Tomoaki Baba is a Japanese jazz saxophonist and composer, born in 1992 in Sapporo. A full-scholarship graduate of Berklee College of Music, he built his career in New York playing alongside Terence Blanchard and Terri Lyne Carrington, among others. He was selected from worldwide auditions to perform the saxophone parts for the protagonist of the 2023 anime film Blue Giant, and in 2024 released his major-label debut Electric Rider on Universal Music.
Electric Rider, Baba's major-label debut (his third album overall), was released on September 4, 2024 via Universal Music LLC, with BIGYUKI as co-producer.
Baba performed together with BIGYUKI at the San Sebastián International Jazz Festival in Spain.
Electric Rider was also released as a limited vinyl edition for Japan Record Day 2024.
After his return to Japan in 2020, Baba founded the concert series BaBaBar, collaborating with international musicians such as Mark Guiliana and Makaya McCraven.
