Seiichi Nakamura has long been one of the most highly-respected and renowned Japanese jazz saxophonists. Born 1947 in Tokyo, he discovered swing jazz in his high school’s brass band while under the guidance of clarinetist Eiji Hanaoka, then a more senior student. In 1969, he graduated from Kunitachi College of Music with a degree in saxophone performance and then studied clarinet under Yukio Ohashi and continued honing his saxophone skills under Yūshi Ishiwata.

 

During his university years, he began performing with renowned free jazz artist Yōsuke Yamashita and became the original saxophonist of the Yōsuke Yamashita Trio from 1969 to 1972, helping establish the group as a leading Japanese free jazz ensemble known internationally. Two albums—Mina's Second Theme and Concert In New Jazz—were released by the Yōsuke Yamashita Trio in 1969, with Seiichi Nakamura performing on soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, and clarinet.

 

Over the next four years, he collaborated extensively with prominent jazz artists such as George Kawaguchi, Kazuo Yashiro, Masanaga Harada, Shōji Nakayama, Hidehiko Matsumoto (Sleepy), Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Fumio Itabashi, Yukinari Narishige, Takuji Kusumoto, Hiroshi Murakami, Kazumi Watanabe, Nobuyoshi Ino, and Sadao Fujii, producing numerous recordings.

Seiichi Nakamura has never been confined to just traditional styles. Alongside Keishi Kishida, Ryōjirō Furusawa, Shōzō Okamoto, and Aki Takase, he recorded the jazz-funk album Wolf's Theme, released in 1978 by Union Records.

 

Later in his career, he worked with “Guess My Finds” and moved to the United States in 1978 to further his studies under the legendary George Coleman. After collaborating with Teruo Nakamura and Rising Sun, he returned to Japan in 1980. During this period, his work spanned a wide range of projects—while continuing his jazz-related activities, he also recorded more experimental and groove-driven albums and contributed to pop singer Yasuko Agawa's album productions.