Kazuki Yamanaka is a Japanese saxophonist, composer, bandleader and recording artist who has headlined performances at prestigious venues both in New York and Japan, such as Ibeam Brooklyn, Scholes Street Studio, ShapeShifter Lab, Pit-Inn (Tokyo), Sometime (Tokyo), Le Club Jazz (Kyoto), Mr. Kelly’s (Osaka) Star Eyes (Nagoya), Blue Note (Nara) and many others. He has just released his second album “Dancer In Nirvana” in March 2020 via the world-renowned Spanish label Fresh Sound New Talent. The album was recorded in 2019 with pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

Born in Saitama, Japan, Yamanaka moved to New York in 2012 to study jazz at State University of New York Purchase College, where he took a master degree of music in 2014. He studied with the greatest masters both inside and outside the school such as Jon Gordon (sax), Gary Smulyan (sax), Hal Galper (piano), Jon Faddis (trumpet), John Abercrombie (guitar), Steve Wilson (sax), Steve Slagle (sax), Miguel Zeno (sax), Tony Malaby (sax), Michael Attias (sax), Ralph Alessi (trumpet) and Lee Konitz (sax).

In 2015 Yamanaka released his debut album ''Songs Unconscious-minded'', which was recorded with several different groups including Gilad Hekselman (guitar), Fabian Almazan (piano), Linda Oh (bass), and E.J. Strickland (drums). The album consists of original compositions and an original arrangement of a Japanese folk song, and has been given 4 stars by All About Jazz. Positive reviews for the album also have been published in the major jazz magazines in Japan, Jazz Japan and Jazz Life.

Currently he is residing in New York City and performing constantly with some of the finest musicians in the avant-garde jazz scene such as Russ Lossing (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Billy Mintz (drums), Ben Monder (guitar), Todd Neufeld (guitar) and many others. He also performs occasionally in Japan mainly with Kazuki Yamanaka Japan Quartet consisting of Shota Watanabe (piano), Kosuke Ochiai (bass) and Ko Omura (drums).

http://www.kazukiyamanaka.com/biography