We are a furious blend of rock, blues, and kick-ass

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ROCK: Rock & Roll, BLUES: Rockin' Blues



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Time of your life
by Wendy Butler, 2/15/2007

Itâs about âtrying to get that blues feel.â

Jon Turney, bassist/vocalist, explained his bandâs name âMojo Brownâ is meant to spark images of the Deep South ââ¬â âblack magic, kind of Louisiana blues, the Delta-blues side of it.â

The band has released its first CD âShades of Blue.â The recording features a song written by the bandâs guitarist/vocalist/kazoo player Anthony Cogliati titled âHumboldt County Blues.â

This is the tune that won the foursome last yearâs Power-96 âBattle of the Bands.â

Cogliati said he wrote the song more than 20 years ago.

âDo you realize I was born the year you wrote that song?â band guitarist/vocalist Mathew Bigham said.

The song came after Cogliati attended a concert at Arcataâs Jambalaya.

Cogliati said he is a playwright, but most of his creative energy is now vested in writing songs. âHumboldt County Bluesâ was his first song and it speaks to how he felt upon moving to the county from San Francisco.

âIt just felt like home the first time I came here,â he said.

And then thereâs Elvis.

Cogliati wrote âElvis On My Cell Phoneâ for the CD.

Elvis Presley is just one of Cogliatiâs influences. Ray Charles is a demonstrable one, too.

Among the songs Turney penned for the CD is âBlues Man.â He said one of his biggest influences has been Stevie Ray Vaughan, who Turney saw at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium.

It was Turneyâs birthday.

âIâd never heard anything like that, never seen anything like that,â he said.


Bigham wrote âSing You To Sleep,â which features his and Turneyâs vocals. It sounds less bluesy and more like a ballad.

âA lot of the songs I seem to write are more ballad-type,â he said.

This one, like many of his others, came to him in the shower.
Bighamâs and the other membersâ songs are in draft form and the group completes them.

âWe collaborate on everything,â the bandâs drummer James Kahn said. âWe make all of our decisions together. We talk about everything.â

They all work at Costco, too.

Kahn recalled an improvisational jam at the store.

âWe had this kidsâ drum set and Fender guitar we were selling there,â he said.

Kahn maneuvered himself into the little seat behind the drums and they were âjamming in Costco.â

The four officially became a band in August 2005, after they had individually done some performances together.

Mojo Brownâs first gig was the Costco Christmas party, but the âstarsâ seemed lined up against them.

Cogliati had passed a kidney stone that day.

Bigham was extremely sick.

âLiterally an hour before we hit the stage, Mathew was in the bathroom,â Kahn said.

In the past year and a half, Mojo Brown has done quite a few gigs, in addition to finishing the first CD, which is at www.mojobrown.com.

Cogliati said heâd like to stay local and perhaps open for some national bands.

âItâs all about having fun making music,â he said. âMusic is the creative outlet.â

âHow much luckier can you be to have your hobby be this fun?â Turney said.

Bigham said he hasnât given up the idea of some day making it in the industry.

âIf it doesnât happen right now, weâre still having the time of our lives,â he said.