Ryo Kawasaki

Japanese jazz guitarist (1947-2020)

Born: 25 February 1947
Suginami
Died: 13 April 2020
Tallinn
Country: Japan
Active: 1967–2020
Discography: 21 albums

Biography

Ryo Kawasaki was a jazz musician who played guitar. Ryo Kawasaki was born on 25 February 1947 in Suginami and died on 13 April 2020 in Tallinn. The music is usually filed under jazz and jazz fusion. The discography here lists 21 albums, from “Juice” (1976) to “RETROUVÉ” (2021).

Ryo Kawasaki (川崎燎, Kawasaki Ryō; February 25, 1947 – April 13, 2020) was a Japanese jazz fusion guitarist, composer and band leader, best known as one of the first musicians to develop and popularise the fusion genre and for helping to develop the guitar synthesizer in collaboration with Roland Corporation and Korg. His album Ryo Kawasaki and the Golden Dragon Live was one of the first all-digital recordings and he created the Kawasaki Synthesizer for the Commodore 64. During the 1960s, he played with various Japanese jazz groups and also formed his own bands. In the early 1970s, he moved to New York City, where he settled and worked with Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton, Ted Curson, Joanne Brackeen amongst others. In the mid-1980s, Kawasaki drifted out of performing music in favour of writing music software for computers.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Juice 1976 · RCA Victor Ring Toss 1977 · Chiaroscuro Records Eight Mile Road 1978 · Inner City Records Prism 1978 · Inner City Records Mirror of My Mind 1979 · Open Sky Live 1980 · Live · OPENSKYE リトル・トゥリー 1980 · OPENSKYE Featuring "Concierto De Aranjuez" 1982 · Philips Lucky Lady 1983 · Continental

My Reverie 1993

Love Within the Universe 1994 · Videoarts Music

Plays Solo Jazz Guitar - Here, There and Everywhere 1994

Sweet Life 1996 · Videoarts Music Cosmic Rhythm 1999 · Satellites Reval 2001 · Satellites Relaxing Guitar Solo 2002 · One Voice

Tribute to Keith Jarrett: Live in Concert 2010 · Live

Giant Steps - Plays Solo Guitar 2019 · Studio Songs

Level 8 - Live 2017 2019 · Live

Estonia Years 2000-2020 2020 · Studio Songs RETROUVÉ 2021

Also plays on

Albums where Ryo Kawasaki is credited as a sideman

1975	Mobius — Cedar Walton	guitar
1976	There Comes a Time — Gil Evans	electric guitar
1976	The Main Force — Elvin Jones	guitar
1977	Time Capsule — Elvin Jones	guitar
1978	AFT — Joanne Brackeen	guitar
1980	I Heard Mingus — Ted Curson	guitar
1988	The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix — Gil Evans	electric guitar
2001	Impressions of Miles Davis — Teo Macero	electric guitar