Kazumi

Kazumi Watanabe is a jazz and jazz fusion guitarist, from Tokyo, Japan. Kazumi learned to play guitar from Sadanori Nakamure, one of Japan's grandmaster guitarists. Kazumi released his first recording in 1971, and quickly became a promising guitarist in his own right. In 1979, he formed an all-star band with some of Japan's leading studio musicians, and recorded the album Kylyn, which is considered a masterpiece in fusion music. During the eighties Watanabe released a considerable number of jazz-rock albums. To Chi Ka (1980), with its funk influences and bright sound, is probably the most famous early title.

Kazumi Watanabe - To Chi Ka (1980) {Better Days Japan 28CY-2368 rel 1988}
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© 1980, 1988 Better Days / Nippon Columbia Japan | 28CY-2368
Jazz / Fusion / Contemporary Jazz / Guitar

Recorded in 1980, most of the world was drifting away from fusion, but Watanabe was just starting to get into it. He more greatly defined his fusion persona in subsequent works, but this album is a very fine early stab at the fusion genre. Watanabe is a fabulous, and much under-rated guitarist. The writing on this album shows a strong, worthy grasp of American fusion.

Kazumi Watanabe was only 17 when his debut Infinite was released in 1971, with his display of guitar skills establishing him as a young prodigy. As the late 70's continued, Watanabe created over a dozen jazz fusion albums, while also performing guitar segments on other musicians' albums. He travelled with Yellow Magic Orchestra on their tour in 1979 and was a key collaborator with many of the musicians involved, in particular with Ryuichi Sakamoto…

To Chi Ka is a fusion album by Kazumi Watanabe. It was recorded and mixed in March 1980 during a very prolific period for Watanabe and then released in May 1980. The album features some of the most acclaimed jazz and rock musicians; part of them will follow Watanabe in other projects, too…

Kazumi Watanabe has for the past 20 years been one of the top guitarists in fusion, a rock-oriented player whose furious power does not mask a creative imagination. Watanabe studied guitar at Tokyo's Yamaha Music School and he was a recording artist while still a teenager. In 1979, he formed the group Kylyn and, in 1983, he put together the Mobo band. Several of his recordings have been made available by Gramavision and they show that he ranks up with Al DiMeola (when he is electrified) and Scott Henderson among the pacesetters in the idiom.

Kazumi Watanabe was born on October 14, 1953 in Tokyo, Japan. He is a jazz fusion and instrumental rock guitarist and composer. He has been chosen Best Jazzman 24 times in a row by Swing Journal's annual poll. In 1979, he joined a group of innovative musicians such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akiko Yano, Yukihiro Takahashi, Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshiyuki Honda and Shuichi 'Ponta' Murakami to form the legendary all-star band KYLYN, making an impact on the Japanese music scene. In autumn of the same year, he participated in the world tour of Yellow Magic Orchestra. Its huge success brought the name KAZUMI an international recognition.
Throughout the 1980s, he worked with a stellar cast of established musicians, including Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, Sly and Robbie, Wayne Shorter, Patrick Moraz, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona and Peter Erskine.
Watanabe has remained prolific and active throughout the 1990s and 2000s and remains one of Japan's best-selling jazz artists. His output is considered some of the better instrumental jazz fusion to emerge from Japan, informed with a particular bite and variety in approaches.
He is known for heavy endorsement and use of guitars by Steinberger and Paul Reed Smith.

One for All is a 1999 album by Kazumi Watanabe. It was recorded live in New York, at the Bottom Line, on March 31, 1999 between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, according to the album's booklet. It features many famous musicians from all over the world such as Akiko Yano, John Patitucci and Larry Coryell.