JJ Grey may have deep crows feet from a blinding Florida sun and the receding hairline of a worn-down country bumpkin, but his music contains the rejuvenation of roots rock, funk and blues and his musical “soul” runs as deep as the Mississippi.
Grey’s band, JJ Grey and Mofro, hail from the same swamplands that once spawned Southern rock greats like Tom Petty. But Grey’s true Southern soul is more than fried food and hoe-downs. Grey uses his heritage to create the best Southern rock to come out in decades.
Beginning in the backwater bayou country outside Jacksonville, Florida, Mofro released its debut album, “Blackwater,” in 2001. Mofro reintroduced the raw sounds of Southern rock harnessed by Grey’s passionate lyrics and soothing vocals. The band doesn’t fall into a specific genre, but it is certain that Mofro has “soul.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘soul’ is a certain genre or sound,” Grey said, “but it’s just when you let go and let the music be. When our band lets go, we say and play things immediately relevant to us and inspirational to everyone.”
While some of Mofro’s soulful sounds may quiet the mind, the four-person ensemble can also cause quite a ruckus. The band has a wide influence, from important blues classics such as Robert Johnson to Southern rock legend Lynyrd Skynyrd. Gospel, funk, R&B and rock: They’re all braided throughout the Mofro experience.
Grey grew up listening to gospel choirs in church and old-fashioned blues on late-night radio. His aunt and uncle played in a gospel bluegrass band. Through this family band and church, Grey became specifically captivated by the organ.
“The organ is so different than any other keyboard, it’s a whole ‘nother animal,” Grey said. “It’s so much a part of where I grew up. It just cooks and pushes you no matter what.”
But despite the group’s talent of incorporating traditional Southern sounds into each song, it had a rocky start since Grey began performing in the late 1980s. Finally, Grey recorded his first EP in London with guitarist Daryl Hance. Since then, Mofro has gone through several keyboardists and eight drummers in the span of three records and nine years.
But things have changed. With his 2007 release “Country Ghetto” on newly signed Alligator records, Grey finds a solid sound and a dependable band.
“I’ve never toured with the same band that I’ve recorded,” admitted Grey. “But now (we) have that and it’s like everyone’s seeing the same thing and knowing where we’re goin’ to go.”
The new album belts harmonica solos, swamp rock riffs and organ work as blissful as a Baptist church choir. Hance’s fretwork shines brightly in the songs “Mississippi” and “Tragic,” with the patient blues style of Curtis Mayfield. Newly acquired organist Adam Sconce hammers out powerful, rambunctious sounding notes. Drummer George Sluppick brings out the beats and throws down the rhythm for the funk on almost every track. Together, these musicians attack the listener’s mind with a barrage of blues rock that entails images of bayou bungalows, alligator-infested swamps and crazy Cajun dance halls.
Grey’s Florida home is a main inspiration behind his work. He has seen the heart of Florida change from unique swamplands to sprawling suburbs. Although his attitude remains positive, his lyrics indicate his depression over the growing devastation of his homeland.
“I kind of like to take pictures of things with my lyrics,” Grey said. “I think in relation with what the world looks like now – with the skyscrapers and strip malls and all that shit – the lyrics reveal kind of a cookie-cutter ‘plasticness’ of the world.”
Last year, the group attended the renowned Bonaroo and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festivals and, in early March, “Country Ghetto” debuted at No. 27 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart.
Mofro’s live performances reveal Grey’s Southern spirit. His voice strains deafening shrills in gospel songs, including “Brighter Days,” while his hand lashes guitar strings in the swamp rock tracks “That Boy” and the occasional Skynyrd cover. As his fingers furiously strike ivory keys during “Blackwater,” an audience cannot help but be captivated by the soulful surroundings.
This year, Mofro’s Eugene and Portland shows serve as halfway points on their national tour before returning home. Mofro plans to throw one hell of a show as they hope to attract an untapped Northwest audience. At nearly three thousand miles away from home, Grey will use his music to rock away his homesick blues.
“There’s a saying that goes: We spend half our lives trying to get away from our home and half of our life trying to go back,” Grey said. “Right now, I’m just trying to get back home.”
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