What's this site about?
My name is Clay and I ain't nobody special. I'm not a musician, or promoter, or club owner. I have no special talents other than having a wicked, dry, sarcastic sense of humor. And I can't say that I'm one of Mofro's longest-time fans, (I've met some other die-hard fans that have been following them as much and longer) but I'm certainly among their legions of the most faithful and enthusiastic.
I'm a 5th generation Floridian (yep!). My wife and I (we live in Tampa, 15 minutes from the world-famous Skipper's Smokehouse--"the Skipperdome" to us locals, and home to WMNF 88.5 the best fcking radio station in the entire universe) go to nearly every Mofro show on every one of their Florida concert swings (we went to 11 in 07, and through June of '08 have seen them 7 times and should hit at least 14 by the end of the year.)
[A lot of people doing a search to see if JJ Grey is married seem to end up here because of the way keywords and engines work. The answer is YES, JJ IS MARRIED; he and his wife have been married many years. If you want to know anything further about it, you'll have to ask him. This is a fansite, not a gossip site.]
It's like a great drug buzz but not near as expensive.
If you've been to a MOFRO show, you know the feeling. It's alive, electric, moving, flowing, and never, ever lets you down. A MOFRO concert gives you a buzz, leaves you hungering for more afterward, and sends you home in search of your next fix.
This site's for you and me and legions of MOFRO fans.
This site's not about me; it costs me money, I don't make anything on it and I don't want and wouldn't try to capitalize on JJ and Mofro's continued success. What it's for, quite simply, is a place for me and you and all of JJ Grey & MOFRO fans to hang out.
This is a place for us to congregate and yak, look at pictures, get news...basically as a supplement to what's already provided to us by Alligator Records on the official MOFRO site and on MySpace.
Launched in January '08, my goal is to give us die hard fans what we can't get from official site, whatever that may be. (Let me know ya'll--it's YOUR fansite! We all want the band to be as successful as they can and I want this site to help them as much as possible in that endeavor while also fixing the jones we have for JJ, the music, and all the guys involved in Mofro.
Hotter than a August sidewalk in Micanopy.
Now, more than ever, these cats are hot. The new CD--Country Ghetto--out in Feb '07, and their first under the Alligator Records label, is JJ Grey at his finest. Many of the songs have been on their set list for a few years; live audiences have heard variations of some of these MOFRO songs at shows long before Country Ghetto was cut, but now you can hear them at their in-studio mixed best.
Defying genre-labels, mixing funk, soul, R&B...there ain't nothing like it.
JJ Grey blends the electric piano masterfully with his soulful voice, wails on harp so damn good that he can make the handicapped get up and dance (I seen it) and has honed his guitar skills immensely in the past few years. But his skills as a music composer and lyricist give Country Ghetto what those who've seen them live know what they can do. The addition of horns, the extra vocals, JJ's maturity and development, all make Country Ghetto a more true representation of MOFRO than the previous two (Lochloosa, and Blackwater.) But get them if you don't have them, because they're damn fine too.
Orange Blossoms is a juicy intermingling of funkified R&B, classic soul, and JJ's mesmerizing lyrical and music compostion talents.
Released in Aug, '08, "Orange Blossoms" is a mix of sweet and tangy that, depending on how you blend it, quenches your thirst for a soulful ballad, satisfies your craving for some 60s/70s rhythm & blues, and fills you up with funky grooves and a horn section that sizzles. "Orange Blossoms" is further enhanced by 3 lovely ladies on backup vocals that add some spice, and a string section that on some songs is the cherry on top.
But the real meat of Orange Blossoms is in JJ's voice. Like a fine Kentucky whiskey, his voice gets smoother with age. His vocal talents are at their height--or are they?--and showing more depth and range than ever. Many say that "Orange Blossoms" is their best CD to date.
Enjoy the ride
I hope you'll dig the site. It's perpetually under construction, and hopefully always will be. As new stuff happens with our boys, we endeavor to let you know and serve as your connection.
Some photos courtesy of Jeremy Gordon
