Born and raised a swamp crack'a in rural Northeast Florida, JJ Grey learned to fish local creeks and backwaters at a young age. Over time, he got to fish in big salty waters, such as the St. Johns River at the jetties near Jacksonville. Through hard work, one step at a time, Grey and his band now play Florida swamp funk music all over the world, and he gets to fish in exotic places like Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Grey's band released two discs under the name "Mofro": "Blackwater" in 2001 and "Lochloosa" in 2004. Grey wrote the majority of the music and lyrics. His long-time friend and guitarist, Daryl Hance, wrote some of the music. Former band members Fabrice Quentin and Nathan Shepherd also contributed.
After signing with Alligator Records, his renamed band - "JJ Grey & Mofro" - released "Country Ghetto" in 2007 and the critically acclaimed "Orange Blossoms" in 2008. Band members have changed over the years, but Grey remains the constant songmaster and Hance's guitar the glue that binds the funk. In recent years, the band has enhanced its sound with more horns and background vocalists.
Year after year, the band has toured extensively. However, at year's end, expect these home boys to come play a New Year's show at the Freebird Cafe in Jacksonville Beach, as they have done since 2002.
Many of Grey's songs reflect his deep love of natural Florida and his outrage over the carelessness and greed that have scarred the landscape. The title cut on "Lochloosa" reflects those feelings like the blue sky and clouds on the surface of Lake Lochloosa in southeast Alachua County. Grey's lyrics are in sync with his deeds. He autographed a beautiful Gibson Les Paul studio guitar for the St. Johns Riverkeeper's auction held in St. Augustine at the Blackwater Sol Revue - Orange Blossoms' tour opener. The guitar was autographed by band members of Los Lobos, too. Nice touch. He is set to play a benefit for the Surfrider Foundation this summer.
Before a recent concert at Tallahassee's Engine Room, Grey shared some of his thoughts on fishing, music and growing up in Northeast Florida with GAFF. Here are some excerpts from that interview.
How did you get started fishing?
Um, through my Dad and my Uncle and my Grandfather - they all fished. We would go on vacation to the lake and my Dad would fish, you know, that was my introduction. Then we used to set up a fire and fish for catfish at night in the creek near my Grandparent's house. I used to be scared... as long as they didn't leave me at night and walk somewhere up the creek it was fun, way out in the middle of nowhere (right outside of Jacksonville).
What is the first fish you remember catching?
A brim with a little old cane pole. The first time I went by myself and caught one I was probably about five or six years old. There was a little creek by my parents' house and we all used to fish in that. There was a gator that lived in it then; we all used to swim and fish in it and everything.
And eventually you got started saltwater fishing?
Oh yeah. How that got started was my next-door neighbors, they had a weekend retreat down there above Shands Bridge at what's called Orangedale. We'd fish on the east side of the St. Johns River, actually in between the old and new Shands Bridges, and they had a dock there and the reds would run and there was mullet, which was a little harder to catch. And we used to catch sometimes gar, sometimes catfish, but the reds would run way up in there and there were certain times of the year when you could shrimp off the dock, too. And so they would take me down there and then my Dad used to fish for sheepshead off of the jetties at the mouth of the St. Johns River.
And then there was my other friend who I grew up with and his Dad used to fish constantly around the mouth of the river for reds, trout, sheepshead, cobia, kings, anything that you could catch in close. Tarpon would run up the creeks sometimes. But they were mainly fishing for groceries and were not rigged up for that. Now, I'd love to catch a tarpon, but I'd much rather catch a big ole redfish.
What was your most memorable fishing experience?
Well, I got a couple. One was goofy. And that was when the kingfish were running and my cousin and I went out. I've always complained that if there is a crab within a mile of anything that I put in the water, he's on my bait and going to pick my pocket, always. Now we are trolling for kingfish pretty shallow with an outrigger out about a half-mile off shore and I caught a saltwater catfish on the top, trolling no less. And then there was another time at the rock pile off of Amelia Island when I caught a really nice trout, the biggest trout I ever caught, and that was fun.
What is your favorite place to fish?
Nassau Sound and all around there, and all up in the sawgrass. Now, a friend of mine, he's got two Heritage redfish kayaks and we went out fishing in those and he hid me in the back, but I can't wait to try the flats and sneak up there and catch me some reds when they are sunning. Now (kayak fishing) it kind of slows down the trip, which I kinda like, paddling back at night looking up at the stars, which was fun.
What is your favorite seafood restaurant?
Chowder Ted's, that's it. [Heckshire Drive - Jacksonville's Northside].
Do you fish when the band is on tour?
Sometimes when I'm on the road and I get a chance, I'll go.
So, eating, surfing, music and fishing are your hobbies?
I love 'em all.
What about music and fishing - what do they have in common?
Um, that's a good question. Plenty. Definitely, have patience. Fishing takes a little more patience. If you can't keep your bait in the water you aren't going to catch anything. It's the same with music; you can get ahead of the game. And, something that's kind of universal to everything, music and fishing, is if you expect to do something, you can always set yourself up for failure and not enjoy just going. It's like my cousin - he's great at it - he says, "I'm not going fishing, I'm going out here to catch a couple of beers and drop some lines out." And some people are dead serious about it. And some people have a natural knack; others don't.... But, be patient, the main thing is just let it happen. And that is one good thing that fishing can teach you. And I got a lot to learn about that one - I'll drop a line out and if I don't get a hit in two or three seconds, I'm ready to pull up and move the boat, but you know, it 's like "give it a minute, man." Let it materialize. Let it happen.
What made you decide to be a musician?
You know, I didn't even think about it. It just happened.
When are you going to record a song about fishing?
You know the song "Lochloosa" is not about fishing, but it is about
the world I saw while I was fishing. You know, cuz my Grandfather and I'd go down there and catch speckled perch in the winter... it's all of those memories; those are the things I see when I'm singing those songs, songs like "Florida." I'm thinking about all of those things...
At your concerts, crowds seem to really love that song. Why?
Well, the whole thing hit a nerve with me because, and I think
everybody feels the same way and in some ways, everything changes and there is nothing you can do about that, but at the same time some things need changing and some don't... One thing I love about "Lochloosa" and the song "On Palastine" (about the Lake) is when I go down there it has changed so little. I won't say untouched, but it has changed so little and it's, like, just being there it just did something to me. You know, I can just feel something, The whole rest of the world can go to hell in a hand basket as fast as it can and you don't even realize it until you go to a place like this and you realize, wait a minute, these places are worth remembering, they are worth fighting for. So I write these songs just to remind myself. Cuz, I was ready to forget my cares just like everybody else, and still fight that battle all the time. You get caught up in going and playing shows and doing music and "career" and you are not paying attention to things that really matter. I can't speak for anybody else, and I certainly did not write it to preach to anybody... more like to enlighten them. Hell, I needed to be enlightened. I needed to remember; that's why I wrote the song.
My Mom kept on me, "you have got to read this book, you'll love
it" and I said, "Yea, yea, yea, whatever." It was called "A Land
Remembered." I read a little bit and it was like OK, and I put the book down. And she was just like, "Keep reading it!" So, once I got past the first chapter, it jumps back to the 1800's and before long I was just totally committed to the story. Anyway, I read the whole story and a flood of memories came back from my Grandfather, just sitting on the front porch, telling me all these different stories about when he grew up, and rounding up cows and no fences and all these different things they used to do. And after reading that book, it woke things up and I started remembering, and it was like, I'm never going to forget this stuff again. And the best way for me to do that was to just write songs about it.
Do you think that the citizen's initiative limiting marine nets has improved the fishing?
Well, there is no doubt about it. I understand the people that were gillnetting and needing to make a living. But, I never read any stories where any of them starved to death, and to be honest with you, I had friends that did it and in the end it didn't cripple them and didn't hurt them as bad as they thought. Some of them did other things. Most of the guys who were my friends said the ban was the best damn thing that ever happened to them. For one thing, they were living to keep a boat running and that's it. They didn't get rich. They would say, "I didn't know how bad it was till I got out of it." And a lot of them went to fishing offshore more and what not.
But we had to do it or we would lose everything....
* * *
Be sure to visit the band's website -- www.mofro.net -- for up to date
information on concerts (and hopefully another album). You can listen to songs, order CDs, and find interesting articles and links.
Many thanks to Jesse Aratow and Megan McFann at Madison House for logistical support and kindness, to my son Nathan for helping me with the interview. Special thanks to JJ Grey for sharing his time (and his music) with us and for helping keep the spirit of Florida alive.
Photo by Tobin Voggesser
Posted
08-13-2009 1:19 PM
by
GAFF Mag Issue Jul-Aug 2009