Bonnie Raitt noted that "Mo Rodgers' music is a breath of fresh air in the blues/R&B world. He combines sly social commentary with a great funky sound. . . . I love his voice. He's a welcome original."[4]
Biography
Maurice Rodgers was born in East Chicago, Indiana,[1] He studied classical piano, but was more influenced by witnessing the blues acts that performed at his father's nightclub. In the mid-1960s, the music produced by the American record labelStax also affected his musical ambitions. In high school, Rodgers formed his first band, the Rocketeers. After entering Indiana State College, he fronted the Maurice Rodgers Combo. His love of playing keyboards led Rodgers to leave college and relocate to Los Angeles, California, becoming a full-time musician.[1]
In 2000, Rodgers performed at the Notodden Blues Festival. His European excursions have included concerts at the New Morningnightclub in Paris. In 2001, he performed on the album Memphis, recorded by Jean-Jacques Milteau, which also included contributions from Little Milton and Mighty Sam McClain.[8] His own recordings continued with Red, White & Blues (2002); Black Paris Blues, a live album issued in 2004; and Redneck Blues (2007). His next release was Cadillac Jack in 2012.[9]
In 2019, he toured with Baba Sissoko and performed at several European blues festivals. In 2017, they had jointly released the album, Griot Blues.[11][12][13]
