Ryo Kawasaki (February 25, 1947 – ) chose a career as a jazz fusion guitarist after spending some years studying as a scientist. During the 60s he played with various Japanese jazz groups and also formed his own bands. In the early 70s he came to New York where he settled and found steady work in very distinguished company, including the bands of Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton, Ted Curson and Joanne Brackeen. In the mid-80s, Kawasaki drifted out of performing music in favour of writing music software programmes for computers. He also produced several techno dance singles, forming his own company, Satellites Records, for their release.

In 1991 he returned to jazz and proved to be as skilled and adept as ever on albums recorded for a Japanese label but marketed in the U.S. by his own company. Thanks to his long and wide experience, Kawasaki is able to switch with apparent ease between hard bop and jazz-rock. His playing is notable for its fluency and a sometimes hard-hitting style.