The formidable Japanese–American funk powerhouse crew Nothing But The Funk (NBTF) takes the stage. NBTF is a supergroup born from the organic connections sparked by drummer Hisashi Numazawa’s study abroad and activities in the United States. Featuring Numazawa’s heavy groove, the lineup includes Carl Perazzo (percussion), who once co-founded “13CATS” with him and is now a central figure in the Santana band; Eddie M. (sax), who played in Prince & The Revolution and Sheila E.’s bands since 1984; Raymond McKinley (bass) and Nate Mercero (guitar), also from Sheila E.’s band; Steve Baxter (trombone), known from the Al McKay All Stars; and, further, Toshiyuki Mori (keyboard), joining as Japan’s representative through the Suga Shikao & The Family Sugar connection. In addition, this year marks Yu Sakai’s 10th anniversary since his debut, and his latest album Yu Are Something has been the talk of the town, with him appearing as a special guest. Seven plus one representatives from Japan and the U.S. come together once again to unleash an unprecedented, thunderous funk sound—don’t miss it.