As if Family Bands Weren't Already Cute Enough

I had never seen a Japanese funk-band. But there was one playing in Penn Station today that was, honest to God, a really good band! Though I have no hard evidence, I like to think that they were a family band: Big brother on tenor sax, little brother on drums, brother-in-law holdin' it down on bass, his wife (middle sister to the others) playing bongos and a standing splash cymbal, and Ralph, the African American UPS guy, sitting in on keys!

They dressed in Izod polo shirts and sandals, and were all smiles, playing their, simple but riffy, instrumental blues. You could tell they were just recently off the boat too; when big brother on tenor sax thanked the audience and offered the bands CD it was in really broken english with loungy cadences.

I'm really bad at impressions over the internet, otherwise I'd do it for you