Mofro - Blackwater CD

Front porch soul and live "jookhouse" funk from the Blackwater region of North Florida...Mofro is led by singer / songwriter John "JJ" Grey, who grew up outside Jacksonville, developing a taste for raw grooves and living a life to inspire his soulful lyrics. John's lifelong buddy Daryl Hance provides a side portion of guitar flavor and solidifies the North Florida orientation of the band. Blackwater, Mofro's debut release on Fog City Records, maintains the label's focus on musicianship, fat tones and good times, and a real sense of place. It's that last quality that's especially strong with this record, deepened by John's lyrical insights into a place and culture that is slipping away with Florida's steady march to "progress". Special guest George Sluppick (currently touring with fellow Fog City artists Robert Walter's 20th Congress) may have the best perspective on this album, as he filled the drum seat for the Blackwater recordings (a very important slot on any Fog City session!) and also brings his Memphis-raised sensibility to the project. Of course, he fits right in with the profile of this band: a bunch of bad mofro's that are really just the nicest people you'd ever hope to meet. Here's what George had to say: "the reason I chose to work with JJ and brother Hance on the Mofro project is very simple.... we speak the same language (PERIOD) Of course, I could go on and tell ya'll about how John's lyrics spoke to me and touched my heart, and his voice brought back memories of the Gospel singers in the Black churches back home, or that the greasy-ass soulful tunes they write make me think of the days when I was a kid hanging out on Beale and listening to the street musicians who played with more honesty and conviction than ANY of the 'wanna-be's that ruled the night clubs of Memphis. But truth be known, I dig these guys and really wanted to be a part of it. I feel like we've connected with each other on a very deep level..... it's funky and groovin', like fried catfish and turnip greens... it's uplifting and spiritual, like grits and bacon...it's Southern to the core. My peoples!" With a cameo appearance from Robert Walter himself, Blackwater is a must have for fans of the Fog City thing... and an eye opener for anyone who thought there wasn't much going on in Florida... or grits aint groceries!

This is an ENHANCED CD: In addition to more than an hour of boombox-optimized barbeque soul, this CD can also be placed in the CD-ROM drive of most computers for a multimedia experience that includes a full screen video (recorded in studio during the Blackwater sessions), "hands on" interactive mixer, virtual reality studio tour and bonus audio tracks on CDROM... it's got soul, and it's superbad!

Track list:
1- Blackwater
2- Ho Cake
3- Air
4- Jookhouse
5- Nare Sugar
6- Free
7- Florida
8- Cracka Break
9- Lazy Fo Acre
10- Santa Claus, True Love, and Freedom
11- Frog Giggin'
12- Whitehouse
13- Brighter Days