[rating=4.00]
The DVD portion of JJ Grey & MoFro’s Brighter Days is more than just a concert video. It is a combination travelogue and biography that illustrates the frontman’s roots so vividly, the impact of the story is as powerful as the joyfully explosive end result of those roots, namely the Mofro concert that comprises the bulk of the playing time.
The film opens with shots of the Florida swamps and Ocean Beach, alternate with J.J. Grey singing and speaking- eloquently about his personal history. Interview interludes with musicians such as Derek Trucks and Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer appear later along with Grey’s description of an enlightened upbringing (the latter planting the seeds of an environmental thread which comes to the fore in the relentless drive of "This Place”). Clearly, the man’s roots inspire him in multiple ways, so much so that he never comes across as provincial when he references his native scene in the vivid and uplifting "Country Ghetto.”
As fevered as Grey and his band sound there, he radiates a naturally ease on the stage fronting the group. A five-piece ensemble including dual horns of Art Edmaiston and Dennis Marion literally blow up a storm during "On Fire” and accentuate the soul strains on ballads such as "A Woman." The contrasting segments of spoken word, studio footage and live show, expertly interwoven by director Spookie Daly, only enhance the drama of the story being told and never undermine the momentum of the performance.
Courtesy of bassist Todd Smallie (formerly a perennial in The Derek Trucks Band) and drummer Anthony Cole, there’s a kick to this music that never flags in its earthy swing even on the more structured material like "Hide and Seek." The pulse of the rhythm derives naturally form Grey’s own delivery of his lyrics, even when vocals don’t directly call to mind the music’s gospel roots. As the syncopated likes of the beat that doubles back on itself during "Ho Cake" (a tribute to the culinary delights of the South) contrasts with the liquid lines of Andrew Trube’s electric guitar, there occurs another brilliant crosscut of film that ultimately serves to highlight the variety of texture, not to mention the depth of intelligence within Mofro’s music.
A low-key showmanship derives from JJ Grey’s down-to-earth persona too and it extends to some spoken intros like the one to "Slow Hot & Sweaty.” Here a lighthearted touch brings another element of personality to this presentation and in so doing extends the pacing of the musical set. It’s smart marketing tool to include both a CD and a DVD in a single package and in the case of Brighter Days, the double set allows the consumer to compare and contrast two works that end up working in complementary fashion.
