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On a visit to Bangor north Wales, I drop-visited world famous Cob Records
for a mooch. Shifting through the CD racks, I heard snippets of the most incredible
music playing on the house system. Curiosity got the better of me. I asked the
guy behind the counter who it was. His answer was simply, ”Mofro”.
Don’t know these I thought. Check it out double quick.
He passed over the CD cover. It read JJ Grey and Mofro – Orange Blossoms.
I said it was great, sounding like a cross between The Band and Little Feat.
The knowledgeable chap agreed.
On return I contacted Alligator Records. They replied, saying a copy would be
sent by UK distributors Proper Records. Now it’s here, and the whole album is
sensational. Being a fan of The Band and Little Feat, Mofro has to be up there
with their genre stablemates.
As Boogie is a dying art, that makes this band the best exponents in the world
right now. Cleverly, they throw in elements of Soul, Funk, R&B and Blues. They
describe their music as "front porch soul". Coming from Jacksonville,
Florida, they compose of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist JJ Grey, Daryl Hence
on guitars, Adam Scone on Hammond organ and new drummer Anthony ‘AC’ Cole.
There’s also a brass section known as the Hercules Horns.
Mofro’s debut album Blackwater was named as one of the best records of the
decade by Amazon.com
It’s no secret that 40-year-old Grey is a huge soul fan and some of influences
are credited to Otis Redding (others include Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway and
Tony Joe White), which can be found on the smooth-styled ballad She Don’t Know
and stunning The Truth.
Grey has the old-school knack of delivering a note with achingly beautiful precision.
Their funk stylings emerge on WYLF, bordering on the urban grooves of Fun
Lovin’ Criminals - this is where the band manages to hold the tightest of performances.
The wiry old soul-styled guitar solos are pure magic. It’s classic boogie that
opens the proceedings though. The guitar riffs and picks give the entire
album its hook, drawing you in instantly, and then there’s that mega-catchy
chorus - <>"When I smell those orange blossoms then I’m there", providing
a radio-friendly touch. They can also get down and dirty on the heavy R&B-flavoured
gem The Devil You Know, while the ‘brass boys’ give it some stylish '60s
retro textures: those girly backups are the icing on the cake.
Taking it to a laid-back mode, the dreamy Dew Drops is a masterclass in
soulful balladeering: plenty of brass and deft guitar solos make it a classic.
When you’ve got a great album like this, it’s hard to pick a ‘best track’, but
as a soul fan, the Stax-styled I Believe In Everything takes the prize,
because of the sensational tenor sax work by Art Edmaiston.
1. Orange Blossoms
2. The Devil You Know
3. Everything Good Is Bad
4. She Don’t Know
5. The Truth
6. WYLF
7. On Fire
8. Move It On
9. Higher You Climb
10. Dew Drops
11. Ybor City
12. I Believe (In Everything)
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.