Ryo Kawasaki, the Japanese guitarist, composer, band leader and inventor of the guitar synthesizer, has died at the age of 73.
Born in Tokyo in 1947 to a diplomat father and a multi-lingual mother, Kawasaki is remembered for his contribution to jazz fusion techniques and his pioneering work in the space where music meets technology.
Kawasaki, whose name is synonymous with early music software tools, built the first ranges of guitar synths through partnerships with Korg and Roland Corporation, and created his namesake synth program for the Commodore 64.
I only really know Kawasaki for his early jazz fusion material; here’s “Sometime” off his album Juice. At the recommendation of a friend, you might check Kawasaki’s album Images from his computer music phase, which I listened to and can definitively say is Pretty Alright™.