Funk The Peanuts started off as a duo in 1994. It featured Yoshida Miwa and the main DCT backup singer, Urashima Rin. The name of the group is a play on words:

Funky --> Funk·P --> Funk The Peanuts

Funk The Peanuts performs very soulful music, as always arranged and produced by Nakamura Masato. Miwa and Rin's voices are both very powerful and make for wonderous harmonies.

In 1999, the group added a new member, DCT backup singer Robin Clark, and changed the name to Funk The Peanuts [R] (Pronounced "Funk The Peanuts Rated R"). The result was an even more funky and hip-hop laced force of nature; three voices of true power and soul. One can only hope they'll continued to make more music in the future.

You can find live performances of the group in two of the Wonderland concerts:

• Wonderland '95 singing Koi no wana shikakemasho
• Wonderland 1999 Winter singing you go girl!

Sarah Vaughn. Ella Fitzgerald. Two of the all time greats of Jazz. Both were giant influences to Yoshida Miwa. You can hear the influence in her voice, especially when she scats. Miwa's love of Jazz lead her to this wonderful solo project called beauty and harmony.

With Miwa pended lyrics, arragement by Masa, and a to-die-for band consisting of some of the best side men in the business, beauty and harmony is a true love song from Miwa to Jazz and all of its influence.

The beauty and harmony CD made its way to the top of the charts and sold well over a million copies, something rather unexpected from a Jazz album in Japan. The all star band reunited for a seven city tour and created an all new magic, which is lovingly presented in the beauty and harmony video.

The beauty and harmony All Stars are a stunning and historical collection of the best side men in the business. Please click on their links to see whom they've worked with. A quick sample of their works simply cannot do these men justice. The gentlemen below have taken part in some of the most important music in the past fifty years.

The All Stars consisted of:

• Guitar: David T. Walker
  
• Bass: Chuck Rainey
• Drums: Harvey Mason
• Keyboards: Jai Winding
• Saxophone: Michael Brecker
• Trumpet/Flugelhorn: Greg Adams
• Percussion: Ralph McDonald
• Strings Arrangement: Gene Page

New News: beauty & harmony 2

This past May 6th, Miwa's second solo album, beauty & harmony 2, as well as her first solo single, Namida no Mangekyo, were finally released. A five city tour also took place in support of the upcoming album.

Many of the original beauty & harmony All Stars have returned along with many new talented friends:

* Original members of the beauty and harmony All Stars

The prolific producer Nakamura Masato has had his hand in a number of interesting side projects:

Andre Nakamura and the Okhotsk·Boys: Masa and Nishikawa Takahiro got together to form the one shot five member band Andre Nakamura and the Okhotsk·Boys back in 1991. Masa played Andre. Taka played the other four members. ^_^ My information on how the single Setsunakute did is limited, but the band reappeared for a comedic performance of the song in the Wonderland '99 Summer concert. They also make appearances in the DCT Network News skits in both Summer and Winter Wonderland '99 concerts.

lil' viv: A new singer that Masa is producing. Her debut single is a cover of the DCT song Marry Me?

Dance With Kalimba: It's known as Masa's selection album, so I'm guessing he placed his favorite 70s tracks on one album. Mostly Earth, Wind & Fire, The Emotions and Deniece Williams, with "Wherever You Are" by DCT thrown in.

These are not the only side projects that King Masa has been involved in, just the ones officially listed at DCTGarden.com.