Takashi Kako, born on January 31, 1947, in Osaka, Japan, is a Japanese pianist and composer known for his work in both jazz and art-music idioms. He began playing piano at eight and learned to play jazz as a teenager. Kako attended the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, earning his bachelor's degree from 1965 to 1969 and his master's in composition in 1971. He then studied composition under Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire while performing jazz in local clubs. Kako's early career included performances with notable musicians such as Noah Howard, Masahiko Togashi, and Steve Lacy in the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, he increasingly moved toward playing solo piano. His discography includes albums like El Al (1979) and soundtracks for films such as The Quarry (1998). Kako composed scores for traditional ensembles, film, and television.
