The leading figure among jazz bassists; Richard Davis, introduced me to Roland Hanna. Roland said suddenly, "Eiji, play the bass...". We played the keys such as B flat and E minor for half an hour.....the first encounter with him ! Since I joined his Chamber Jazz Trio in 1990, he had been one of my dearest friends whom I have met through music. Roland Hanna is, needless to say, the great figure of piano. He is indeed one of the historical jazz artists, who has many fans all over the world. It is one of my unforgettable memories that he played "Stranger in Paradise" only for me at the empty hall. The concert held at a gymnasium in Koide, Niigata.　The back decoration on the stage was handmade by the stuff from the promoter, and it sparkled by getting the stage lighting, which put enthusiasm into the concert with a nice illumination. A snapshot from the sound checking scene before the performance. The 1st stage: The Chamber Jazz Trio with a French horn & a flute. The 2nd stage: The Duo, then we finished the performance together with all the members, which spellbound the full audience. When Hanna started playing the piano, his facial expression became severe. The photo of such moment....strange to say, he had never said anything at any time if I took pictures of him, although he said "No." whenever the others turned a camera towards him. In June 1990, the first duo album with Hanna; "Memoir", was recorded. The first tune; "Dancing Puppet", is impressive, so please listen to it......! Including the second album with Hanna; "Hush-A-Bye", we created two albums together. Both albums are like sound scrolls with deep impression.....my favourites. Roland Hanna had been to Japan, several times accompanied by his wife. He loved yakiniku (Korean-style barbecued beef),......but he seemed not to like sashimi and cucumbers. A shot at the "Ups" in Koga, May 1996 In Autumn 2000, the 6th Duo tour with Hanna. The brief but relaxing moment at a concert hall in Urawa.....Hanna looked very happy. The autograph session after a concert. Hanna usually disliked it, but he did it without objection whenever he toured with me....I guess that he didn't really want to...!Judging from his facial expression, I presumed that he tried to say, "Eiji, is it enough?" or "I am hungry." A lot of CDs were sold. Thanks a lot, Roland. Click to the tour October 2002　●