The Mission

If you think there’s nothing new and exciting coming out of the blues genre, you haven’t heard The Mojo Roots. With performances that turn on a dime from a driving, hard-hitting shuffle to an aching, tear-dripping slow blues, the Mojo Roots brand of soul-soaked blues is captivating audiences in their home state of Missouri and beyond.

Fronting the band on harp and vocals, Jordan Thomas loses himself in every song—with incredible results. Thomas’s passionate vocals and fiery harp-playing truly set The Mojo Roots apart. And when off the harp, his rhythm guitar work fills just the right niche. On the lead guitar, Trevor ”T.J.” Judkins is quickly winning accolades as an incredibly virtuosic young guitarist, with a rich, studied tone and a patient economy of playing that is all too rare. Bassist Jim Rush, a stalwart Midwest blues performer for over three decades, sets the groove with bright, punchy bass lines. And as an accomplished front man in his own right, Rush also shares the microphone on some tunes. Paired with drummer Andy Naugle’s clean and controlled backbeat, steeped in the great Chicago tradition, Rush and Naugle form an unshakeable rhythm foundation for this blues tour-de-force.

Having earned a Semi-Finalist title at the 2013 International Blues Challenge on the legendary Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, The Mojo Roots are poised to take their place on the national stage. Their new 2013 album release, What Kind of Fool, is already gaining widespread attention for its soul-soaked sound and powerful songwriting. If there was ever a doubt about the future of the genre, rest assured: The Mojo Roots are striking just the right balance between preserving and further developing the blues.

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“This Missouri-based four-piece band plays the kind of traditional/roots blues I enjoy when wanting to kick back, relax and chill out. Led by harpist/vocalist/writer Jordan Thomas, a favorite is That Kind of Girl, with its J.J. Cale easy going feel. Another is the instrumental White Chicken Chili… This is a good, tight soul-soaked blues band.”
— Blues Society of Tulsa: Blues News
“Original; full of soul… These guys are steeped in the dirt of the blues, and they are aptly named.”
— American Blues Scene
“If you think that there is nothing new or exciting in the more conventional blues genres, The Mojo Roots’ album What Kind of Fool will change your mind and give you hope for the future. This band is fresh and delivers the goods with eleven first-rate tracks, and they obviously went all out to give us their finest effort. Any up-and-coming artists should pick up a copy of this album so they can see how high the bar has become, and to get some pointers on what can be done with a modern blues album.”
— Blues Blast Magazine
“This vibrant group of musicians brings the promise of a healthy future for the blues genre. Their passion for the blues comes through with every note.”
— MO Blues Association
“One thing I especially like about this cd [What Kind of Fool] is Jordan’s singing. There are times here when I think I’m listening to Curtis Salgado… Trevor is a soulful player who likes to play with the tone and touch that each song needs and not one note extra. He looks young, but he must have been playing the guitar for 30 years to get this good. And the rhythm work of Jim Rush and Andy Naugle is terrific… All together, the Mojo Roots make a rich, deep bluesy sound–it is a combo sound which is respectful of blues history and yet all new. They remind me of Sean Costello. Nobody overplays and nobody gets left behind. No egos.”
— Bruce Edwards, Sunday Night Blues Project
“The Mojo Roots have a solid blues career ahead—and you can quote me on that!”
— BlackJack, WDCB 90.9FM: Chicagoland’s Choice for Jazz, Blues, News and More
“This is a band that stays true to its voice. Each member takes an elastic approach to their playing — Judkins, for example, knows how to make his guitar gleefully wail and gently weep. Rush and Naugle finish each other’s musical sentences with ease, allowing the band to change tempo and course on a dime. That dynamic spark and flexibility reflects the musical persona of the band’s leader. Thomas’ voice is remarkably well-seasoned for a relatively young man, sleek and steady enough to deliver a tuneful hook yet weathered enough to sell madness and misery. On sweeter songs, romantic devotion is a notion he wears well, yet he can also embrace the archetype of the beleaguered bluesman, singing with the sort of weary wit and wisdom that only the cuckold or hangdog loser can muster. He wields an equally potent, versatile harmonica. At times, it acts as a buzzsaw, piercing the mix and leaving a trail of delightful destruction. At others, the notes he produces seem to float on air.”
— Aarik Danielson, Columbia Daily Tribune
“Blues is the foundation for the band, but the players have absorbed early soul music as well — Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Bobby Blue Bland, Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Womack. This soul-soaked approach feeds into the goal of raw emotion.”
— Springfield News-Leader
“What Kind Of Fool, the newest release from the Mojo Roots, is a barn burner… These guys are all original and have put together a really sweet recording.”
— Bman’s Blues Report
“Soul-soaked blues distinct to the Midwest.”
— Move Magazine
“Stark combination of soul, slide, harmonica prowess, and swampy Missouri blues.”
— American Blues Scene
“Guitarist Trevor Judkins’ solos swing with a delta-influenced twang, and when he plays fast, he sprints across the fretboard. This Columbia quartet proves that blues can be both emotional and exhilarating.”
— Vox Magazine
“The Mojo Roots bring new luster to old-school blues sound…. Those sweet standards have seeped into their blood.’”
— Aarik Danielsen, Columbia Daily Tribune
“An ear-friendly twin guitar and harp blues with a big fat back beat. ”
— Sunday Night Blues Project