JJ Grey & Mofro - Orange Blossoms

“JJ Grey and his collection of sidemen known as Mofro are back in the racks, just a year-and-a-half after releasing “Country Ghetto,” their debut Alligator disc. Grey’s idiosyncratic vibe—a world-beating blend of Southern rock, blues and Florida swamp soul—enjoys a further refinement on “Orange Blossoms.” The title track opens the album, and it’s a killer tune that hooks the listener with the opening riff. A horn section figures prominently in this love’s-labor-lost remembrance, and as the CD unfolds, we find Grey getting his money’s worth out of his horn players. The bluesy slow joint “She Don’t Know” is a darkly shaded piece that features a string section, a sure sign that Grey is expanding his sonic repertoire to nail the right atmosphere. The Mofro grit is still a constant for him, but he’s keeping his options open. —Philip Van Vleck”