JJ Grey & Mofro’s “Ol’ Glory” Is a New Gem

This review has taken me a long time to write. Not that I haven’t had the words in my head. Not that I am struggling to express myself. Not that I can’t think of good things to say. It’s just this: I haven’t been able to stop playing Ol’ Glory by JJ Grey & Mofro. It’s like a book I can’t put down. I keep absorbing the album’s many intricacies and pleasures, hearing some new subtlety to add to my thoughts on this supreme collection.

JJ Grey is a Floridian, from Jacksonville, in fact. He and his band Mofro have been together in one form or another since the late ’90s. The current line-up is Anthony Cole (drums), Andrew Trube (guitar), Anthony Farrell (organ), Todd Smallie (bass), Dennis Marion (trumpet) and Jeff Dazey (saxophone). Together they make a celebrated, soulful, powerful ensemble and just this week they have presented us with their sixth studio album in only eight years. I’m pretty well-versed across over half those releases and last year I got to see him and the band up close in person for the first time (Roots n Blues n BBQ festival in Columbia, MO).

Grey’s presence before the audience in Columbia was startling and immensely personable — a delightful mix of soul, rocking fun, and delicate ballads.  The most striking moment of enlightenment, though, was the evangelical and fearless manner in which he delivered his songs, with a boundless compassion and honesty.

I believe this to be Grey’s finest outing yet, and that’s saying something.  I wonder whether I feel this way because Ol’ Glory is the first new release since I’ve seen him live or is it simply the recording itself – the fact that it simply reflects the fierceness and intimacy of his live performance.  “I wanted that crucial lived-in feel,” Grey says of Ol’ Glory, and here he has nailed it. 

This disc reportedly found him spending more time than ever working over the new material.  “I would visit it much more often in my mind, visit it more often on the guitar in my house,” Grey says. “I like an album to have a balance, like a novel or like a film.  A triumph, a dark brooding moment, or a moment of peace — that’s the only thing I consistently try to achieve with a record.”

Ol’ Glory continues the themes that run through previous material – a strong sense of place and the dogged pursuit of happiness and contentment.  On track one, “Everything Is a Song,” the spirituality of his music is perhaps more evident than before.  “The Island” is one of the two slower songs – Grey’s voice is equally impressive with the delicate material, as well as with the less restrained. Then there’s the swaggering hip-hop-infused  “A Night to Remember.” And, in “Turn Loose,” Grey is in fast-rhyme mode in keeping with the song’s title:

You work a stride
curbside thumbing a ride
on Lane Avenue
while your kids be on their knees
praying Jesus please.

“Brave Lil’ Fighter” is a soulful epic – a visceral, soaring masterpiece. Somewhere along its impressive length, the trumpet takes it to a higher, surreal plane, causing the hairs on my neck to stand at attention, ready to run around the block.  “Home in the Sky” showcases Grey’s dominant and heartfelt vocals, while “Hold On Tight” is a creeping, über-funky wah-wah number. “Tic Tac Toe” is another showcase of a slow-burning vibe that will eat its way into your head, a story of fear and courage. The title track “Ol’ Glory” is uplifting and undeniable, with call-and-response chanting. Get on your knees and feel it!

Ol’ Glory was recorded at Retrophonics Studio in Saint Augustine, FL, where Grey has recorded many times.  From all reports, he is an avid surfer and likes to combine beach mornings with studio afternoons. Special guests include Luther Dickinson’s tasteful dobro and electric slide guitar while Derek Trucks offers a burning guitar solo.

Ol’ Glory is one of the albums of the year. I think I might put it on again.