{"title":"Ryo Kawasaki","description":"\u003cp\u003eBorn 25 February 1947 in Tokyo, Japan, Ryo Kawasaki attended Nippon University, majored in quantum physics, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree. Inspired by Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue album at age 16, he began playing professionally by 16 in cabarets with his jazz ensemble. He also built electronic amplifiers, speakers, and an electric organ of his own design. He worked as a sound engineer for Japanese Victor Records and BGM\/TBS Music, learning mixing and editing, and taught at Yamaha's jazz school. He recorded his first album \u003cem\u003eEasy Listening Jazz Guitar\u003c\/em\u003e for Polydor in 1969 aged 22. He moved to New York City in 1973 and settled there. His breakthrough came with \u003cem\u003eThe Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix\u003c\/em\u003e (1974). He worked with Chico Hamilton, Elvin Jones, Dave Liebman, Joanne Brackeen, Ted Curson, and Tarika Blue. He released \u003cem\u003eJuice\u003c\/em\u003e (1976, RCA), \u003cem\u003eEight Mile Road\u003c\/em\u003e (1976), and \u003cem\u003ePrism\u003c\/em\u003e (1976).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe collaborated with Roland Corporation and Korg to develop the guitar synthesizer and created the Kawasaki Synthesizer for the Commodore 64. In the mid-1980s, he moved into music software development and produced techno dance singles, founding his own label Satellites Records. He returned to jazz in 1991 with the acoustic solo album \u003cem\u003eHere, There and Everywhere\u003c\/em\u003e. Kawasaki died in Tallinn, Estonia, on 13 April 2020, aged 73.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"ryo-kawasaki-juice-2022-mr-bongo-first-european-reissue-lp-mrblp252-replica-obi","title":"Ryo Kawasaki - Juice (2022 Mr Bongo First European Reissue LP, MRBLP252, Replica Obi)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRyo Kawasaki - \u003cem\u003eJuice\u003c\/em\u003e | Vinyl LP - 2022 Mr Bongo First European Reissue (MRBLP252, Optimal Media GmbH)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRyo Kawasaki's 1976 jazz-funk fusion debut for RCA\u003c\/strong\u003e, recorded at RCA Studios in New York on 5–7 May 1976; Kawasaki's first album on an American major label, featuring Tom Coster (Santana) on keyboards, Sam Morrison (Miles Davis) on tenor saxophone and flute, Hugh McCracken on rhythm guitar, Stu Woods on bass and Jimmie Young on drums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\"Bamboo Child\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (B3) has been sampled by Diamond D, Puff Daddy and Kool G Rap; the album has become a sought-after crate-digging record in the jazz-funk and hip-hop communities on both sides of the Atlantic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2022 Mr Bongo reissue \u003c\/strong\u003eis the first European pressing of the album, previously available only as a Japanese RCA original and through import copies. Replica sleeve, obi and labels\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRyo Kawasaki moved from Tokyo to New York in 1973 and spent the next few years working with Gil Evans, Elvin Jones and Chico Hamilton before signing to RCA — one of the first Japanese artists to sign with an American major, following Sadao Watanabe and Terumasa Hino. \u003cem\u003eJuice\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded at RCA Studios over three days in May 1976, produced by Mike Lipskin and engineered by Bob Simpson. Kawasaki wrote six of the seven tracks; the one exception is \"The Breeze and I\" (A3), the Ernesto Lecuona standard best known from his suite \"Andalucía,\" given an English lyric by Al Stillman and here performed as an instrumental. For the session, Kawasaki recruited Tom Coster from Santana on keyboards, Sam Morrison from the Miles Davis band on tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and alto flute, Hugh McCracken — a ubiquitous session guitarist of the period — on rhythm guitar, and Stu Woods and Jimmie Young as the rhythm section.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe record moves between jazz-funk grooves, fusion shred and the emerging electric jazz of the mid-1970s New York studio scene. \"Bamboo Child\" (B3), a slower spiritual funk piece built on a deep repeating groove, became the album's most lasting track in the crate-digging and hip-hop communities — sampled by Diamond D, Puff Daddy and Kool G Rap. The Bandcamp Daily placed \"El Toro\" in the tradition of the Loft party circuit and described it as the kind of track that would have cleared the floor at David Mancuso's New York Loft. Original copies of the RCA Japan pressing have remained difficult and expensive to find outside Japan. This 2022 Mr Bongo reissue is the first European pressing, with replica sleeve, obi and labels, pressed at Optimal Media GmbH and licensed from Sony Music Entertainment.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43296185548859,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/a2631642814_10.jpg?v=1774135223"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/ryo-kawasaki.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}