It's all been done before...

By Jake Lewis

It's just a matter of how well you do it.

Mofro has an honest sound. It's one that makes you feel like you're on the porch, swinging and listening to the breeze blow through the weeping willow trees.

This familiar sound has taken the band from all corners of the globe, with members from three different continents, and has brought them together to serve the common good.

The band's current album, Blackwater - included on Amazon.com's 10 Best R&B/Soul CDs of 2001 - is taking them on the road traveling from here to there and all in between.

The band now finds itself in Dallas, playing in the ballroom at the Gypsy Tea Room - the third gig of the current tour.

"Last night we were in Austin and the crowds [in Dallas] and there have been great," said dobro player and guitarist Daryl Hance. "Everybody here is ready to throw down."

The band first played together in November of '98. Lead vocalist, guitarist and harmonica player John "JJ" Grey and Hance took off to London where they spent a year and a half searching.

When they'd finished their UK stop-over, they came away with Nathan Shepherd, an Aussie by birth and a French bassist named Fabrice "Fabgrease" Quentin.

At first glance, the guys seemed a group of four similar individuals, who'd probably played together in Grey's garage since they were in high school, coming fully equipped with snap buttons and all.

But in actuality, the members have taken their diverse backgrounds and upbringings and channeled them into something of substance.

"Music is about our lives," Grey said. "It's about being exactly where you're from - exactly who you are."

Shepherd alternates between the keys and a vintage 1930s saxophone. Both instruments give each song that little something extra. The keys have the ability to captivate the audience single handedly.

The music is deeply rooted in blues and soul and makes it nearly impossible to stand still while the band is rocking out.

Grey plays a funky harmonica when he's not belting out the tunes with all his might. His voice makes you forget the venue around and all the people, leaving you to focus more acutely on every southern-drawl-laced inflection.

At the end of the day music is about having a good time and so is Mofro, a bunch of good guys playing good music.

"Music is life. There's something about living in a place in a time. The music comes out of that," Grey said. "Besides, I'm too old to do anything else."

The most unique set pieces on the stage were the patchwork kitchen table chairs circa 1960 with large patches of paisleys and bright colors adorning the upper half and skinny black legs below - funky and familiar at the same time.

Blackwater is available at amazon.com and various fine music shops. As soon as you pop it into your player, you'll feel like you've heard it a hundred times.