Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and art-music idioms.

Early life

Kako was born in Osaka. He began playing piano at eight years old and learned to play jazz while in his teens.^{[ citation needed]}

Later life and career

He attended the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, receiving both his bachelor's (1965-1969) and master's in composition (1971) there. ^[1] Upon graduating, he matriculated at the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied composition under Olivier Messiaen; concurrently, he played jazz in clubs, beginning a long-term association with Kent Carter and Oliver Johnson as a trio. He played with Noah Howard, Masahiko Togashi, and Steve Lacy in the 1970s, and with Togashi again as a duo in the early 1980s. Starting in the mid-1980s, he increasingly moved toward playing solo piano, although he occasionally toured with ensembles as well.

In addition to his performance career, Kako has worked extensively as a composer. He has written scores for traditional ensembles and for film and television, including the 1998 film The Quarry.

Discography

As Emergency

(with Bob Reid, Boulou Ferré, Glenn Spearman, Sabu Toyozumi)

• Homage to Peace ( America, 1973) - Recorded in 1972

As leader/co-leader

• Jazz A Maison De Japon, Paris (パリ日本館コンサート) with Mototeru Takagi (Nadja, 1974) - live
• Passage (パッサージュ) (Trio, 1976)
• Micro World (マイクロワールド) (Trio, 1976)
• Paris Days (巴里の日) (Trio, 1977) - recorded in 1976
• Night Music (Sun, 1977) - recorded in 1974
• Legend of The Sea-Myself (海の伝説―私) (Trio, 1977) - live
• TOK with Oliver Johnson, Kent Carter (Trio, 1978)
• El Al with Toshiyuki Miyama and his New Herd (Union, 1979)
• Valencia with Masahiko Togashi (Trio, 1980)
• L'Aube (夜明け) (Baybridge, 1984)
• Twilight Monologues with Masahiko Sato, Aki Takase, Ichiko Hashimoto (Lunatic, 1984)
• Solo Concert (Insights, 1985)
• Poesie ( CBS/Sony, 1986)
• Klee (いにしえの響き - パウル・クレーの絵のように) (CBS/Sony, 1986)
• Scrawl (CBS/Sony, 1987)
• Kenji (CBS/Sony, 1988)
• Long Journey (幻想行) (CBS/Sony, 1989)
• Symphonic Poem: Spring: Homage to Flowers (春～花によせて) (CBS/Sony, 1990)
• Estampe Sonore (CBS/Sony, 1991)
• Apocalypse (アポカリプス 〜黙示録) (Sony/Epic, 1992)
• La Collectin De I' Art Du Vent (風の画集) (Sony/Epic, 1992)
• Prelude De L'Eau (水の前奏曲) (TriStar Music, 1993)
• Norwegian Wood (ノルウェーの森) (Epic/Sony, 1996)
• Presentimen (予感 アンジェリック グリーンの光の中で) (Sony/Epic, 1998)
• Moments Tranquilles (静かな時間) (Sony, 1999)
• Waltz With The Wind (風のワルツ) (Sony, 2004)
• Piano (Takashi Kako album) [ ja] (Avex Classics, 2006)
• Kumano (熊野古道) (Avex-Classics, 2007)
• Qualtet (Avex Classics, 2010)
• Blue Sea (滄) with Mototeru Takagi, Sabu Toyozumi (Kaitai, 2012)
• New Sea (新海) with Mototeru Takagi, Sabu Toyozumi (Kaitai, 2012)

Soundtracks

• NHK Special The 20th Century In Moving Images ( 映像の世紀) Original Soundtrack (Escalier, 1995; Excerpt on YouTube)
• Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture The Quarry (月の虹) (Sony Music Media, 1998)
• Shiki-Jitsu (式日) Original Soundtrack ( Studio Kajino, 2000)
• A Single Drop of Water in a Mighty River ( 大河の一滴) Original Soundtrack ( Toho, 2001)
• Letters from the Mountains ( 阿弥陀堂だより) Original Soundtrack (Toho, 2002)
• The Great White Tower ( 白い巨塔) Original Soundtrack ( Fuji TV, 2004)
• Best Wishes for Tomorrow (明日への遺言) Original Soundtrack (Avex Trax, 2008)

References

• Kazunori Sugiyama, "Takashi Kako". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edn, ed. Barry Kernfeld.