Osaka Monaurail are Japan's answer to 60s Funk.
Imagine James Brown in Japan; Ryo Nakata drops into the splits and howls a soulful scream while the 8-piece band behind him purrs like a high-performance machine.
Dressed immaculately in the sharpest suits, they step in unison step while the horn section twirls trumpets and ducks beneath trombone slides.
This is the essence of Osaka Monaurail, the funkiest orchestra that Japan has to offer. The band grew out of a jazz society band at Osaka University in 1992.
Nakata was a 19-year-old student, playing trumpet in a big band renowned for its renditions of Count Basie tunes, but he wanted to get more funky and soulful. Named after the 1975 funk hit It¹s The JB¹s Monaurail by James Brown¹s famed backing band the JB's, Nakata¹s new outfit started playing in Osaka bars and nightclubs in 1994, progressed to touring top European venues from 2006, and celebrated its 20 year anniversary by extending its tours to North America in 2012.
The band¹s proudest moment was collaborating with American soul-funk singing icon Marva Whitney (from the James Brown revue, 1967-1970), to produce her first album in 37 years What I Am in 2006.
In the lead up to their performance on the 8th of March, 2014 at WOMAdelaide, Paul spoke to lead singer and keyboard player Ryo Nakata about the group, his love for Funk and what audiences can expect from the band's second visit to Australia.
