This was my second time seeing JJ Grey & MOFRO, the first time being 5 yrs ago when he opened for the Derek Trucks Band. JJ and his act have grown considerably. The first time it was a 4 piece band and JJ was constantly playing an instrument. This time it was a 7 piece band, including a trumpet player, sax player and keyboardist. JJ did not play any keys, and played guitar on only about 1/2 of the songs. The rest of the time he just sang vocals, and it seemed to free him up more to interact with the audience and the other band members.
One big improvement to the sound was adding Todd Smallie (a founding member of the Derek Trucks Band) on bass. Combined with the new drummer (I didn't catch his name), MOFRO's rhythm section is better than ever. And the horn players added a huge dimension, both in terms of music and showmanship. A great horn duo!
JJ's connection with the audience - his naturally 'out-there' soulfulness - was a big hit with the Seattle crowd.