Maurice Rodgers
b. July 24th, 1942 in East Chicago (Indiana)
BLUES IS MY WAILIN' WALL
Blue Thumb
March - September 1998
Après avoir découvert le blues dans le club tenu par son père, Mo apprend le piano et forme son premier groupe les Rocketeers à l'adolescence. Dans la seconde moitié des années 60, il s'installe à Los Angeles (California). Ses talents de musiciens et de compositeurs lui permettent de produire un album de Sonny Terry & Brownie Mac Ghee en 1972 avec Hal Winn ("Sonny & Brownie"). Mais, manquant d'engagements, Mo abandonne le milieu musical et n'y reviendra qu'en 1992. Il lui faudra plusieurs années de travail - et une bonne partie de ses économies - pour mettre au point ce premier album. On découvre alors sa démarche originale : un son Soul-Blues qui se souvient de ses origines et des textes volontiers littéraires ou philosophiques. Dans ce superbe album, on trouve les remarquables "Took away the drum" et ses influences africaines, "Heaven's got the blues", "No regrets", "Tuskegee blues", "The Kennedy song", "Willie B. and me" (un hommage à son ami le bluesman "Memphis" Willie B.).
After discovering the blues in his father's club, Mo learned to play the piano and formed his first band, the Rocketeers, as a teenager. In the second half of the 1960's, he moved to Los Angeles (California). His musical and songwriting talents allowed him to produce an album of Sonny Terry & Brownie Mac Ghee in 1972 with Hal Winn ("Sonny & Brownie"). But, lacking engagements, Mo abandoned the music world and didn't return until 1992. It took him several years of work — and a good portion of his savings — to build this first album. We then discover his original approach : a Soul-Blues sound that recalls his origins and often incorporates literary or philosophical texts. This superb album includes the remarkable "Took away the drum" and its african influences "Heaven's got the blues", "No regrets", "Tuskegee blues", "The Kennedy song", "Willie B. and me" (a tribute to his friend, the bluesman "Memphis" Willie B.).
RED, WHITE AND BLUES
Blue Thumb
Verve
August 2000 - January 2002
Pour son second album (il est toujours producteur et compositeur), Mo poursuit dans cette veine Soul-Blues avec instrumentations originales et variées et textes ambitieux. De plus, sa voix est magnifique tout au long de la tracklist. Dans cet intense programme, on peut retenir "The holy howl", "The boy who stole the blues", "DNA", "Prisoners of war", "We be marchin'", "Welcome to the faultline".
For his second album (he is still as producer and composer), Mo continues in this Soul-Blues vein with original and varied instrumentation and ambitious lyrics. Moreover, his voice is magnificent throughout the tracklist. Highlights of this intense program include "The holy howl", "The boy who stole the blues", "DNA", "Prisoners of war", "We be marchin'", "Welcome to the faultline".
BLACK PARIS BLUES
Isabel
August 2003
Il s'agit d'un concert sur la scène du Jazz Club Méridien à Paris capturé sur le label Isabel de Didier Tricard. Avec son groupe régulier, Mo délivre un bon set de blues varié et inspiré : "Black Paris blues", "Deja blues", une belle reprise de "Goin' down slow", une longue version de "The boy who stole the blues", "Picasso blue", "I believe in evolution".
This is a concert on stage at the Jazz Club Méridien in Paris captured on Didier Tricard's Isabel label. With his regular band, Mo delivers a nice, varied and inspired blues set : "Black Paris blues", "Deja blues", a beautiful cover of "Goin' down slow", a long version of "The boy who stole the blues", "Picasso blue", "I believe in evolution".
REDNECK BLUES
Dixiefrog
2007
Avec cet album pour le label français Dixiefrog, coordonné par Sébastien Danchin, "Mighty" Mo Rodgers explore l'âme spirituelle du blues : des textes sur la vie quotidienne du Sud et une réflexion sociale et philosophique d'une remarquable pertinence. On apprécie aussi une inspiration musicale entre Blues et Soul emprunte des racines traditionnelles, servie par de merveilleux musiciens. Un programme passionnant dont on peut ressortir "The antebellum south shuffle" (en deux parties), "John Brown blues", "Hambone blues", "Don't die with a lie", "Death of the middle class", "Truth justice and the blues".
With this album for the french label Dixiefrog, coordinated by Sébastien Danchin, "Mighty" Mo Rodgers explores the spiritual soul of the blues : lyrics about daily life in the South and remarkably relevant social and philosophical reflections. We also appreciate a musical inspiration somewhere between Blues and Soul colored with traditional roots, served by wonderful musicians. A fascinating program that highlights "The antebellum south shuffle" (in two parts), "John Brown blues", "Hambone blues", "Don't die with a lie", "Death of the middle class", "Truth justice and the blues".
DISPATCHES FROM THE MOON
Dixiefrog
November 2008 - June 2009
Toujours pour Dixiefrog et avec la collaboration de Sébastien Danchin, Mo délivre un concept-album qui aborde Blues et Soul mais aussi de nombreuses autres influences comme le Reggae, le Jazz ou les musiques africaines. Un programme un peu plus hétéroclite avec de beaux moments comme "Moonwalking on the moon", "Blues is a woman woe is a man", "Africana blues", "Political science fiction", "21st century blues".
Still for Dixiefrog and in collaboration with Sébastien Danchin, Mo delivers a concept album that explores Blues and Soul as well as many other influences such as Reggae, Jazz, and African music. A slightly more diverse program with beautiful moments like "Moonwalking on the moon", "Blues is a woman woe is a man", "Africana blues", "Political science fiction", "21st century blues".
CADILLAC JACK
Model Music Group
2012
MUD 'N BLOOD - A MISSISSIPPI TALE
Dixiefrog
2014
Nouveau concept album pour le label français Dixiefrog dans lequel Mo fait revivre l'esprit et les racines du Blues. Un conte intéressant avec musique variée et voix expressive. On apprécie, en particulier, "Haunted by the blues", "Devil train boogie", "Juke joint jumpin'", "White lightnin' and high yella".
In this new concept album for the french label Dixiefrog, Mo revives the spirit and roots of the Blues. An engaging tale with varied music and expressive vocals. We particularly appreciate "Haunted by the blues", "Devil train boogie", "Juke joint jumpin'", "White lightnin' and high yella".
GRIOT BLUES
One Root Music
August 2015
Cet album symbolise la rencontre entre le bluesman Mighty Mo Rodgers et le musicien malien Baba Sissoko. Etonnament, il a été enregistré en Lituanie. Un superbe programme entre Blues et musique africaine avec de remarquables titres comme "Shake 'em up Charlie", "Nalu / Mother", "Donke / Dance", "The blues went to Africa", "What is the color of love", "Griot blues".
This album symbolizes the encounter between bluesman Mighty Mo Rodgers and malian musician Baba Sissoko. Surprisingly, it was recorded in Lithuania. A superb program between Blues and African music with remarkable tracks like "Shake 'em up Charlie", "Nalu / Mother", "Donke / Dance", "The blues went to Africa", "What is the color of love", "Griot blues".
THE VIRUS
Drinking Gourd
2018
Avec "The virus", Mo délivre un album sombre mais puissant au fort contenu socio-politique. Pour l'occasion, il teinte son Blues de Hip-Hop et de sonorités modernes. Mo est entouré des Starlights et de Margarett Floyd. Une tracklist intense avec "The virus", "Bullets with names", "A mother's prayer" (chanté par Margarett Floyd), "Rites of passage", "Beautiful struggle".
With "The virus", Mo delivers a dark yet powerful album with a strong socio-political undertone. For the occasion, he tinges his blues with hip-hop and modern sounds. Mo is joined by The Starlights and Margarett Floyd. An intense tracklist includes "The virus", "Bullets with names", "A mother's prayer" (sung by Margarett Floyd), "Rites of passage", "Beautiful struggle".
MEMPHIS CALLIN' : SOUL MUSIC & THE AMERICAN DREAM
Drinking Gourd
End 1970's / 2023
Voici un étrange album proposé par Mighty Mo Rodgers désormais octogénaire. Tout d'abord, sept nouveaux titres Soul-Blues avec de beaux cuivres puis quatre autres morceaux gravés à la fin des années 70 avec Steve Cropper et Donald "Duck" Dunn qui n'avaient jamais été publiés jusque là. De la première partie, on peut retenir "Memphis callin'" et "Sing for your supper". Dans la seconde, "San Francisco" et "Indiana" méritent l'écoute.
Here's a strange album from the now octogenarian Mighty Mo Rodgers. First, there are seven new soul-blues tracks with nice horns followed by four other tracks recorded in the late '70s with Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn that had never been released before. From the first half, we can highlight "Memphis callin'" and "Sing for your supper". In the second, "San Francisco" and "Indiana" are worth listening to.