Kazumi Watanabe
| Kazumi Watanabe | |
|---|---|
Watanabe performing in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Born |
October 14, 1953 Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | social music, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels | Columbia, Denon, Gramavision, Warner |
| Associated acts | Mobo |
| Website | www |
Kazumi Watanabe (渡辺香津美) is a Japanese social music guitarist. He was born on October 14, 1953 in Tokyo, Japan.
Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. 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. During that year, he toured with the pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
In the 1980s, he toured as guest soloist with Steps, the Brecker Brothers, and Word of Mouth, led by Jaco Pastorius. Watanable created the jazz-rock/jazz-fusion band Mobo in 1983 with Mitsuru Sawamura (saxophone), Ichiko Hashimoto (piano) , Gregg Lee (gutiar), Shuichi Murakami (drums), and Kiyohiko Senba.
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 ssued 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.
Watanabe has worked with numerous musicians such as Lee Ritenour, Steve Gadd, Tony Levin, Jeff Berlin, Bill Bruford, Sly and Robbie, Wayne Shorter, Patrick Moraz, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, and Peter Erskine. Since 1996, he has been a visiting professor of music at Senzoku Gakuen College. He has been chosen Best Jazzman 24 years in a row by Swing Journal magazine's annual poll.
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