Kazumi Watanabe | |
|---|---|
 Watanabe performing in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 14, 1953 Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels | Columbia, Denon, Gramavision, Warner |
| Website | www |
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 Luke Takamura and Sugizo have cited him as an influence.[3][4]
Career
Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo.[5] 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.[6] During that year, he toured with the pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra.[5]
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.[5]
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, Yahiro Tomohiro on percussion). This band has released several adventurous fusion albums.
Discography
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)
- Mo' Bop III (EWE, 2011)[7]
- 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
- Jimmy Hopps, Mudari: Spirit of Song (Denon, 1977)
- Hideki Matsutake, Live Space Fantasy (For Life, 1978)
- Jaco Pastorius, Word of Mouth Band 1983 Japan Tour (Rhino, 2012)
References
- ↑ 渡辺 香津美
- ↑ Kazumi Watanabe Biography – ARTISTdirect Music
- ↑ 聖飢魔II30th Anniversary ルーク篁参謀／ジェイル大橋代官 Guitar Magazine Special Edition. Rittor Music. 2015. p. 98. ISBN 9784845627134.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 3 Iwanami, Yozo; Sugiyama, Kazunori; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Vol. 3 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 886. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
- ↑ "コロムビア LPファクトリー／渡辺香津美／KYLYN". Archived from the original on September 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Mo'bop, Vol. 3 - Kazumi Watanabe, Kazumi Watanabe New Electric Trio". Retrieved March 31, 2022 – via www.allmusic.com.
External links
