Kazumi Watanabe

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Kazumi Watanabe
Watanabe performing in 2011
Watanabe performing in 2011
Background information
Born (1953-10-14) October 14, 1953 (age 67)
Tokyo, Japan
GenresJazz, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1969–present
LabelsColumbia, Denon, Gramavision, Warner
Associated actsMobo
Websitewww.kazumiwatanabe.net

Kazumi Watanabe (Japanese: 渡辺 香津美, Hepburn: Watanabe Kazumi, born October 14, 1953 in Tokyo[1][2]) is a Japanese guitarist. Other guitarists such as Sugizo have cited him as an influence.[3]

Career[]

Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo.[4] He released his first album in 1971. In 1979, he formed a jazz rock band with some of Japan's leading studio musicians, and recorded the album Kylyn.[5] During that year, he toured with the pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra.[4]

In the 1980s, he toured as guest soloist with Steps, the Brecker Brothers, and Word of Mouth, led by Jaco Pastorius. Watanabe created the jazz-rock/jazz-fusion band Mobo in 1983 with Mitsuru Sawamura (saxophone), Ichiko Hashimoto (piano), Gregg Lee (bass), Shuichi Murakami (drums), and Kiyohiko Senba.[4]

During the eighties Watanabe released the jazz-rock albums To Chi Ka (1980), Mobo Club (1983), Mobo Splash (1985), and Spice of Life (1987). A DVD was issued from the tour which featured drummer Bill Bruford and bassist Jeff Berlin, who also played on the record.

In the 1990s Kazumi assembled an all-Japanese line-up called Resonance Vox (Vagabonde Suzuki on bass, Rikiya Higashihara on drums, Tomohiro Yahiro on percussion). This band has released several adventurous fusion albums.

Discography[]

Watanabe performing in 2006

As leader[]

  • Infinite (Express, 1971)
  • Endless Way (Columbia, 1975)
  • Monday Blues (RCA, 1976)
  • Milky Shade (Union, 1976)
  • Olive's Step (Better Days, 1977)
  • Guitar Work Shop (Flying Dog, 1977)
  • Lonesome Cat (Denon, 1978)
  • Kaleidoscope (Denon, 1978)
  • Mermaid Boulevard (Alfa, 1978)
  • Tokyo Joe (Denon, 1978)
  • Village in Bubbles (Better Days, 1978)
  • Kylyn (Better Days, 1979)
  • Kylyn Live (Better Days, 1979)
  • To Chi Ka (Better Days, 1980)
  • Dogatana (Denon, 1981)
  • Mobo (Domo, 1984)
  • Mobo I (Gramavision, 1984)
  • Mobo II (Gramavision, 1984)
  • Mobo Live (Domo, 1985)
  • Mobo Splash (Domo, 1985)
  • The Spice of Life (Domo, 1987)
  • The Spice of Life Too (Gramavision, 1988)
  • Kilowatt (Gramavision, 1989)
  • Romanesque (Domo, 1990)
  • Pandora (Polydor, 1991)
  • Esprit (Domo, 1996)
  • Dandyism (Domo, 1998)
  • One for All (EmArcy, 1999)
  • Beyond the Infinite (Dozo, 2001)
  • Guitar Renaissance (EWE, 2003)
  • Mo' Bop II (East Works, 2004)
  • Guitar Renaissance II (EWE, 2005)
  • Guitar Renaissance III (EWE, 2006)
  • Kaihogen (Cube, 2006)
  • Guitar Renaissance IV (EWE, 2007)
  • Acoustic Flakes (EWE, 2009)
  • Jazz Impression (EWE, 2009)
  • Tricoroll (EWE, 2011)
  • Guitar Renaissance V (EWE, 2012)
  • Live at Iridium (EWE, 2012)
  • Spinning Globe (Warner, 2013)
  • En Vivo! (Victor, 2015)
  • Gracim (Warner, 2016)
  • Lotus Night (Warner, 2016)

As sideman[]

References[]

  1. ^ 渡辺 香津美
  2. ^ Kazumi Watanabe Biography – ARTISTdirect Music
  3. ^ "SUGIZO、亡くなった恩師「DEAD END」足立祐二さんに捧げる魂のギター「大切なメッセージを込めた」". Encount (in Japanese). December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Iwanami, Yozo; Sugiyama, Kazunori; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 3 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 886. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
  5. ^ コロムビア LPファクトリー／渡辺香津美／KYLYN Archived September 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

External links[]

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