Kazumi Watanabe

Kazumi Watanabe ranks among Japan's foremost instrumentalists, recognized for his technical precision and an inventive, energetic approach grounded in jazz fusion. Though jazz remains his core focus, the guitarist has also made notable contributions across hard rock, electronic pop, and ambient classical realms. Since emerging in the 1970s as a youthful talent, he has assembled an extensive catalog through solo releases and partnerships with figures such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mike Mainieri, and Bill Bruford.

Watanabe entered the world in Tokyo in 1953 and first encountered music via piano lessons at age seven. By twelve he had switched to guitar, drawn initially to the electric surf sounds of the Ventures and subsequently to the lyrical jazz phrasing of Wes Montgomery. Despite widespread acknowledgment of his innate ability, he briefly trained under Sadanori Nakamure at Tokyo's Yamaha Music School. At seventeen he issued his first recording, the expansive 1971 modal-jazz collection Infinite.

Columbia then signed him, resulting in several respected albums—1974's Endless Way, 1977's Lonesome Cat, and 1977's Olive's Step—that highlighted a daring blend of jazz and rock. His 1978 release Mermaid Boulevard reinforced his fusion prominence through an ensemble that included Lee Ritenour, Ernie Watts, Patrice Rushen, and Harvey Mason. Frequent touring in those years placed him alongside leading Japanese musicians such as Sadao Watanabe, Isao Suzuki, and Masaru Imada.

As the decade closed, Watanabe formed the influential fusion and pop group Kylyn with keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto. The ensemble produced the well-received Kylyn and Kylyn Live; Watanabe also appeared on Sakamoto's 1978 debut Thousand Knives and joined the keyboardist's electronic project Yellow Magic Orchestra on tour. Their combined work surfaced on the 1978 compilation Tokyo Joe, later issued internationally in the early 1980s.

The 1980s brought continued productivity. In 1980 Watanabe released the successful fusion album To Chi Ka, featuring vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassists Marcus Miller and Tony Levin, drummer Peter Erskine, and saxophonist Michael Brecker as guest. Dogatana followed in 1981, reflecting his increasing focus on acoustic guitar. He also performed with the Brecker Brothers and Jaco Pastorius while recording for Mainieri's Steps Ahead and with saxophonist Sadao Watanabe.

In 1983 Watanabe assembled the eclectic fusion and rock ensemble Mobo, whose members included pianist Ichiko Hashimoto, guitarist Gregg Lee, saxophonist Mitsuru Sawamura, and drummers Shuichi Murakami and Kiyohiko Senba. The band debuted with Mobo, Vol. 1 and continued with 1983's Mobo Club and 1985's Mobo Splash. He next joined bassist Jeff Berlin and Yes drummer Bill Bruford for 1987's The Spice of Life and its 1988 sequel The Spice of Life Too. The decade ended with the solo album Kilowatt, which featured saxophonist Wayne Shorter, percussionist Alex Acuña, and keyboardist Patrick Moraz.

Having secured recognition as a leading electric fusion guitarist, Watanabe turned toward acoustic music on 1990's Ganesia and in numerous duo concerts with Babik Reinhardt, Ralph Towner, and Tonino Horta. He nonetheless sustained his electric presence through the Resonance Vox project, issuing 1992's Pandora, 1996's Romanesque, and 1999's Jigojitoku. That same year he reconvened with Mainieri, bassist John Patitucci, guitarist Larry Coryell, keyboardist Akiko Yano, and drummer Mino Cinelu for the live recording One for All.

Further explorations included performances with the thirty-two-piece Asian Fantasy Orchestra and his first unaccompanied guitar album, 2003's Guitar Renaissance. Also in 2003 he formed the New Electric Trio with bassist Richard Bona and drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernández, releasing 'Mo Bop. To mark thirty years as a guitarist he premiered the Infinite Beyond suite, recorded for a 2006 album. In 2007 he collaborated with pianist and longtime associate Koko Tanikawa on the environmentally themed Castle in the Air. The following year he joined vocalist Minako Yoshida for the intimate acoustic covers collection Nowadays and initiated the Asian Super Guitar Project, documented on Guitar Sam Guk Ji with guitarists from Korea and Hong Kong.

Watanabe maintains an active performing schedule in Japan and abroad. In 2010 he rejoined Mainieri, Marcus Miller, pianist Warren Bernhardt, and drummer Omar Hakim for To Chi Ka 2010 at the Tokyo Jazz Festival. The concert document Live at the Iridium appeared in 2012, followed by 2016's Lotus Night with Mainieri and Bernhardt. In 2017 he issued the orchestral album Tokyo Wanderer.