Ryo Kawasaki (川崎燎, Kawasaki Ryō, nascido em 25 de fevereiro de 1947) é um guitarrista de jazz-fusion, compositor e líder de banda de Tóquio, no Japão. Ele é mais conhecido como um dos primeiros músicos a desenvolver e popularizar o gênero fusion e por ajudar a desenvolver o sintetizador de guitarra em colaboração com Roland Corporation e Korg. Seu álbum "Ryo Kawasaki" e o "Golden Dragon live" foram uma das primeiras gravações digitais e criou o sintetizador Kawasaki para o Commodore 64.
Durante os anos 1960, ele tocou com vários grupos de jazz japoneses e também formou suas próprias bandas. No início dos anos 1970, mudou-se para Nova York, onde se estabeleceu e trabalhou com Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton, Ted Curson e Joanne Brackeen, entre outros. Em meados da década de 1980, Kawasaki deixou de tocar música em favor de escrever software de música para computadores. Ele também produziu vários singles de techno dance, formou sua própria gravadora, chamada Satellites Records, e mais tarde retornou ao jazz-fusion em 1991.
HISTÓRIA
INÍCIO DA VIDA (1947-1968)
Ryo Kawasaki nasceu em 25 de fevereiro de 1947, em Kōenji, Tóquio, enquanto o Japão ainda lutava e se recuperava do período inicial da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Seu pai, Torao Kawasaki, era um diplomata japonês que trabalhava para o Ministério de Relações Exteriores do Japão desde 1919. Torao trabalhou em vários consulados e embaixadas japonesas, incluindo São Francisco, Honolulu, Fengtian (então capital da Manchúria, agora Shenyang na China), Xangai e Pequim, enquanto professor de inglês e tradutor de conferências diplomáticas oficiais. A mãe de Ryo, Hiroko, também era multilingue e falava alemão, russo, inglês e chinês, além de sua língua nativa, o japonês. Hiroko cresceu na Manchúria e depois conheceu Torao em Xangai. Torao já tinha 58 anos quando Ryo nasceu como filho único.
A mãe de Kawasaki encorajou-o a ter aulas de piano e balé, e ele teve aulas de voz e solfejo aos quatro anos e aulas de violino aos cinco anos, e estava lendo música antes do ensino fundamental. Como estudioso de nível, ele começou uma fascinação vitalícia com astronomia e eletrônica (ele construiu suas próprios rádios, TVs e sistemas de áudio, incluindo amplificadores e alto-falantes, bem como telescópios). Quando Ryo tinha 10 anos, ele comprou um ukulele e, aos 14 anos, ganhou seu primeiro violão. O álbum "Midnight blue", de Kenny Burrell e Stanley Turrentine, inspirou Ryo a estudar jazz.
No ensino médio, ele começou a frequentar cafés que apresentavam música ao vivo, formaram um conjunto de jazz e construíram um órgão eletrônico que servia como um sintetizador primitivo. Quando ele tinha 16 anos, sua banda tocava profissionalmente em cabarés e tira-juntas. Embora ele continuasse a tocar música regularmente, ele frequentou a Nippon University, formou-se em física quântica e obteve seu diploma de bacharel em ciências. Embora ele não tenha conseguido provar seu principal interesse e crença intuitiva naquela época, que é provar que a velocidade (aceleração) da gravidade deve ser muito maior que a velocidade da luz. Ele também fez alguns ensinamentos e concursos para julgar na escola de jazz da fabricante de instrumentos musicais da Yamaha. Além disso, trabalhou como engenheiro de som para a japonesa Victor Records e para a BGM/TBS Music, onde aprendeu mixagem e edição.
INÍCIO DA CARREIRA NO JAPÃO (1969-1973)
Ele gravou seu primeiro álbum solo pela Polydor Records quando tinha 22 anos. Embora ele continuasse a se apresentar com seu grupo de jazz, e ainda jovem foi eleito o guitarrista de jazz número 3 em uma pesquisa de jazz japonesa, Kawasaki passou a maior parte dos próximos três anos. anos trabalhando como músico de estúdio em tudo, desde jingles de publicidade até músicas pop, incluindo inúmeras aparições de rádio e TV. Ele gravou seu segundo álbum para a Toshiba quando tinha 24 anos. Ele tocou com B.B. King em um festival de blues e também conheceu George Benson (eles tocaram por cinco horas na casa de Kawasaki).
Também gravou e trabalhou com notáveis músicos de jazz japoneses, como o baterista Takeshi Inomata e Sound Limits, o saxofonista Jiro Inagaki e Soul Mates, o saxofonista Keiichiro Ebisawa, o saxofonista Seiichi Nakamura, o pianista Masahiko Sato, o saxofonista Hidehiko Matsumoto (松本 英 彦) e muitos outros.
EVOLUÇÃO EM NOVA IORQUE (1973-2002)
1973-1979 (COMO GUITARRISTA)
Em 1973, Kawasaki chegou a Nova York. Um amigo pegou-o no aeroporto e ofereceu-lhe um show imediato com Joe Lee Wilson tocando no Lincoln Center como parte do Newport Jazz Festival.
Logo, Kawasaki tocava regularmente como parte da "cena do loft" da comunidade de jazz e foi convidado para tocar com Bobbi Humphrey. Alguns meses depois, Kawasaki foi até seu apartamento e encontrou um estranho à sua espera na porta da frente. Foi Gil Evans e ele convidou Kawasaki para participar da The Gil Evans Orchestra (David Sanborn, Howard Johnson, Tom Malone e Lew Soloff) que estava trabalhando em uma gravação de jazz de composições de Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix inventou o conceito com Evans, mas Jimi morreu uma semana antes do projeto começar em 1970.
Kawasaki também tocou em outro álbum de Gil Evans na RCA, "There comes a time", com Tony Williams na bateria. Kawasaki ensaiava por um mês com a terceira edição do Tony Lifetime com o trio com o baixista Doug Rauch trabalhando com Carlos Santana na época, mas Tony saiu para passar um ano na Europa antes que a banda tivesse a chance de se apresentar em público.
Kawasaki seguiu os passos de Jim Hall, Gábor Szabó e Larry Coryell, tornando-se o guitarrista da Chico Hamilton Band, tocando em uma turnê nos EUA e trabalhando em várias partituras de filmes que Chico gravou em Hollywood. Kawasaki fez seu álbum de estréia nos EUA, "Juice", em 1976 para a RCA e foi um dos primeiros artistas japoneses de jazz a assinar com uma grande gravadora nos Estados Unidos. Os sidemen do projeto incluíam Tom Coster (Carlos Santana) e Sam Morrison (Miles Davis). Kawasaki seguiu a gravação com mais dois álbuns, "Prism" e "Eight mile road", para o selo japonês East Wind. Ele também se juntou à banda Elvin Jones para uma turnê de um ano pela América do Norte, América do Sul e Europa. Em 1978, Kawasaki estava cansado de fazer turnês com outras bandas e retornou a seus próprios projetos.
Ele explorou a música da Índia, aprendeu ragas e gravou um álbum do Audio Fidelity, Ring Toss, que combinava música oriental e ocidental. Com Dave Liebman ele gravou "Nature's revenge" para a gravadora alemã MPS e excursionou pela Europa. Ryo também excursionou pelos festivais de jazz europeus com Joanne Brackeen como dupla de piano e guitarra e gravou um par de álbuns - "AFT "e "Trinkets and things" - para a Timeless Records na Holanda. No Japão, a gravadora Open Sky da Sony assinou com Ryo três álbuns: "Mirror of my mind", "Little tree" e "Live" - este último, gravado em um clube de Tóquio, foi uma das primeiras gravações totalmente digitais. Os músicos notáveis que participaram nestas gravações incluem Michael Brecker, Harvey Mason, Leon Pendarvis, Azar Lawrence, Anthony Jackson, Lincoln Goines, Badal Roy, Nana Vasconcelos, Buddy Williams, Larry Willis e Alex Blake. Ele também gravou um álbum chamado "Sapporo" para o selo suíço America Sound, em 1980, enquanto fazia turnê na Suíça e na Alemanha.
1979-1990 (COMO INVERTOR E PROGRAMADOR)
Kawasaki inventou seu próprio sintetizador de guitarra em 1979, e usou-o para realizar numerosos shows solo em planetários de 1980 a 1983. Ele também formou o grupo de rock de jazz The Golden Dragon e realizou shows regularmente no início dos anos 80. A Fostex desenvolveu o primeiro gravador de oito compassos de oito polegadas, chamado A8, juntamente com a A2, e pediu à Kawasaki para ser o primeiro artista a usá-lo. Ele gravou o álbum "Ryo" em 1981 para a Philips Records e ganhou notoriedade por criar toda a música. Ele tocou apenas um violão de cordas de nylon com todos os seus backing tracks criados em seu sintetizador de guitarra, incluindo toda a orquestração original do famoso movimento "Concierto de Aranjuez" de Joaquin Rodrigo - movimento Adagio. Ele fez outra gravação semelhante, "Lucky lady", no ano seguinte.
Quando o computador Commodore 64 saiu com um chip de som, Kawasaki ficou fascinado com as possibilidades. Ele aprendeu a escrever programas de computador e dedicou 16 horas por dia durante dois anos a criar quatro programas de software de música - Sintetizador Kawasaki, Ritmo Deslizante Kawasaki, Treino Musical Kawasaki Magical e Estação de Trabalho MIDI Kawasaki - distribuídos pela Sight and Sound Music. Os três primeiros programas foram para uso escolar e doméstico, e o último foi para estúdios profissionais. Ele criou um álbum totalmente sintetizado, "Images", em 1987 e a trilha sonora "Pleasure garden", em 1990, para um filme IMAX sobre a preservação das florestas tropicais ameaçadas de extinção da Terra.
De 1986 a 1990, Kawasaki produziu uma série de singles de alta performance de 12 polegadas - "Electric world", "One kiss", "No expectations", "Say baby I love you", "Don't tell me", "Wildest dreams","Life is the rhythm","Pleasure garden" e "Acid heat"- que misturavam estilo livre, house, acid house e sons ambientes. Toda a produção foi feita em seu home studio, "The Satellite Station", e os discos foram lançados em sua própria gravadora, a Satellites Records. Sua banda e uma trupe de dança também se apresentaram extensivamente em clubes de dança de Nova York. Além disso, por cinco anos (1988 a 1993), Kawasaki foi o produtor e diretor de Nova Iorque de dois programas de rádio de música semanais nacionais japoneses, The Music Now e Idex Music Jam. Em 1991, ele também colaborou com o mestre koto japonês Kicho Takano e produziu "Cristalization" em 1986.
1991–2000 (RETORNO AO GUITARRISTA DE JAZZ)
A direção musical da Kawasaki tomou outro rumo dramático quando ele assinou com o novo selo de jazz japonês One Voice como artista e produtor musical. O retorno de Kawasaki ao jazz, e seu primeiro álbum para a gravadora, foi o álbum de guitarra solo acústico de 1992 "Here, there and everywhere" (lançado no One Voice no Japão e no Satellites Records nos EUA). Kawasaki produziu e atuou em três álbuns da cantora e guitarrista brasileira Camila Benson para este selo. Ryo continuou a lançar uma série de álbuns - o acústico "My dream" (música de Bill Evans, Debussy, Ravel e Gershwin), o "Love within' the universe" (que recebeu considerável participação na música). country), "Remixes remixes vol. 1" (também com Benson), "Sweet life" e lançamentos em CD de "Mirror of my mind" (uma gravação de jazz com Harvey Mason, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Leon Pendarvis e o vocalista Radha Shottam).
Seu lançamento em 1999, "Cosmic rhythm", apresenta a cantora britânica lírica Clare Foster, juntamente com a seção rítmica de Kawasaki, Victor Jones na bateria e Lincoln Goines no baixo.
O álbum também apresenta David Kikoski no piano e Shunzo Ohno no flugelhorn. Todas as músicas foram arranjadas e gravadas por Kawasaki, incluindo dez canções originais do próprio Ryo.
Durante 1995-1999, três artistas de hip hop, Puff Daddy, Kool G Rap e Keith Murray, gravaram a composição original de Kawasaki "Bamboo child" em seus últimos álbuns mais de vinte anos após sua gravação original.
EVOLUÇÃO NA ESTÔNIA E ALÉM (2000-PRESENTE)
Em 2001, Kawasaki lançou ao vivo um álbum triplo de estúdio "Reval", gravado em Tallinn, Estônia com os músicos estonianos Toivo Unt no baixo, Aivar Vassiljev na bateria, e Kristi Keel na trompa inglesa.
Seus outros projetos incluem ser um compositor, diretor musical, bem como um guitarrista do balé de jazz Still Point para a Ópera Nacional da Estônia durante 2000-2002. Este balé é coreografado por Russell Adamson, um jamaicano nativo que reside em Helsinque. Kawasaki lançou seu terceiro álbum solo de guitarra acústica "E" em 2002.
A partir do ano 2000, a Kawasaki expandiu ainda mais suas aparições ao vivo para os festivais de jazz da região do Báltico e da Rússia. Seu quarteto apareceu no Rigas Ritmi Jazz Festival, em Riga/Letônia, Pori e outros festivais de jazz na Finlândia, Ucrânia, Lituânia e Saransk Jazz Ark Festival. Ele também apareceu inúmeras vezes no Nõmme Jazz Festival, na Estônia, enquanto ajudava na produção deste festival de jazz.
Os projetos da Kawasaki durante 2005-2008 incluíram projeto trio de guitarras com o baterista americano Brian Melvin e o baixista estoniano Toivo Unt com o nome Art of Trio, atuando em vários locais na Finlândia, Suécia e Estados Bálticos, e tocando com o vocalista estoniano Jaanika Ventsel, enquanto também estava em turnê e gravando no Japão para o projeto do duo com o baixista Yoshio 'Chin' Suzuki (鈴木 良 雄), seu duo CD "Agana" foi lançado em fevereiro de 2007.
Em 2008, Kawasaki formou um grupo de jazz com o pianista/tecladista estoniano Tõnu Naissoo.
Além disso, seu segundo CD com Yoshio 'Chin' Suzuki (鈴木 良 雄) e o primeiro CD com Art of Trio foram concluídos e lançados em 2009, enquanto sua composição "Raisins" foi incluída na estação de rádio Grand Theft Auto IV Fusion FM. Em 2008.
De 2009 a 2011, Kawasaki expandiu ainda mais suas atividades no Líbano com o baixista sírio Omar Harb e o baterista libanês Fouad Afra. O álbum "Live in Beirut", que Kawasaki gravou com o organista libanês Arthur Satyan e o baterista Fouad Afra, foi lançado em 2011.
Sobreposição no mesmo período de tempo, começando em 2007, Kawasaki gradualmente desenvolveu seu quarto álbum solo de guitarra acústica "Spain" em Tallinn, Estônia, que foi finalmente lançado em 2012. Em 2014, Ryo descobriu uma nova geração de músicos estonianos que o inspirou desenvolver um som de fusão e jazz-rock usando suas próprias composições.
A atenção de Ryo nessas direções tinha desaparecido um pouco depois de sua gravação e lançamento no começo dos anos 80 com seu grupo Golden Dragon. A partir da primavera de 2016, a Kawasaki formou um novo quarteto chamado Level 8 exclusivamente com músicos da Estônia: o tecladista Raun Juurikas, o baixista Kaarel Liiv e o baterista Eno Kollom. Level 8 terminou de gravar seu novo álbum auto-intitulado com foco nas composições de Ryo, tanto do passado quanto do presente, utilizando um som funk/fusion/jazz-rock. O álbum "Level 8" foi lançado em março de 2017.
Em abril de 2016, a gravadora independente britânica Nunorthernsoul lançou um EP de vinil intitulado "Selected works 1979 to 1983 by Ryo Kawasaki". Um EP de acompanhamento intitulado "Selected works part 2: 1976 to 1980 by Ryo Kawasaki" foi lançado em abril de 2017.
Ryo Kawasaki (川崎燎, Kawasaki Ryō, born February 25, 1947) is a jazz-fusion guitarist, composer and band leader from Tokyo, Japan. He is 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.
Em abril de 2016, a gravadora independente britânica Nunorthernsoul lançou um EP de vinil intitulado "Selected works 1979 to 1983 by Ryo Kawasaki". Um EP de acompanhamento intitulado "Selected works part 2: 1976 to 1980 by Ryo Kawasaki" foi lançado em abril de 2017.
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Ryo Kawasaki (川崎燎, Kawasaki Ryō, born February 25, 1947) is a jazz-fusion guitarist, composer and band leader from Tokyo, Japan. He is 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. He also produced several techno dance singles, formed his own record company called Satellites Records, and later returned to jazz-fusion in 1991.
STORY
EARLY LIFE (1947-1968)
Ryo Kawasaki was born on February 25, 1947, in Kōenji, Tokyo, while Japan was still struggling and recovering from the early post World War II period. His father, Torao Kawasaki, was a Japanese diplomat who had worked for The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1919. Torao worked at several Japanese consulates and embassies, including San Francisco, Honolulu, Fengtian (then capital of Manchuria, now Shenyang in China), Shanghai, and Beijing while active as an English teacher and translator for official diplomatic conferences. Ryo's mother, Hiroko, was also multilingual, and spoke German, Russian, English, and Chinese aside from her native tongue Japanese. Hiroko grew up in Manchuria and then met Torao in Shanghai. Torao was already 58 years old when Ryo was born as an only child.
Kawasaki's mother encouraged him to take piano and ballet lessons, and he took voice lessons and solfege at age four and violin lessons at five, and was reading music before elementary school. As a grade scholar, he began a lifelong fascination with astronomy and electronics (he built his own radios, TVs and audio systems including amplifiers and speakers as well as telescopes). When Ryo was 10, he bought a ukulele and, at 14, he got his first acoustic guitar. The album "Midnight blue" by Kenny Burrell and Stanley Turrentine inspired Ryo to study jazz.
In high school, he began hanging out at coffee-houses that featured live music, formed a jazz ensemble and built an electronic organ that served as a primitive synthesizer. By the time he was 16, his band was playing professionally in cabarets and strip joints. Although he continued to play music regularly, he attended Nippon University, majored in quantum physics and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree. Although he has failed to prove his main interest and intuitive belief at that time, which is to prove that speed (acceleration) of gravity must be much greater than speed of light. He also did some teaching and contest judging at the Yamaha musical instrument manufacturer's jazz school. Additionally he worked as a sound engineer for Japanese Victor Records and BGM/TBS Music where he learned mixing and editing.
EARLY CARRER IN JAPAN (1969-1973)
He recorded his first solo album for Polydor Records when he was 22. Although he continued to perform with his jazz group, and at a young age was voted the #3 jazz guitarist in a Japanese jazz poll, Kawasaki spent most of the next three years working as studio musician on everything from advertising jingles to pop songs including countless radio and TV appearances. He recorded his second album for Toshiba when he was 24. He played with B.B. King at a blues festival and also met George Benson (they jammed for five hours at Kawasaki's house).
He also has recorded and worked with notable Japanese jazz musicians such as drummer Takeshi Inomata and Sound Limits, saxophonist Jiro Inagaki and Soul Mates, saxophonist Keiichiro Ebisawa, saxophonist Seiichi Nakamura, pianist Masahiko Sato (佐藤允彦), saxophonist Hidehiko Matsumoto (松本英彦) and many others.
DEVELOPMENTS IN NEW YORK CTY (1973–2002)
1973-1979 (AS GUITARRIST)
In 1973, Kawasaki arrived in New York. A friend picked him up at the airport and offered him an immediate gig with Joe Lee Wilson playing at the Lincoln Center as part of the Newport Jazz Festival. Soon Kawasaki was jamming regularly as part of the jazz community's "loft scene", and was invited to play with Bobbi Humphrey. A few months later, Kawasaki walked up to his apartment and found a stranger waiting for him at his front door. It was Gil Evans and he invited Kawasaki to join The Gil Evans Orchestra (David Sanborn, Howard Johnson, Tom Malone, Lew Soloff) which was then working on a jazz recording of Jimi Hendrix compositions. Hendrix had dreamed up the concept with Evans, but Jimi died a week before the project started in 1970. Kawasaki also played on another Gil Evans album on RCA, "There comes a time", with Tony Williams on drums. Kawasaki rehearsed for a month with the third edition of Tony Williams' "Lifetime" with trio format with bassist Doug Rauch working with Carlos Santana at that time, but Tony left to spend a year in Europe before the band got the chance to perform in public.
Kawasaki followed in the footsteps of Jim Hall, Gábor Szabó and Larry Coryell by becoming the guitarist in the Chico Hamilton Band, playing on a U.S. tour and working on various film scores that Chico recorded in Hollywood. Kawasaki made his debut U.S. album, "Juice", in 1976 for RCA and was one of the first Japanese jazz artists to sign with a major label in the States. The sidemen on the project included Tom Coster (Carlos Santana) and Sam Morrison (Miles Davis).
STORY
EARLY LIFE (1947-1968)
Ryo Kawasaki was born on February 25, 1947, in Kōenji, Tokyo, while Japan was still struggling and recovering from the early post World War II period. His father, Torao Kawasaki, was a Japanese diplomat who had worked for The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1919. Torao worked at several Japanese consulates and embassies, including San Francisco, Honolulu, Fengtian (then capital of Manchuria, now Shenyang in China), Shanghai, and Beijing while active as an English teacher and translator for official diplomatic conferences. Ryo's mother, Hiroko, was also multilingual, and spoke German, Russian, English, and Chinese aside from her native tongue Japanese. Hiroko grew up in Manchuria and then met Torao in Shanghai. Torao was already 58 years old when Ryo was born as an only child.
Kawasaki's mother encouraged him to take piano and ballet lessons, and he took voice lessons and solfege at age four and violin lessons at five, and was reading music before elementary school. As a grade scholar, he began a lifelong fascination with astronomy and electronics (he built his own radios, TVs and audio systems including amplifiers and speakers as well as telescopes). When Ryo was 10, he bought a ukulele and, at 14, he got his first acoustic guitar. The album "Midnight blue" by Kenny Burrell and Stanley Turrentine inspired Ryo to study jazz.
In high school, he began hanging out at coffee-houses that featured live music, formed a jazz ensemble and built an electronic organ that served as a primitive synthesizer. By the time he was 16, his band was playing professionally in cabarets and strip joints. Although he continued to play music regularly, he attended Nippon University, majored in quantum physics and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree. Although he has failed to prove his main interest and intuitive belief at that time, which is to prove that speed (acceleration) of gravity must be much greater than speed of light. He also did some teaching and contest judging at the Yamaha musical instrument manufacturer's jazz school. Additionally he worked as a sound engineer for Japanese Victor Records and BGM/TBS Music where he learned mixing and editing.
EARLY CARRER IN JAPAN (1969-1973)
He recorded his first solo album for Polydor Records when he was 22. Although he continued to perform with his jazz group, and at a young age was voted the #3 jazz guitarist in a Japanese jazz poll, Kawasaki spent most of the next three years working as studio musician on everything from advertising jingles to pop songs including countless radio and TV appearances. He recorded his second album for Toshiba when he was 24. He played with B.B. King at a blues festival and also met George Benson (they jammed for five hours at Kawasaki's house).
He also has recorded and worked with notable Japanese jazz musicians such as drummer Takeshi Inomata and Sound Limits, saxophonist Jiro Inagaki and Soul Mates, saxophonist Keiichiro Ebisawa, saxophonist Seiichi Nakamura, pianist Masahiko Sato (佐藤允彦), saxophonist Hidehiko Matsumoto (松本英彦) and many others.
DEVELOPMENTS IN NEW YORK CTY (1973–2002)
1973-1979 (AS GUITARRIST)
In 1973, Kawasaki arrived in New York. A friend picked him up at the airport and offered him an immediate gig with Joe Lee Wilson playing at the Lincoln Center as part of the Newport Jazz Festival. Soon Kawasaki was jamming regularly as part of the jazz community's "loft scene", and was invited to play with Bobbi Humphrey. A few months later, Kawasaki walked up to his apartment and found a stranger waiting for him at his front door. It was Gil Evans and he invited Kawasaki to join The Gil Evans Orchestra (David Sanborn, Howard Johnson, Tom Malone, Lew Soloff) which was then working on a jazz recording of Jimi Hendrix compositions. Hendrix had dreamed up the concept with Evans, but Jimi died a week before the project started in 1970. Kawasaki also played on another Gil Evans album on RCA, "There comes a time", with Tony Williams on drums. Kawasaki rehearsed for a month with the third edition of Tony Williams' "Lifetime" with trio format with bassist Doug Rauch working with Carlos Santana at that time, but Tony left to spend a year in Europe before the band got the chance to perform in public.
Kawasaki followed in the footsteps of Jim Hall, Gábor Szabó and Larry Coryell by becoming the guitarist in the Chico Hamilton Band, playing on a U.S. tour and working on various film scores that Chico recorded in Hollywood. Kawasaki made his debut U.S. album, "Juice", in 1976 for RCA and was one of the first Japanese jazz artists to sign with a major label in the States. The sidemen on the project included Tom Coster (Carlos Santana) and Sam Morrison (Miles Davis).
Kawasaki followed that recording with two more albums, "Prism" and "Eight mile road", for the Japanese label East Wind. He also joined the Elvin Jones Band for a year-long tour of North and South America and Europe. By 1978, Kawasaki was tired of touring with other bands and returned to his own projects.
He explored music of India, learned ragas and recorded an Audio Fidelity album, Ring Toss, that combined eastern and western music. With Dave Liebman he recorded "Nature's revenge" for the German MPS label and they toured Europe. Ryo also toured European jazz festivals with Joanne Brackeen as piano - guitar duo, and they recorded a pair of albums - "AFT" and "Trinkets and things" - for Timeless Records in the Netherlands. In Japan, Sony's Open Sky label signed Ryo for three albums: "Mirror of my mind", "Little tree" and "Live" - the latter, recorded in a Tokyo club, was one of the first all-digital recordings. Notable musicians participated on those recordings include Michael Brecker, Harvey Mason, Leon Pendarvis, Azar Lawrence, Anthony Jackson, Lincoln Goines, Badal Roy, Nana Vasconcelos, Buddy Williams, Larry Willis, and Alex Blake. He also recorded an album called "Sapporo" for Swiss label America Sound in 1980 while touring Switzerland and Germany.
1979-1990 (AS INVERTOR AND PROGRAMMER)
Kawasaki invented his own guitar synthesizer in 1979, and used it to perform numerous solo shows at planetariums from 1980 to 1983. He also formed the jazz-rock group The Golden Dragon and performed concerts regularly in early 1980s. Fostex developed the first quarter- inch-tape, eight-track recorder called A8 along with 2 track mastering machine A2 and asked Kawasaki to be the first artist to use it. He recorded the album "Ryo" in 1981 for Philips Records and gained notoriety for creating all the music himself. He played only a nylon-string acoustic guitar with all his backing tracks created on his guitar synthesizer including the entire original orchestration of Joaquin Rodrigo's well known Concierto de Aranjuez - Adagio movement. He did another similar recording, "Lucky lady", the next year.
When the Commodore 64 computer came out with a sound-chip in it, Kawasaki became fascinated by the possibilities. He learned to write computer programs and devoted 16 hours a day for two years creating four music software programs - Kawasaki Synthesizer, Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker, Kawasaki Magical Musicquill, and Kawasaki MIDI Workstation - distributed by Sight and Sound Music. The first three programs were for school and home use, and the last one was for professional studios. He created an all-synthesized album, "Images", in 1987 and the soundtrack "Pleasure garden", in 1990, for an IMAX film about the preservation of the Earth's endangered tropical rain forests.
From 1986 to 1990, Kawasaki produced a series of high-charting 12 inch dance singles - "Electric world", "One kiss", "No expectations", "Say baby I love you", "Don't tell me", "Wildest dreams", "Life is the rhythm", "Pleasure garden" and "Acid heat" - that mixed free-style, house, acid house and ambient sounds. All of the production was done at his home studio, The Satellite Station, and the records were released on his own label, Satellites Records. His band and a dance troupe also performed extensively in New York dance clubs. In addition, for five years (1988 to 1993), Kawasaki was the New York producer and director of two Japanese national weekly music radio programs, The Music Now and Idex Music Jam. In 1991. He also collaborated with Japanese koto master Kicho Takano and produced "Crystallization" in 1986.
1991-2000 (RETURN TO JAZZ GUITARRIST)
Kawasaki's musical direction took another dramatic turn when he was signed by new jazz Japanese label One Voice as an artist and record producer. Kawasaki's return to jazz, and his first album for the label, was the 1992 acoustic solo guitar album "Here, there and everywhere" (released on One Voice in Japan and on Satellites Records in the U.S.). Kawasaki has produced and performed on three albums by Brazilian singer and guitarist Camila Benson for this label. Ryo has continued to release a steady string of albums - the acoustic "My reverie" (music from Bill Evans, Debussy, Ravel and Gershwin), the electric jazz guitar-oriented "Love within' the universe" (which received considerable airplay across the country), "Remixes remixes vol. 1" (also featuring Benson), "Sweet life" and CD releases of "Mirror of my mind" (a jazz ensemble recording with Harvey Mason, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Leon Pendarvis and vocalist Radha Shottam).
His 1999 release, "Cosmic rhythm", features British singer lyricist Clare Foster along with Kawasaki's rhythm section, Victor Jones on drums and Lincoln Goines on bass. The album also features David Kikoski on piano and Shunzo Ohno on flugelhorn. All the songs were arranged and recorded by Kawasaki including original ten songs by Ro himself.
During 1995-1999, three hip hop artists, Puff Daddy, Kool G Rap, and Keith Murray, recorded Kawasaki's original composition "Bamboo child" on their latest albums more than twenty years after its original recording.
DEVELOPMENTS IN ESTONIA AND BEYOND (2000-PRESENT)
In 2001, Kawasaki released live a studio triple album "Reval", recorded in Tallinn, Estonia with Estonian musicians Toivo Unt on bass, Aivar Vassiljev on drums, and Kristi Keel on English horn.
His other projects include being a composer, music director as well as a guitarist for the jazz ballet Still Point for the Estonian National Opera House during 2000-2002. This ballet is choreographed by Russell Adamson, a native Jamaican who resides in Helsinki. Kawasaki released his third acoustic guitar solo album "E" in 2002.
From the year 2000 on, Kawasaki further expanded his live appearances into Russia and Baltic region Jazz Festivals. His quartet has appeared at Rigas Ritmi Jazz Festival in Riga/Latvia, Pori and other jazz festivals in Finland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Saransk Jazz Ark Festival. He also appeared numerous times at Nõmme Jazz Festival in Estonia while assisting the production of this jazz festival.
Kawasaki's projects during 2005–2008 included guitar trio project with American drummer Brian Melvin and Estonian bassist Toivo Unt under the Art of Trio name, performing in a variety of venues in Finland, Sweden, and the Baltic states, and performing with Estonian vocalist Jaanika Ventsel, while also touring and recording in Japan for the duo project with bassist Yoshio 'Chin' Suzuki (鈴木良雄), their duo CD "Agana" was released in February 2007.
In 2008, Kawasaki formed jazz ensemble with Estonian pianist/keyboardist Tõnu Naissoo.
Also, his second duo CD with Yoshio 'Chin' Suzuki (鈴木良雄) and first CD with Art of Trio were completed and released during 2009, while his composition "Raisins" was included on the Grand Theft Auto IV radio station Fusion FM in 2008.
From 2009 - 2011, Kawasaki further expanded his performing activities in Lebanon with Syrian bassist, Omar Harb and Lebanese drummer, Fouad Afra. The album "Live in Beirut" which Kawasaki recorded with Lebanese organist Arthur Satyan and drummer Fouad Afra, was released in 2011.
Overlapping the same time period, beginning in 2007, Kawasaki gradually developed his 4th acoustic guitar solo album "Spain" in Tallinn, Estonia, which was finally released in 2012. In 2014, Ryo discovered a younger generation of Estonian musicians who inspired him to further develop a fusion, jazz-rock sound using his own compositions. Ryo's attention on these directions had somewhat faded away after their recording and release in the early 1980s with his group Golden Dragon.
He explored music of India, learned ragas and recorded an Audio Fidelity album, Ring Toss, that combined eastern and western music. With Dave Liebman he recorded "Nature's revenge" for the German MPS label and they toured Europe. Ryo also toured European jazz festivals with Joanne Brackeen as piano - guitar duo, and they recorded a pair of albums - "AFT" and "Trinkets and things" - for Timeless Records in the Netherlands. In Japan, Sony's Open Sky label signed Ryo for three albums: "Mirror of my mind", "Little tree" and "Live" - the latter, recorded in a Tokyo club, was one of the first all-digital recordings. Notable musicians participated on those recordings include Michael Brecker, Harvey Mason, Leon Pendarvis, Azar Lawrence, Anthony Jackson, Lincoln Goines, Badal Roy, Nana Vasconcelos, Buddy Williams, Larry Willis, and Alex Blake. He also recorded an album called "Sapporo" for Swiss label America Sound in 1980 while touring Switzerland and Germany.
1979-1990 (AS INVERTOR AND PROGRAMMER)
Kawasaki invented his own guitar synthesizer in 1979, and used it to perform numerous solo shows at planetariums from 1980 to 1983. He also formed the jazz-rock group The Golden Dragon and performed concerts regularly in early 1980s. Fostex developed the first quarter- inch-tape, eight-track recorder called A8 along with 2 track mastering machine A2 and asked Kawasaki to be the first artist to use it. He recorded the album "Ryo" in 1981 for Philips Records and gained notoriety for creating all the music himself. He played only a nylon-string acoustic guitar with all his backing tracks created on his guitar synthesizer including the entire original orchestration of Joaquin Rodrigo's well known Concierto de Aranjuez - Adagio movement. He did another similar recording, "Lucky lady", the next year.
When the Commodore 64 computer came out with a sound-chip in it, Kawasaki became fascinated by the possibilities. He learned to write computer programs and devoted 16 hours a day for two years creating four music software programs - Kawasaki Synthesizer, Kawasaki Rhythm Rocker, Kawasaki Magical Musicquill, and Kawasaki MIDI Workstation - distributed by Sight and Sound Music. The first three programs were for school and home use, and the last one was for professional studios. He created an all-synthesized album, "Images", in 1987 and the soundtrack "Pleasure garden", in 1990, for an IMAX film about the preservation of the Earth's endangered tropical rain forests.
From 1986 to 1990, Kawasaki produced a series of high-charting 12 inch dance singles - "Electric world", "One kiss", "No expectations", "Say baby I love you", "Don't tell me", "Wildest dreams", "Life is the rhythm", "Pleasure garden" and "Acid heat" - that mixed free-style, house, acid house and ambient sounds. All of the production was done at his home studio, The Satellite Station, and the records were released on his own label, Satellites Records. His band and a dance troupe also performed extensively in New York dance clubs. In addition, for five years (1988 to 1993), Kawasaki was the New York producer and director of two Japanese national weekly music radio programs, The Music Now and Idex Music Jam. In 1991. He also collaborated with Japanese koto master Kicho Takano and produced "Crystallization" in 1986.
1991-2000 (RETURN TO JAZZ GUITARRIST)
Kawasaki's musical direction took another dramatic turn when he was signed by new jazz Japanese label One Voice as an artist and record producer. Kawasaki's return to jazz, and his first album for the label, was the 1992 acoustic solo guitar album "Here, there and everywhere" (released on One Voice in Japan and on Satellites Records in the U.S.). Kawasaki has produced and performed on three albums by Brazilian singer and guitarist Camila Benson for this label. Ryo has continued to release a steady string of albums - the acoustic "My reverie" (music from Bill Evans, Debussy, Ravel and Gershwin), the electric jazz guitar-oriented "Love within' the universe" (which received considerable airplay across the country), "Remixes remixes vol. 1" (also featuring Benson), "Sweet life" and CD releases of "Mirror of my mind" (a jazz ensemble recording with Harvey Mason, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Leon Pendarvis and vocalist Radha Shottam).
His 1999 release, "Cosmic rhythm", features British singer lyricist Clare Foster along with Kawasaki's rhythm section, Victor Jones on drums and Lincoln Goines on bass. The album also features David Kikoski on piano and Shunzo Ohno on flugelhorn. All the songs were arranged and recorded by Kawasaki including original ten songs by Ro himself.
During 1995-1999, three hip hop artists, Puff Daddy, Kool G Rap, and Keith Murray, recorded Kawasaki's original composition "Bamboo child" on their latest albums more than twenty years after its original recording.
DEVELOPMENTS IN ESTONIA AND BEYOND (2000-PRESENT)
In 2001, Kawasaki released live a studio triple album "Reval", recorded in Tallinn, Estonia with Estonian musicians Toivo Unt on bass, Aivar Vassiljev on drums, and Kristi Keel on English horn.
His other projects include being a composer, music director as well as a guitarist for the jazz ballet Still Point for the Estonian National Opera House during 2000-2002. This ballet is choreographed by Russell Adamson, a native Jamaican who resides in Helsinki. Kawasaki released his third acoustic guitar solo album "E" in 2002.
From the year 2000 on, Kawasaki further expanded his live appearances into Russia and Baltic region Jazz Festivals. His quartet has appeared at Rigas Ritmi Jazz Festival in Riga/Latvia, Pori and other jazz festivals in Finland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Saransk Jazz Ark Festival. He also appeared numerous times at Nõmme Jazz Festival in Estonia while assisting the production of this jazz festival.
Kawasaki's projects during 2005–2008 included guitar trio project with American drummer Brian Melvin and Estonian bassist Toivo Unt under the Art of Trio name, performing in a variety of venues in Finland, Sweden, and the Baltic states, and performing with Estonian vocalist Jaanika Ventsel, while also touring and recording in Japan for the duo project with bassist Yoshio 'Chin' Suzuki (鈴木良雄), their duo CD "Agana" was released in February 2007.
In 2008, Kawasaki formed jazz ensemble with Estonian pianist/keyboardist Tõnu Naissoo.
Also, his second duo CD with Yoshio 'Chin' Suzuki (鈴木良雄) and first CD with Art of Trio were completed and released during 2009, while his composition "Raisins" was included on the Grand Theft Auto IV radio station Fusion FM in 2008.
From 2009 - 2011, Kawasaki further expanded his performing activities in Lebanon with Syrian bassist, Omar Harb and Lebanese drummer, Fouad Afra. The album "Live in Beirut" which Kawasaki recorded with Lebanese organist Arthur Satyan and drummer Fouad Afra, was released in 2011.
Overlapping the same time period, beginning in 2007, Kawasaki gradually developed his 4th acoustic guitar solo album "Spain" in Tallinn, Estonia, which was finally released in 2012. In 2014, Ryo discovered a younger generation of Estonian musicians who inspired him to further develop a fusion, jazz-rock sound using his own compositions. Ryo's attention on these directions had somewhat faded away after their recording and release in the early 1980s with his group Golden Dragon.
As of spring 2016, Kawasaki has formed a new quartet called, Level 8 exclusively with Estonian musicians: the keyboardist Raun Juurikas, the bassist Kaarel Liiv and the drummer Eno Kollom. Level 8 finished recording his new self-titled album focusing on Ryo's compositions both from the past and present utilizing a funk/fusion/jazz-rock sound. The album "Level 8" was released in March 2017.
In April 2016, UK independent label Nunorthernsoul released a vinyl EP titled "Selected works 1979 to 1983 by Ryo Kawasaki". A follow-up vinyl EP titled "Selected works part 2: 1976 to 1980 by Ryo Kawasaki" was released in April 2017.
Sweet life (1996)
In April 2016, UK independent label Nunorthernsoul released a vinyl EP titled "Selected works 1979 to 1983 by Ryo Kawasaki". A follow-up vinyl EP titled "Selected works part 2: 1976 to 1980 by Ryo Kawasaki" was released in April 2017.
ALBUMS
Juice (1976)
01. Raisins
02. Sometime
03. The breeze and I
04. East side boogie
05. El toro
06. Bamboo child
07. Andes
Line-up
Ryo Kawasaki - guitarra, sintetizador de cordas
Hugh McCracken - guitarra base
Tom Coster - teclados, sintetizadores
Mike Lipskin - sintetizador, percussão
Andy LaVerne - piano
Stu Woods - baixo
Jimmie Young - bateria
Muhammad Abdullah - percussão
Sam Morrison - saxofone
Hugh McCracken - guitarra base
Tom Coster - teclados, sintetizadores
Mike Lipskin - sintetizador, percussão
Andy LaVerne - piano
Stu Woods - baixo
Jimmie Young - bateria
Muhammad Abdullah - percussão
Sam Morrison - saxofone
tenor, saxofone soprano, flauta
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Nature's revenge [as Ryo Kawasaki Group] (1978)
01. Nature's revenge
02. Body and soul
03. Choro
04. The straw that
broke the lion's back
05. Thunderfunk
06. Preludio nº 2
07. Snowstorm
Line-up
Ryo Kawasaki - violão e guitarra
Alex Blake - baixo, percussão
Buddy Williams - bateria, percussão
Dave Liebman - saxofone, trompete
Mp3 320 kbps and artworks: enjoy!
Alex Blake - baixo, percussão
Buddy Williams - bateria, percussão
Dave Liebman - saxofone, trompete
Mp3 320 kbps and artworks: enjoy!
Mirror of my mind (1979)
01. Trinkets & things
02. I've found the way of love
03. Dreams for Radha (part I, II, & III)
04. Brasiliana
05. Winter's here
06. In & out of love
07. Little one
Line-up
Ryo Kawasaki - guitarras acústicas e elétricas
Radha Shottam - vocais, palmas
Leon Pendarvis - piano acústico, piano Rhodes
Anthony Jackson - baixo elétrico
Harvey Mason - bateria
Rubens Bassini - congas, percussão, palmas
George Marge - flautas
Michael Brecker - saxofone tenor
Alan Rubin - trompetes, fliscorne
Jon Faddis - trompetes, fliscorne
Barry Rogers - trombones
Gerald Chamberlain - trombones
Alan Raph - baixo trombones
Mp3 320 kbps and artworks: enjoy!
Radha Shottam - vocais, palmas
Leon Pendarvis - piano acústico, piano Rhodes
Anthony Jackson - baixo elétrico
Harvey Mason - bateria
Rubens Bassini - congas, percussão, palmas
George Marge - flautas
Michael Brecker - saxofone tenor
Alan Rubin - trompetes, fliscorne
Jon Faddis - trompetes, fliscorne
Barry Rogers - trombones
Gerald Chamberlain - trombones
Alan Raph - baixo trombones
Mp3 320 kbps and artworks: enjoy!
Little tree [as Ryo Kawasaki & The Golden Dragon] (1980)
01. Midnight fire engine
02. A brief message
03. Looking around you
04. Capricho Arabe (Serenade for guitar)
05. Quasar infection
06. Stella by starlight
07. You are the sunlight
08. Maximillian
09. Little tree
10. Jamiko (Chimiko)
Line-up
Ryo Kawasaki - guitarra elétrica
e acústica, multi-instrumentos,
baixo sintetizador, sintetizador de guitarra
baixo sintetizador, sintetizador de guitarra
Nana Vasconcelos - vozes, percussão
Azar Lawrence - saxofones soprano e tenor
Ilana Iguana - vocais, sinos
Lincoln Goines - baixo elétrico,
Azar Lawrence - saxofones soprano e tenor
Ilana Iguana - vocais, sinos
Lincoln Goines - baixo elétrico,
vozes, baixos curvos e acústicos
Buddy Williams - bateria
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Buddy Williams - bateria
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Sweet life (1996)
01. Sweet life
02. Chapel of love
03. I found you
04. Together
05. I like the way you are
06. Promise
07. Will we meet again
08. Again
09. You're the one
10. Sweet life (Epilogue)
Line-up
Ryo Kawasaki - guitarra acústica
e elétrica, trilhas de fundo e programação
Ilana Iguana - vocais de fundo, vocal principal
Tommie Mckenzie - baixo elétrico
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Tribute to Keith Jarrett
Ilana Iguana - vocais de fundo, vocal principal
Tommie Mckenzie - baixo elétrico
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Tribute to Keith Jarrett
[Ryo Kawasaki, Toivo Unt & Brian Melvin] (2010)
01. So tender
02. Rainbow
03. Bop be
04. Love nº 1
05. Introduction 1
06. Brianji
07. Late night Willie
08. Blackberry winter
09. Prism
10. Introduction 2
11. Margot
Line-up
Ryo Kawasaki - guitarra
Toivo Unt - contrabaixo
Brian Melvin - bateria, madal
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Link para o download dos 6 albums: enjoy!
Ryo Kawasaki & The Golden Dragon - Comes the night - 1980
Toivo Unt - contrabaixo
Brian Melvin - bateria, madal
Mp3 320 kbps and full artworks: enjoy!
Link para o download dos 6 albums: enjoy!
Ryo Kawasaki & The Golden Dragon - Comes the night - 1980
Ryo Kawasaki - Nite and day (Night and day) - 1996
Muchas gracias
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