A technically adept guitarist with a dynamic, highly inventive, jazz fusion-based sound, Kazumi Watanabe is one of Japan's most prolific and recognizable instrumentalists. Although primarily focused on jazz, Watanabe has left his mark on such varied genres as hard rock, electronic pop, and ambient classical music. Since debuting in the '70s, the early prodigy has built an impressive body of work with numerous solo projects and collaborations with such luminaries as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mike Mainieri, Bill Bruford, and many more.
Born in Tokyo in 1953, Watanabe became interested...