interpretations of Japanese songs tied to the ensemble’s goodwill work.[1]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Official music archive

Explore Tana’s leader, selected sideman, and production discographies on his artist site.

Official Spotify artist page

Hear Tana’s leader and collaborative recordings through his verified streaming profile.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Thu, Sep 24, 7:00 PM

Rumi Abe Quartet

Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club · San Francisco

Show details

Thu, Sep 24, 8:45 PM

Rumi Abe Quartet

Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club · San Francisco

Show details

Thu, Oct 1, 7:00 PM

Akira and Atsuko

Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club · San Francisco

Show details

Thu, Oct 1, 8:45 PM

Akira and Atsuko

Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club · San Francisco

Show details

Sat, Oct 3, 7:30 PM

Akira Tana & Friends from Osaka at San Ramon Library

San Ramon Library · San Ramon

Show details

Evidence-Based Connections

Related Musician Guides

Connections below come from shared current Jazz DateBook bills or normalized documented performance roles—not subjective similarity.

Kasey KnudsenAlto saxophone · Composer2 shared current showsAnthony FungDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Drummer · Bandleader · ProducerAnwar MarshallDrums · BandleaderShared documented roles: Drummer · Bandleader · ProducerBilly MintzDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Drummer · Bandleader · EducatorCarl AllenDrums · BandleaderShared documented roles: Drummer · Bandleader · EducatorCharles HeathDrums · BandleaderShared documented roles: Drummer · Bandleader · Educator

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Official biography, projects, and leader releases

    Akira Tana

  2. [2] Official leader and selected recording archive

    Akira Tana

  3. [3] Official Secret Agent Men project guide

    Akira Tana