KYLYN (Band)

KYLYN
KYLYN performing live at the Roppongi Pit Inn in 1979, at which the band's live album Kylyn Live (Album) was recorded.
Background information
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Jazz Fusion
Years active	1979
Labels	Better Days
Members	Kazumi Watanabe Ryuichi Sakamoto Akiko Yano Shuichi 'Ponta' Murakami Rei Ohara Toshiyuki Honda Yasuaki Shimizu Shigeharu Mukai Pecker

They was some farking godlike peak mane and made the greatest live album in fusion ever...

History

Kylyn is a band formed in 1979, lead by Kazumi Watanabe and co-produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The members are Kazumi Watanabe (guitar), Ryuichi Sakamoto (Keyboards), Akiko Yano (Piano), Rei Ohara (Bass), Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami (drums), Pecker (percussion), and a horn section primarily consisting of Toshiyuki Honda (Alto Sax), Yasuaki Shimizu (Tenor Sax), and Shigeharu Mukai (Trombone). Kylyn was a particularly well renowned band as it had many of the top musicians in Japan’s jazz fusion scene all in one band. It was known that this band could not last with such a large and talented lineup, and so it lasted only a year. Due to many of the members of the band having other commitments, some concerts would have members missing or substituted. Kylyn is a nickname of Kazumi Watanabe, written in Japanese as “Kirin” like the beer, but it means long neck or giraffe.

Winter and Spring 1979: Formation and Studio Album

The first Kylyn session was in February 1979 at Roppongi Pit Inn, a week long session held from the 20th to the 25th. The 20th was an album release commemoration concert of Shigeharu Mukai’s album Hip Cruiser, featuring Kazumi Watanabe. The 21st was Kazumi and Kiyoshi Sugimoto playing Be-Bop. The last 4 days were half produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and half by Kazumi Watanabe. A soundboard recording of the YMO concert on the 23rd commonly circulates around the internet. The 24th (and 25th), which can be considered the first real Kylyn concert, was broadcasted on FM Tokyo. The lineup for the 24th was a bit different than the final Kylyn lineup. It was Kazumi Watanabe (guitar), Ryuichi Sakamoto (Keyboards), Akiko Yano (Piano), Rei Ohara (Bass), Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami (drums), Pecker (percussion), and a horn section of Toshiyuki Honda (Alto Sax), Kosuke Mine (Tenor Sax), and Shigeharu Mukai (Trombone). Several Kylyn mainstays were played such as Milky Shade and Milestones, along with other picks including Toshiyuki Honda’s 747 Wind Flight and a solo guitar performance of When You Wish Upon a Star.

Watanabe and Sakamoto enjoyed these sessions so much that they got a deal to record an album together, and agreed that it would be released under Watanabe’s name. HEY MAYBE THIS NEEDS SOME MORE INFO. Tokyo Joe was also recorded as part of these sessions and was released as a single.

Summer and Fall 1979: Tour and Live Album

After recording the album, the band went on tour across the entire country of Japan for 3 months, starting at Harajuku Crocodile on May 3rd (which was broadcast on Tokyo FM) and ending at Roppongi Pit Inn on August 24th. Their stops included hall concerts, jazz festivals, and Roppongi Pit Inn. There were also several surprise appearances, such as an unscheduled appearance at the Biwako Valley Jazz Festival, which was billed as just Kazumi Watanabe Group and was not mentioned on tour lists.

On June 15th-17th, Kylyn performed at Roppongi Pit Inn again. These performances were recorded and released as the double album Kylyn Live on November 25th, 1979. It included some new songs, and some older Kazumi songs that had no live releases. The full setlist of this performance is unknown. The album is missing Water Ways Flow Backward Again, the opening of Milestones, and an extra 22 minutes of Walk Tall.

Kylyn Live at the Roppongi Pit Inn 10th Anniversary concert.

On July 8th, they played at Summer Focus in '79 at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall. This concert in particular received a lot of press, an FM broadcast, and featured Yellow Magic Orchestra drummer Yukihiro Takahashi as a guest alongside Ponta.

One of the Jazz Festival appearances (it’s unknown which. spops addendum: isnt this jazz in kobe?) was fortunate enough to receive a TV broadcast, resulting in the only known preserved video of Kylyn.

Kylyn officially disbanded after their final 1979 concert at Roppongi Pit Inn on 1979/08/24. (Jazz Life 85? but not 5 or 9). The lineup of their final concert was Kazumi Watanabe (guitar), Ryuichi Sakamoto (Keyboards), Akiko Yano (Piano), Rei Ohara (Bass), Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami (drums), Pecker (percussion), and a horn section of Toshiyuki Honda (Alto Sax), Yasuaki Shimizu (Tenor Sax), and Shigeharu Mukai (Trombone). Kazumi, Sakamoto, and Yano would shortly after go on a world tour as part of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Shortly after, Ponta disappeared from the Japanese music scene, likely due to his heroin conviction from mid 1978. IDK IF HONDA OR SHIMIZU IS MISSING THEY LOOK THE SAME.

1980 - Present: Reunion and Reissues

In 1984, on Kazumi’s Tokyo FM radio show called Dogtana World, he did a retrospective on Kylyn. This broadcast also included some previously unheard live audio, meaning that there are more official recordings of Kylyn out there somewhere.

On August 30th, 1987, for the 10th anniversary of Roppongi Pit Inn, Kylyn Band reunited at Yomiuri Land Open Theater EAST. Other performers featured include Sadao Watanabe,. The lineup of this concert was Kazumi Watanabe (guitar), Ryuichi Sakamoto (Keyboards), Akiko Yano (Piano), Rei Ohara (Bass), Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami (drums), Pecker (percussion), and a horn section of Toshiyuki Honda (Alto Sax), Yasuaki Shimizu (Tenor Sax), and Shigeharu Mukai (Trombone). XXX lived elsewhere and had to be replaced by XXX. The full setlist is: Milestones, Inner Wind, I'll Be There, Kylyn, Zai Kanton Shounen, Blackstone, Water Ways Flow Backward Again, Walk Tall.

Gallery

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  The Kylyn band lineup sitting outdoors.
• 
  Kylyn in their final concert at Roppongi Pit Inn on August 24, 1979.