Born: February 25, 1947; Tokyo, Japan
A famous Japanese acid-jazz guitarist. Ryo also has a physics degree from Nippon University and is a renowned scientist. His career as a musician started at an early age and he was semi-professional by the age of 16. After playing in several Japanese jazz bands during the sixties, Ryo came to New York in 1973 where he worked with Gil Evans (1973-5), Joe Lee Wilson (1975), Elvin Jones (1976-7) and JoAnne Brackeen(1977-8).
In the eighties he wrote computer music software for the Commodore 64. (In 1979 he developed one of the first guitar synthesizers). He also founded his own label Satellites Records, producing several techno singles.
In 1991 he returned to the studio on a Japanese label and markets in the USA on his own label.
Discography
Bibliography
- L. Feather and I. Gitler: The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies (New York, 1976/R1987)
- D. Kastin: "Ryo Kawasaki," Down Beat, xliv/15 (1977)
- A. Berle: "Ryo Kawasaki: Leading Japanese Jazz-rock Soloist," Guitar Player, xiii/11 (1979)
Sources: musicfinder.yahoo.com; style.jazzreview.com; xrefer.com