Upcoming Show – JJ Grey & Mofro

Majestic Theatre, Madison
Sunday November 23, 2008 – 8:00 pm

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Mofro a few times – including a very memorable hot August night at the High Noon when they were touring behind Lochloosa. I’ve got all their recordings; and about half of their tracks are in heavy rotation in my playlists. So I guess you could say that I’m a fan.

JJ Grey is a very charismatic frontman. He writes the songs, sings ’em, and plays guitar, keys and harmonica. I like him a lot – he’s soulful, romantic, bluesy and authentically personable, A real nice guy and a good musician.

I also get a kick out of his Mofro sidekick, Daryl Hance – certainly one of the most stoic guitarists I’ve seen. He’s outstanding too.

Like many videos on YouTube, the audio quality of this clip is not great. But I love the audience energy, and I think it gives you a good sense of JJ Grey. To get the full experience, I’d encourage you to first listen to Lochloosa on their myspace player. Then watch the video, and listen to Brighter Days and the other great tracks on their player. I hope you enjoy it.

I’ve been listening a lot lately to the new release – Orange Blossoms – and I really enjoy and recommend it.
You can buy it – and learn more about JJ Grey and Mofro – on their interesting website.

Grey’s songwriting influences are widespread. “I like people who tell their story,” he says, naming Muddy Waters, Stevie Wonder, Tony Joe White, Jerry Reed, Otis Redding, Dr. John, Sly & The Family Stone, Van Morrison, Bill Withers and Dan Penn. What these writers and performers have in common is a love for simplicity and the ability to evoke complex emotions with a minimal number of words and notes. As a performer, Grey is influenced by the sexually charged blues of Howlin’ Wolf, the country soul of George Jones, the hard funk of James Brown, and the smooth R&B of Donny Hathaway, as well as by local personalities like the street preachers and radio disc jockeys of his youth.

I can dig it, can you? Hope to see you there. . . Mister Bill

For our friends in Milwaukee – JJ Grey & Mofro will play Shank Hall on Saturday, November 22.