JJ Grey & Mofro bring swampy Southern blues to Beaver Creek

Courtesy photo
JJ Grey hasn’t released an album for nine years, and his recent record, “OLUSTEE,” is also his first self-produced album. On Jan. 31, he plays at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in support of the release, which fuses R&B, swampy blues, soul and Southern rock into songs steeped in his native home in Jacksonville, Florida.
Grey has defined modern Southern swamp boogie. His songs speak of mythical Southern stories, the colorful swampland characters he grew up with and the joys of nature, family and friends. They resonate with universal themes of hard luck, redemption and rebirth.
“The best songs I’ve ever written, I never wrote. They wrote themselves,” he said. “The best show I ever played, played itself and had little to do with me or talent. To me, those things come from the power of an honest moment, and I guess I’m trying to live in that power and not force life to cough up what I want.”
Grey spent his early days performing covers behind chicken wire at a bar in Jacksonville, Florida. Now, he plays sold-out shows at some of the largest venues in the world.
He debuted in 2001 with “Blackwater” and then released “Lochloosa” in 2004 under the name Mofro, a moniker he chose to describe his music and sound while still working his day job at a lumberyard. Now, it’s the name of his band. In 2007, he signed with Alligator Records, released five successful albums and toured constantly.

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His dedicated fans fill venues, dancing and singing the words to songs as Grey and his band deliver memorable shows.
“We fondly recall JJ Grey and Mofro’s unforgettable performance at the Vilar in 2019,” said Owen Hutchinson, VPAC’s artistic director. “The band’s live shows are a powerful eruption of Southern rock, soul, and blues, driven by soaring vocals and a tight, dynamic rhythm section. Each performance is a celebration of musical influences through original songwriting, evoking the spirit of legends like Otis Redding, Dr. John, the Allman Brothers and even The Blues Brothers, while unmistakably infused with JJ Grey’s authentic Southern flavor.”

RelixMagazine calls “OLUSTEE” “the essence of JJ Grey & Mofro’s finest work. … It’s a blend of reflection, raucousness, introspection and exultation.”
It includes a moving cover of “Seminole Wind,” which talks about the destruction of the Everglades.
“‘Seminole Wind’ is my favorite song by John Anderson and one of my favorites, period,” Grey said. “I’ve been singing and playing it in one form or another all my life.”
Grey has also continuously worked with environmental groups to preserve the rivers and swamplands and the wildlife that inhabit the waterways.
The other 10 songs on the album range from the introspective opener, “The Sea” to a raucous, celebratory first radio single, “Wonderland.”
Throughout, Grey’s message is simple: Respect the natural world and always try to live in the moment, while never forgetting the importance of having a good time.
- What: JJ Grey and his band Mofro
- When: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31
- Where: Vilar Performing Arts Center
- Tickets: $50.85-$242.95
- More info: VilarPAC.org