Kazumi Watanabe, born on October 14, 1953 in Tokyo, Japan, is a jazz guitarist. He began playing guitar at age 12 under Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. His debut album Infinite was released in 1971. In 1979, he formed a jazz-rock group with prominent Japanese studio musicians and recorded the album Kylyn (1979). That year, he also toured with Yellow Magic Orchestra. Throughout the 1980s, Watanabe collaborated extensively as a guest soloist with artists such as Steps, the Brecker brothers, and Word of Mouth led by Jaco Pastorius. He formed the jazz-rock/fusion group Mobo in 1983, releasing several albums including Mobo Club (1985) and The Spice of Life (1987). In 1996, he became a guest professor of music at the Senzoku Gakuen College.
