24 million fans just couldn’t stop smashing repeat when the four funkiest ladies in Japan laid out this hellaciously addictive jam. Tokyo Groove Jyoshi cemented their place as the queens of groove with their vibing cut of “Funk No. 1” when the tight instrumental cut brought the four-piece to global attention. There’s no question as to why the video went so viral, as all four ladies are absolute monster players who grooved so deep in the pocket that it was practically bottomless.
Many fans honed in on the impeccable saxophone solos provided by Harumo Imai, who just kept one-upping herself with each lead break. Bassist Juna Serita proved herself to be a total superstar while providing a flowing and melodic counterpoint to Imai’s leads. Drummer Mimi drove the band relentlessly with a series of old-school funk grooves while keyboardist Emi Kanazashi channeled some Stevie Wonder with her poppin’ wah-soaked riffs. The Music Man has to say that this epic jam will be on repeat for a while!
Many viewers praised the relatively young lineup of Tokyo Groove Jyoshi for channeling the authentic sounds of ‘70s funk. Other viewers gave props with comments such as “The sax solo in this performance is one of those rare feats of musical craft where you find it more and more brilliant the longer you listen to it” and “I never get tired of listening to that bass, and how she plays, it ties the whole thing together!”
Tokyo Groove Jyoshi’s second most popular video on YouTube is their unique take on Tower of Power’s 1973 classic “What Is Hip?” This track is one of The Music Man’s all-time favorite funk classics, and we have to say that Tokyo Groove Jyoshi certainly took it to a new place with their arrangement. The four-piece swapped out the sax on this number for shamisen, which was provided by Shinobu Kawashima. Kawashima brilliantly played the hooky vocal melody from the song on the three-stringed Japanese folk instrument.
Tokyo Groove Jyoshi is a Tokyo-based jazz funk band that formed in 2018. The group has toured extensively across Japan and has also hit numerous international dates in the US, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia. Tokyo Groove Jyoshi performs a mix of covers and original tunes. Their most popular recording to date is their viral original instrumental “Funk No. 1.” In addition to doing some big numbers on YouTube, the group also hit the top 10 R&B/Soul iTunes chart several times with their EP and single releases in Japan, Turkey, and Thailand.