About

A valuable record of Okinawan jazz and a masterpiece that shows the depth of Japanese jazz. Ryusei Tomoyose was a tenor saxophonist from Okinawa. At the end of the 1960s, he studied under Sadao Watanabe in Tokyo, and after returning home, he devoted himself 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 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 wonderful record of Okinawan jazz and a masterpiece that shows the depth of Japanese jazz. — (via Yusuke Ogawa, Universounds)

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Label: Union Records, Deep Jazz Reality
Series: Project Re:Vinyl
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: Japan
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1979
Genre: Jazz
Style: Post Bop

File under: Japanese Jazz
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