Yoshio Toyama and his wife, Keiko, have spent most of their lives as unofficial musical ambassadors between Japan and the American city of New Orleans. In New Orleans, Toyama, a trumpeter and singer, is known as the "Satchmo of Japan" for his skillful ability to ...

If the Beatles are Liverpool's fab four, The Meters are New Orleans' funky four. During the 1960s and '70s, bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, keyboardist Arthur "Art" Neville, and guitarist Leo Nocentelli created music that is still recognized globally as some of ...

The Let's Go's are a celebration of pure rock 'n' roll energy. Dressed in matching, vivid, cherry-red outfits, the Tokyo trio delivers upbeat tunes with infectious enthusiasm. Fresh from a recent trip to the United States, The Let's Go's released their new album, "Heibon Cherry," on ...

Kengo Hioki could well be described as eccentric. With his hair and beard both dyed neon yellow, Hioki has taken his stage name, "Peelander-Yellow," to heart. The musician and artist rarely dresses in anything other than his signature color. "I look like a weird guy because ...

George Clinton has packed a lot of funk into his six-decade career. In the 1970s, the American singer rose to fame with Parliament and Funkadelic, sister groups that established a musical dynasty known globally as P-Funk. After numerous trips around the world, Clinton is now preparing ...

Every year, more than 2,000 bands flock to Austin, Texas, for the South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW). The internationally recognized event has recently leaned heavy on tech, but music still plays a big part. During this year's mid-March music showcase, Japan ...

Eyehategod shouldn't have lasted three decades. "I was there when we started the band and if you had told me back then that we were going to be still going on 30 years later ... to say that this band would've been the one that ...

For over two decades, June Yamagishi and John "Papa" Gros have been bringing New Orleans and Japan closer together through music. Funk on Da Table, their latest band, will bring hard-hitting grooves back to Japan in February. The international group, comprised of Japanese and American ...