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JJ Grey & Mofro | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | Late 1990s–present |
| Labels | Fog City, Alligator, Provogue, Proper |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
JJ Grey & Mofro (formerly Mofro) is an American Southern rock/Swamp rock band [1] from Jacksonville, Florida.
The early days of Mofro can be traced back to the mid-1990s when John Higginbotham, aka "JJ Grey," and Daryl Hance signed with a United Kingdom label and played shows in Europe as Mofro Magic. [2] Grey and Hance met in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida while working for an air conditioning company and developed a friendship through music. Their first band together was a rock band called Faith Nation followed by a funk band called Alma Zuma. [2] The deal with the record label in London fell through, and Grey and Hance returned to their native Jacksonville, formed Mofro, and signed with Fog City Records in 2001. [3]
The name "Mofro" was coined by JJ Grey as an explanation of the sound that the band made. [2] Grey says the word was originally a nickname that a co-worker gave him, and Grey adopted it as the band's name because it "sounded Southern." Grey later changed the band's name to "JJ Grey & Mofro" when his grandmother asked him if he was ashamed to use his own name. [4]
The first studio album released by Mofro was Blackwater, released in 2001. [3] The album is full of songs inspired by the surroundings of where JJ Grey grew up, such as "Blackwater" and "Florida". [3] A car accident in late 2001 involving several members of Mofro slowed things down for the band and it was not until 2004 until they released their next album Lochloosa. [2] This album continued to deliver songs about where Grey grew up and the industrial progress that continues to plague the natural beauty of the areas around Lochloosa Lake and Orange Lake. [3] The title track, "Lochloosa", describes the changing landscape in northern Florida and JJ Grey's soulfulness and deep beliefs come through in the song. Lochloosa would be the last album with Fog City Records and the last album under the name Mofro. [2]
In 2007, JJ Grey & Mofro became the new name of the band under new record label Alligator, and the album Country Ghetto was released. [2] The album was produced by Dan Prothero and featured slower, more soulful songs such as "The Sun is Shining Down", along with faster, and more rock and roll type songs such as "War" and "Country Ghetto". The song "The Sun is Shining Down" is featured in the opening scene of the Season 3 Finale of House of Cards. The next studio album was Orange Blossoms, released in 2008. [2] Orange Blossoms features songs such as "On Fire" and "Wylf (What You're Looking For)" that revolve around sexual themes more so than previous songs performed by JJ Grey & Mofro. It marked the fourth consecutive album produced by Dan Prothero.
Their fifth studio album is Georgia Warhorse that was released in 2010. [5] The album is named after a cricket that is found in northern Florida that is known for its strength despite its small size. [2] The album features songs such as "The Sweetest Thing" that includes vocals from Toots Hibbert, from Toots and The Maytals. [5] It also features Derek Trucks, from The Allman Brothers Band and The Tedeschi Trucks Band, on the song "Lullaby" playing slide guitar. [5] Daryl Hance, who was an original member of Mofro, left the band in 2010 before this album was made to pursue a solo career. Hance was replaced on the guitar by Andrew Trube. [2] JJ Grey & Mofro released This River in April 2013. The album features familiar upbeat songs such as "Florabama, "99 Shades of Crazy", and "Your Lady, She's Shady". Both records were again produced by Dan Prothero.
JJ Grey & Mofro released Ol' Glory on February 24, 2015, marking their first release on Provogue Records. [6] Like many of their previous records, Ol' Glory contains tracks with southern inspired narratives with a unique blend of blues, rock, folk, funk, and gospel. [6] It marked the seventh consecutive album produced by Dan Prothero.
JJ Grey and Mofro's music has been described as a combination of blues, funk, soul, and rock. [7] All of the songs are written by JJ Grey and reflect the region where he grew up in around Jacksonville, Florida. [2] JJ Grey attributes artists such as Big Bad John and Jim Reeves due to their style of story songwriting and how that style has influenced the way he writes his songs. [7] Grey also credits southern rock acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jerry Reed as artists who have influenced his style of music, as well as more soulful artists such as Toots Hibbert and Otis Redding. [7] JJ Grey and Mofro are also known for their extensive touring schedule and have continually played at major summer music festivals including Bonnaroo, All Good Festival, Austin City Limits, Wakarusa, and Rothbury. [2] Early on in their touring days, JJ Grey and Mofro gained fame within the jam band scene while touring with acts such as Widespread Panic, Galactic and Ben Harper. [2] JJ Grey attributes most of the band's strength to their stage performances rather than in the studio. [7]
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Blackwater | Fog City Records |
| 2004 | Lochloosa | |
| 2007 | Country Ghetto | Alligator Records |
| 2008 | Orange Blossoms | |
| 2009 | The Choice Cuts | |
| 2010 | Georgia Warhorse | |
| 2011 | Brighter Days | |
| 2013 | This River | |
| 2015 | Ol' Glory | Provogue Records |
| 2024 | Olustee | Alligator Records |
The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music.
Frederick Nathaniel "Toots" Hibbert, was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the reggae and ska band Toots and the Maytals. A reggae pioneer, he performed for six decades and helped establish some of the fundamentals of reggae music. Hibbert's 1968 song "Do the Reggay" is widely credited as the genesis of the genre name reggae. His band's album True Love won a Grammy Award in 2005.
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Fog City Records is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco. Founded in 1996 by producer/engineer Dan Prothero, the label's first release was Coolin' Off which helped the career of New Orleans–based band Galactic. This was followed by debut albums by Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, Garage A Trois, Papa Mali, Robert Walter's 20th Congress, MOFRO, Etienne de Rocher, and Tim Bluhm.
Dan Prothero is an American, New Orleans–based independent record producer, recording engineer, graphic designer and record collector. He has been called "the true king of raw" by AllMusic, for his emphasis on live performance, vintage analog recording techniques, and gritty drum tones.
Blackwater is the first studio album by the Jacksonville, Florida based band MOFRO.
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Lochloosa is the second studio album by the Jacksonville, Florida-based band MOFRO. The album was inspired by Lochloosa Lake, which embodies the natural part of the Florida heartland that the band often sings about in their songs.
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Mighty High is the eighth studio album by southern rock jam band Gov't Mule. The album was released on October 16, 2007, by ATO Records. Mighty High features reggae and dub versions of classic Mule covers and originals with special guest appearances by reggae legends Michael Franti, Toots Hibbert, and Willi Williams. Most tracks on Mighty High were recorded in the studio but a few of the songs are remixed dubstyle from live recordings at the Beacon Theatre, Bonnaroo, and Mountain Jam. Although the album was not well received among Mule fans, it opened the doors to many reggae fans to their music.
"Seminole Wind" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist John Anderson. It was released in August 1992 as the fourth single and title track from the album of the same name. It peaked at number 2 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and reached number-one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. Before its release as a single, it was included on the B-side of the album's second single release, "Straight Tequila Night."
Country Ghetto is the third album from the band JJ Grey & Mofro. It was their first to be released by the band's new label, Alligator Records, after JJ Grey & Mofro had left Fog City Records. The Gadsden flag is represented on the cover of the album with the words "Don't Tread on Me" on the rear of the booklet.
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Orange Blossoms is the fourth studio album from the band JJ Grey & Mofro. The album was recorded in north Florida, and features 12 songs inspired by Grey's experiences and observations. The sole cover is a rendition of "Everything Good Is Bad", originally by Detroit act 100 Proof on Hot Wax Records. Accompanying are guitarist Daryl Hance, bassist/organist Adam Scone, drummer Anthony Cole, saxophonist Art Edmaiston and trumpeter Dennis Marion.
"The Sun Is Shining Down" is a song written by J.J.Grey of the musical formation JJ Grey & Mofro. It is included in their 2007 album Country Ghetto.
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This River is the sixth studio album by American Southern rock band JJ Grey & Mofro. It was released on April 16, 2013, via Alligator Records, making it the band's fourth album for the label. Recording sessions took place at Retrophonics Studios in St. Augustine with additional recording at The Egg Room in Florida. Production was handled by Dan Prothero and JJ Grey, with Jesse Aratow serving as executive producer.
Ol' Glory is the seventh studio album by American Southern rock band JJ Grey & Mofro. It was released on February 24, 2015, via Provogue Records, making it the band's only album for the label. Recording sessions took place at Retrophonics Studios in St. Augustine, Florida. Production was handled by Dan Prothero and JJ Grey, with Jesse Aratow serving as executive producer.
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