Ryusei Tomoyose is a tenor saxophone player from Okinawa. At the end of the 1960s, he studied under Sadao Watanabe in Tokyo, and after returning to his hometown, he devoted his passion to nurturing young musicians and became a leader in the Okinawa jazz world. This work, recorded in 1979, is Tomoyose's first and only leader work. The title ``Dana'' is an exclamation in the Okinawan dialect that has the meanings of ``ah'' and ``finally.'' Tomoyose was 43 years old at the time of the recording, and had already had a career spanning more than 20 years. He is captivated by the vivid and lustrous tenor saxophone in songs such as the vibrant ''Movement,'' the dignified exoticism of ''Kirisame,'' and the motif of the sandy beaches of Yoron Island in ''Merabi Samba.'' It is a valuable record of Okinawan jazz and a masterpiece that shows the depth of Japanese jazz.
- Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUND/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)