Osaka Monaurail

Osaka Monaurail

Osaka Monaurail is a funk group from Osaka, Japan, formed in 1992 and active since then. The band develops out of a university jazz setting at Osaka University, where the original members come from the same jazz society. It grows from a large university ensemble into a 13-piece group, after starting with more than 20 people including several horn players.

Style and formation

The group is built around a strong horn section and a live presentation that includes sharp 1960s-inspired uniforms and energetic stage movement. Its early repertoire moves from bebop-influenced instrumentals to material shaped by James Brown-style funk. The name comes from the J.B.’s track “It’s The J.B.’s Monaurail”, with the spelling kept intentionally.

Ryo Nakata, the group’s leader, begins as a trumpet player before giving up the instrument because he cannot play high notes. He had already wanted to start a funk band from the age of 16 and later focuses on keyboard and vocal work as well as percussion.

Recording career

After playing university gigs, the band begins performing in local bars and nightclubs in Osaka around 1994–1995. It signs to RD Records in 1999 and releases its first album, What it is – What it was, in 2000. Four more albums follow on RD Records, then four on P-Vine Records between 2006 and 2009. Its later releases appear on King Records, including State Of The World.

In Europe, the last three albums are available on Unique Records in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Collaborations and live work

Osaka Monaurail tours Japan, Europe, Canada and Australia, and appears at venues, nightclubs and festivals including the Montreal International Jazz Festival. In 2006 it tours six Japanese cities as the backing band for Marva Whitney, one of James Brown’s original Funky Divas. That collaboration produces the albums I Am What I Am and Live In Japan, along with three European tours and two Japanese tours.

In 2012 the group plays a one-night show with trombonist Fred Wesley, performing more than a dozen of his songs with the band as backing musicians.

Members

The group’s listed members are soki, Hayami Dan, 池田雄一, 平石勝俊, 川崎太一朗, Okuse Kensuke, 向井志門, 中田亮, Ouchi Tsuyoshi and 山縣賢太郎. The line-up given for the period described includes Ryo Nakata on vocals, keyboards and percussion; Kentaro Yamagata and Yohchi Masago on trumpets; Shimon Mukai on tenor saxophone; Katsutoshi Hiraishi on trombone; Dan Hayami and Yuichi Ikeda on guitars; Dai Nakamura on bass; and Soki Kimura on drums.

Related work

Nakata also runs the Shout! Productions label, which issues soul and funk re-releases and releases or subtitles films including Superfly, Coffy, Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song, Badasssss, Soul Power and Edification of Weldon Irvine.