Editing Kazumi Watanabe (section)

==Career==
Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the [[Yamaha Music School]] in Tokyo.<ref name="New Grove">{{cite book|last1=Iwanami|first1=Yozo|last2=Sugiyama|first2=Kazunori|last3=Kernfeld|first3=Barry|editor1-last=Kernfeld|editor1-first=Barry|title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz|date=2002|publisher=Grove's Dictionaries Inc.|location=New York|isbn=1-56159-284-6|page=886|volume=3|edition=2nd}}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://columbia.jp/LP/music/COJY-9237.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926083558/http://columbia.jp/LP/music/COJY-9237.html|url-status=dead|title=コロムビア LPファクトリー／渡辺香津美／KYLYN<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=September 26, 2010}}</ref> During that year, he toured with the pop band [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]].<ref name="New Grove"/>

In the 1980s, he toured as guest soloist with Steps, the [[Brecker Brothers]], and [[Word of Mouth (Jaco Pastorius album)|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.<ref name="New Grove"/>

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.

On February 27, 2024, he collapsed at his home in [[Karuizawa]] and was transported by ambulance. On March 31 of the same year, as a result of scrutiny, it was reported on the official website that he was diagnosed with [[Intracerebral hemorrhage|cerebral stem hemorrhage]] with impaired consciousness and that he was hospitalized, and that he would cancel all artist activities scheduled for this year based on the doctor's diagnosis and concentrate on treatment.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202403310000593.html|title=ギタリスト渡辺香津美、意識障害伴う脳幹出血で緊急入院　活動中止を所属事務所発表「見守って」|publisher=日刊スポーツ|date=2024-03-31|lang=ja}}</ref>