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More mojo than a warehouse full of mistletoe, more spirit than a bathtub full of gin, groovier than anything you're gonna hear on the radio this holiday season... it's got soul, it's superbad... it's ROBERT WALTER's HOLIDAY RECORD. Seriously, we get so many comments about this little record, and it's always a hit when we're at home for the holidays. Take a listen and pick up your copy now. Santa baby!

Garage A Trois is hitting the road in December 2009. Down the west coast, then a few stops in the east. Fog City's own Dan Prothero will be spinning rare 45s between sets at the San Francisco show. Details on the tour page.

MOFRO's JJ Grey has written his first score for the feature documentary film, THE GOOD SOLDIER, which premiered on November 11th - Armistice Veterans Day - in New York, Los Angeles, Madison, Kansas City and many other cities. On November 6th, the film received a national promotional boost when it was featured on PBS's nationwide show "Bill Moyers Journal." This is a powerful and important tally of the price paid by generations of men and women who fought for their country, and we highly recommend you watch it. For a theatre near you, check out www.thegoodsoldier.com.

After an embarrassing and unexplainably long period of unavailability, Fog City t-shirts are finally back in stock. They sold out long ago, and I suppose we were just working on other things, and one of those things led to another, and, well... where did the time go? (Those of you over the age of 25 probably know what we're talking about... those of you over 35 definitely do.) Fans of all ages and sizes: stop by our online store and pick up a Fog City tee, if only to pay for our therapy which will hopefully reveal any issues underlying our procrastination, which will eventually lead to the growth that would ensure a more functional running of our day-to-day operations, so that when the wanna-be's take note of your awesome Fog City shirt and go to order one for themselves they will find it in stock.

Great review of JJ Grey & MOFRO in the New York Times, including some very nice words about their most recent album, Orange Blossoms (recorded and produced by Dan Prothero, Fog City's head honcho and chief bottle-washer): "Among other things, it suggested that Mofro has one of the great unhurried rhythm sections in rock, capable of heavy track-laying but comfortable with airy fluctuation." Aw shucks!

Fog City's own Robert Walter and Stanton Moore backed Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah) on his debut solo album, an effort that Spin has called "the sharpest arrangements and best songwriting of his short career: Almost every tune on Mo Beauty equals or betters those on CYHSY's lauded 2005 debut," and credits New Orleans "ringers" Robert and Stanton. Right on, brothers...

The news could not be better: MOFRO's JJ Grey will be performing with two musical icons: Mavis Staples and Booker T. Performing both separately and together, the artists promise a concert filled with timeless hits, heart and plenty of soul. That's Mavis of the Staple Singers, Booker of Booker T & The MG's, and JJ. Playing together. Think about it. Three dates in March were announced initially: Fort Worth, Austin, and Urbana. Dare we hope for more? Or is that just being greedy?

Stanton Moore is interviewed for the Documentary Channel’s new four-part series, “Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense”. The series has been in production for seven years. Stanton's part premiered on April 20th, 2009 (a trailer is online here). Festival screenings are in the works now. Keep an eye on the project's website for more info.

Louisiana's coastal wetlands are disappearing at the rate of a football field every 45 minutes, destroying New Orleans natural storm defenses. In this video, Stanton, along with members of Fishbone and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, talk about the state of the wetlands and Louisiana's coastal crisis after a fly over of the gulf coast.

Fog City label head Dan Prothero has wrapped up production and mixing on the new album from JJ Grey & MOFRO. Orange Blossoms is out now, and available through Alligator Records. Backed by the full arsenal of horns, strings and a kick-butt bunch of backing vocalists, this is some high-octane soul for your almost-empty gas tank. Take it for a spin...

Madness. Madness I say! Putting artists and fans together in the same space for a week? In international waters? Madness. Robert Walter, JJ Grey & Mofro, Stanton Moore, Skerik, Robert Mercurio, Cochemea Gastelum and Tim Bluhm to name just a few Fog City artists and alumni. January 2010.

In addition to a very flattering five-page feature on Papa Mali in their latest issue, Hittin' The Note magazine has included his latest record (Do Your Thing) in their top 10 list for the year. Aww, shucks!

Seems like Jazzfest is coming early this year. Or at least, all the planning sure is. Early enough that there are already a bunch of shows booked with Fog City artists, past and present... but they haven't even released the JazzFest poster yet. Damn. Last year it was EIGHTEEN SHOWS (plus sit-ins all over town) and we anticipate the same this year. Sheesh. What we can announce right now: first weekend, Garage A Trois plays the Riverboat Creole Queen. As always, It's gonna be nuts. Keep your eye on our tour page as the details unfold.

Quick announcement -- if you're lucky enough to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, be sure to check out Papa Mali's 2nd Annual Supernatural Ball, at Tipitina's on Thursday February 19th. With special guests Hot 8 Brass Band, George Porter, Jr., Glen David Andrews, John Mooney, Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, and more. Wild! Check out our tour page for links.

So far, so good. Fog City artists, past and present, are playing EIGHTEEN shows (and counting!) in New Orleans during this year's Jazz & Heritage Festival. And that doesn't even count the sit-ins that will be happening all over town, every night of the week. For an onslaught of funk and soul in one of New Orleans' most vital clubs, we recommend you check out JJ Grey & MOFRO (with New Mastersounds) at Tipitina's. For those of you who look for something more personal, Papa Mali will be playing an intimate little show at the Rusty Nail. Also, we have high hopes for Garage A Trois at One Eyed Jacks and Galactic on the Riverboat Creole Queen. Oh and then there's Stanton Moore and Robert Walter at historic Preservation Hall... Where to even start? Where to stop? It's gonna be nuts. Check out our tour page for the latest.

Fog City label head and producer Dan Prothero is hard at work with JJ Grey & MOFRO, recording tracks for their next (fourth) album in St. Augustine Florida. The intent is to release the record this year, but we can't tell you any more than that for the time being...

JJ Grey & MOFRO went down under in March for the Byron Bay East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival, playing for three days on March 22-24. Other acts included John Fogerty, KT Tunstall, Xavier Rudd, Keb Mo and G Love & Special Sauce among others.

Robert Walter is continuing his occasional touring with The Greyboy Allstars. April 2008 sees them East Coasting before playing three shows at JazzFest. If you missed the Allstars the first time around, don't sleep.

JJ GREY & MOFRO celebrate the New Years with a return to their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida for FOUR nights at Freebird Live.

It's that time of year again... JazzFest. New Orleans. I can already taste the duck and pheasant gumbo at the fairgrounds, oysters at Casamento's, the muffaletta at Central Grocery, late night fried chicken at Fiorella's... mmmm. But it's also time to give a little something back. This year, we will again be volunteering with Habitat For Humanity and helping complete the Musician's Village project. Those who volunteered with us last year know it was a little exhausting and a lot rewarding. Come join us this year and experience it for yourself. You will be glad you did.

The first review of Papa Mali's upcoming release Do Your Thing has arrived (courtesy of New Orleans' Gambit Magazine), and we thought you should read it -- not because it flatters us, but so you can see how to properly rock a word like "grimoire":

Malcolm "Papa Mali" Welbourne is the kind of local character that would be genuinely iconic anywhere else. Here in his adopted New Orleans, though, where we historically curate a stellar permanent collection of freaks, oddities and twisted brilliance, he simply fits right in. That's not faint praise, either. The psychedelic swamp sounds on Do Your Thing are New Orleans inside and out, and even if the sound didn't show it, his guest list would. No less of a supporting cast than the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's sousaphone player Kirk Joseph, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, award-collecting pianist Henry Butler, the Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indians, and the Reverend Goat Carson -- who's equally likely to be seen sweeping up a Frenchmen Street bar in the early morning as playing in one late at night -- appear on the record, which is a magically crafted grimoire of voodoo space blues. Reminiscent of Night Tripper-era Dr. John, Coco Robicheaux or C.C. Adcock's latest gritty ghost-rock effort, Do Your Thing runs the gamut from prayerful blues on tracks like the haunting, understated closer True Religion to psychedelic, almost Beatles-esqe fuzz guitar on I Had The Dream. All in all, a powerful, glowing globe of swamp gas.

JJ Grey & MOFRO are playing their first Jazzfest this year, on opening day - Friday, April 27th. The initial lineup has been announced, too. Some of our favorites: Dr. John, Van Morrison, Jill Scott, Irma Thomas, Pharoah Sanders, Rebirth Brass Band, Richie Havens, Percy Sledge, Mose Allison, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Eddie Bo, Henry Butler, Allen Toussaint, Tony Joe White, Galactic, Irma Thomas' Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, Morning 40 Federation, Lady Buckjumpers and Undefeated Divas SAPCs, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles, and, well, every Mardi Gras Indian tribe and brass band... plus the gospel tent... we're gonna start saving up on our sleep right now...

How can mere words convey the gravity of the imminent appearance of THE NEW PAPA MALI RECORD? How can you describe the raucus, floor-rattling grooves and explain how, somehow, this funky good time actually proves to be meaningful and even a little thoughtful, like the kind of thing you'd like to go back and listen to a few dozen more times just to get your head around it. How do we get this across to you?

Well, let's put it this way: Imagine yourself on some random night out that turns into a chance encounter with an outrageous special someone, where somehow things get real naughty and, you know, things are said and done to the point where you might even be a little embarrassed and you aren't sure if you can both still respect each other, and then just when you're wondering if it's cool to call them they go ahead and call YOU, and you end up dating for a long, long time. Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Well, the new Papa Mali record is kind of like that. Except it's a record.

Our own Etienne de Rocher has been touring with Bay Area breakout band Honeycut, rocking his fuzz bass and otherwise looking like a member of Gorillaz or something. Who knew? And check out their bad-ass drummer, who plays a drum machine with his fingers. Yeah we never thought we'd say that either... laugh for now if you must, but when they rock their version of "Impeach The President" you will submit.

Papa Mali is giving something back to his adopted home of Austin Texas, and you're invited. He's enlisted friends the Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers, Shelley King, Leann Atherton and others, and will be heading up what is fixin' to be the first annual Soul Of South Austin Holiday Reunion. Bring your cushions, blankets and long-lost friends, and join in on a spiritual and soulful reunion. Gumbo and red beans & rice will be provided (as you might expect at any self-respecting reunion). Bring your favorite appetizer or side dish to share. The event benefits the Capital Area Food Bank; canned food donations are being accepted and each can knocks a dollar off the $15 ticket price. December 21st at Ruta Maya, South Austin TX.

Papa Mali is celebrating the January release of his new album with old friends: Galactic. Twenty dates have been announced so far, taking the bands from Memphis to Boston and back down south again. Papa Mali will be facing off with drum monster Robb Kidd in a drum and geetar showdown. The funk begins January 24, the day after the release of DO YOUR THING. As always, the latest tour dates are available here.

Tim Bluhm is furthering his rapidly developing friendship and collaboration with longtime fan, fellow California resident, and Verve recording artist Jackie Greene. The two are touring the west coast in December, appearing at classy joints statewide as The Skinny Singers and singing reworked versions of songs from Tim's solo acoustic debut California Way and Jackie's back catalog. If their fledgling mano-a-mano appearance in Sacramento a few months back is any indication, these fearless multi-instrumentalists will be swapping songs and backing each other up on an assortment of geetars, keyboards and drums. Expect greatness.

So I was just wandering around YouTube the other day, you know, watching videos of Little Superstar and whatnot, when I happened upon this fake video of a classic MOFRO tune. The kids are alright!

Yeah u right. MOFRO will be backed by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for the third time, at the beautiful Jacoby Symphony Hall in their hometown of Jacksonville on Thanksgiving weekend (November 24, 2006). The orchestra will play an overture of MOFRO material (the score has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Music), and then accompany the band for a set. Other high-concept surprises are in the works for this evening. Recognition of this sort is a major accomplishment for any songwriter and any band, and we are very proud of JJ and MOFRO.

Etienne de Rocher has just been confirmed for this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival here in San Francisco. It's one of the best run festivals of its kind in the country, a great day in the park even given its huge growth in popularity (last year, we heard there were more people in Golden Gate Park then there ever have been... for any event... ever). Plus it's free. Righteous!

It's summertime, and the weather has been remarkably un-foggy here in Fog City. But as usual, Tim Bluhm is way ahead of the curve, having headed up into Yosemite to lead summer hiking tours through some of the west coast's most beautiful terrain. An accomplished backwoods guide and campground gourmet he may be, but we're eager to see Tim ease back into his city slicker persona before too long. Come back, Tim, and rock the not-so-free world!

Hot on the heels of his spotlight show at Fog Fest 2006, MOFRO's JJ Grey has confirmed a string of dates opening for Galactic as a solo act. Expect mostly solo acoustic performances with plenty of sit-ins during this very special limited run. Details as always are available on our gig page.

Etienne de Rocher reunites with some old friends for a brief tour through the east coast in July. Old bandmates Todd Sickafoose (now touring with Ani diFranco) returns to his duties on bass and Andrew Borger (now with Norah Jones' band) returns to the drum chair for this limited summertime run. Expect greatness!

Papa Mali appears in the feature length documentary New Orleans: Music in Exile, by award winning director Robert Mugge, which premiered on the Starz cable network and may see theatrical release. Papa is featured in performance w/ Cyril Neville and being interviewed about post-Katrina New Orleans. We also recommend you check out Mugge's excellent Sun Ra documentary A Joyful Noise as well as Black Wax (wherein Gil Scott Heron philosophises in a wax museum) whenever the opportunity arises.

As a result of MOFRO's stint working with the Jacksonville Orchestra, JJ Grey worked with A. Paul Johnson to create the “ Mofro ‘N' Mo Overture”. The song, which presents a medley of MOFRO originals in classical style, is performed by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in music. Need to hear it to believe it? Click here to purchase

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who volunteered with us in New Orleans during JazzFest 2006.

Our group volunteered for Common Ground (cleaning out their volunteer dorm and raising a collapsed tent housing relief supplies) and Habitat For Humanity (helping construct one of the first of 75 homes being built on the site of the Musicians Village in the Upper 9th Ward). Mike D (from the Hairy Apes and Garage A Trois) is seen in the photo to the right, attending to some sheathing on one house which has since become someone's home.

Although our two days of volunteerism is just a drop in the bucket, we left with the feeling that the challenges facing New Orleans are not hopeless. If a few dozen ideas like the Musicians Village can come to fruition, with the help of a sustained army of volunteers, real progress can take place in even the most ravaged areas. It just takes creativity and commitment. We highly recommend that you consider volunteering in any way you are able, to any extent you can afford... you just might end up feeling the same hope we do.

MOFRO returns to Europe for the third time, playing a string of spring dates in the UK, Netherlands, and Germany through June 4th. Highlights include a night at the beautiful Jazz Cafe in London. Fans from the USA have already been spotted attempting to not look like stalkers as they follow the band from country to country. Click here for details.

Yo shorty, it's our birthday, and we party like it's our birthday...

To kick off our 10th anniversary, we stepped out with two slamming, one-of-a-kind shows during the 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival:

Sunday April 30: An evening with JJ GREY (MOFRO) and special guests ROBERT WALTER, PAPA MALI and GEORGE SLUPPICK playing original music and selections from the southern soul songbook. A very special, mostly acoustic night at historic Preservation Hall.

Thursday May 4: An evening with PAPA MALI playing with New Orleans piano legend EDDIE BO!!! plus very special guests KIRK JOSEPH (founding member of the Dirty Dozen Brass) and ROBBIE KIDD. Plus Big Chief Mon Boudreaux! At DBA.

Thanks to everyone who showed up and helped make these the initimate and intense events that they were. These were our favorite events of JazzFest, and the same sentiment was echoed by more than one impartial fan...

Can you actually wear the grooves out on a cd? XM Radio seems determined to find out. Not satisfied with playing the Etienne de Rocher record on several XM shows the way they have been, XM will begin airing what they refer to as "an unprecedented 9 songs from the same artist, all in a row". Tune in to their new music show "In Spite Of All The Danger" (XM 50) over the next few weeks to witness the hooha.

After a year-long hiatus, drum powerhouse Robb Kidd is back on the drums, in the van, and on the road with Papa Mali. If you don't know why that's such big news around these parts, witness one of their shows. It's kinda like they used to say about Jam Master Jay (R.I.P.)... Papa Mali may be the one in charge, but it's up to Robb to rock beats that are truly large. We don't know that there's any drummer out there hitting as hard and playing as much drums and yet making it sound so damn simple and loose jointed. Especially when he's backing up Papa. Jambase said: "very few live acts on the scene today can generate the kind of power that the PM trio does on a nightly basis." See them live now, and submit your will to the caveman beats he lays down on the new Papa Mali album when it's released later this year (including guest appearances from Henry Butler and Monk Boudreaux among others). Who's your daddy now?

Tim Bluhm waxes philosophical on five of his favorite albums, at the behest of mp3.com. Check it out!

Also, just added to our tour calendar: Tim tours with Verve artist Jackie Greene, including a night at the Fillmore here in San Francisco and a special evening of acoustic music in Sacramento wherein they trade songs and stories. Click here to read some nice things Jackie had to say about Tim in a recent interview... we knew it all along of course...

Our thanks to Super Dee at jambase.com for writing some very nice things about the Etienne de Rocher record. Something along the lines of "the earth moved". Aw shucks... did we do dat?

Back when we first met (hmm... 1995 or so), Galactic was mostly playing at Benny's, Club Istanbul and the Mermaid Lounge in New Orleans. Many details of those days have since receded into the mists of time (and Benny's, Istanbul and the Mermaid have long since closed). But we can say with some certainty that we no one imagined them backing up Juvenile on The Jimmy Kimmel Show. My my my.

Blackwater, which we originally announced as "the debut album from Jacksonville, Florida's best kept secret" has been named one of the Best of the Decade in Music by amazon.com. It's up there with Beck, d'Angelo, White Stripes, Radiohead and the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack... and is one of the only records NOT released by a major label to make the cut.

So it seems like it's time to come up with a new description. Um... how about "a Fog City classic"?

Haven't heard it yet? Don't know the meaning of "front porch soul"? Want to hear what it meant to special guest Robert Walter? Please, avoid the shame and embarrassment of having your friends find out - get your copy, and spread the word!

You may also wish to bring yourself up to speed by checking out this spotlight story aired by NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO's Morning Edition. Sweet.

The day-by-day grids for this year's Jazz Fest have been released! Show your love, people. Show your love.

One of our favorite Bay Area station KALX has named the new Etienne de Rocher record their number one most played song for the month. Hey now! We have to say it's a little unnerving to be ahead of the newly reissued Bill Withers Just As I Am CD... but we aren't arguing. Any station that started out with a transmitter in a cigar box is awright with us!

KFOG has also included Etienne in their five Favorite Acoustic-Style CD's of 2006 (so far).

Oh... and thanks to everyone who packed the Ivy Room for Etienne's East Bay record release party. The show broke the club's all-time record for both attendance and bar receipts. Madness!

2/17/06: Stanton Moore @ Vail Mountain School - Vail, CO. Stanton presents a master class for drummers in connection with the release of his new instructional book Take It To The Street. Limited tickets available for $15 in advance and $17 at the door. Contact Dave Laub with any questions at 476-3850, ext. 231, or make reservations by e-mailing dlaub@vms.edu. Vail Mountain School is located at 3000 Booth Falls Road, Vail, CO. Friday February 17 at 7PM.

Laugh! as Papa spins tales from the road. Cry! as his head goes ka-bonk on the pavement in Tahoe. And read the latest on Papa's gigs during JazzFest (including his summit meeting with Eddie Bo) and upcoming tour with Henry Butler and Kirk Joseph. To borrow a beat from Rebirth Brass Band, Papa Mali feels like bloggin' it up. Bloggin it up!

Etienne de Rocher made an in-studio appearance on KPIG's most excellent radio show "Please Stand By". Broadcast worldwide via their RealAudio feed, KPIG can also be tuned in at KPIG FM "107 oink 5" ( Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz ), KPIG AM 1510 ( San Francisco, and the greater bay area ), KPYG FM 94 oink 9 ( San Luis Obispo ). This is an excellent show with host Sleepy John. In-studio video also broadcast via the studio's Ham Cam. OINK!

National Public Radio just aired a nice feature on Robert Walter, his relationship to New Orleans (where he's living once again), and his new album SUPER HEAVY ORGAN (which was produced by Fog City ombudsman Dan Prothero). Check our tour calendar for upcoming Super Heavy Organ shows, which will feature New Orleans legends Johnny Vidacovich (drummer on the classic Professor Longhair album Crawfish Fiesta as well as Stanton Moore's childhood instructor) and James Singleton. Stanton Moore and Anthony Farrell were also guests on the session.