It’s about “trying to get that blues feel.”

Jon Turney, bassist/vocalist, explained his band’s name “Mojo Brown” is meant to spark images of the Deep South — “black magic, kind of Louisiana blues, the Delta-blues side of it.”

The band has released its first CD “Shades of Blue.” The recording features a song written by the band’s guitarist/vocalist/kazoo player Anthony Cogliati titled “Humboldt County Blues.”

This is the tune that won the foursome last year’s Power-96 “Battle of the Bands.”

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

“Do you realize I was born the year you wrote that song?” band guitarist/vocalist Mathew Bigham said.

The song came after Cogliati attended a concert at Arcata’s Jambalaya.

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

“It just felt like home the first time I came here,” he said.

And then there’s Elvis.

Cogliati wrote “Elvis On My Cell Phone” for the CD.

Elvis Presley is just one of Cogliati’s influences. Ray Charles is a demonstrable one, too.

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

It was Turney’s birthday.

“I’d never heard anything like that, never seen anything like that,” he said.
Bigham wrote “Sing You To Sleep,” which features his and Turney’s vocals. It sounds less bluesy and more like a ballad.

“A lot of the songs I seem to write are more ballad-type,” he said.

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

“We collaborate on everything,” the band’s drummer James Kahn said. “We make all of our decisions together. We talk about everything.”

They all work at Costco, too.

Kahn recalled an improvisational jam at the store.

“We had this kids’ drum set and Fender guitar we were selling there,” he said.

Kahn maneuvered himself into the little seat behind the drums and they were “jamming in Costco.”

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

Mojo Brown’s first gig was the Costco Christmas party, but the “stars” seemed lined up against them.

Cogliati had passed a kidney stone that day.

Bigham was extremely sick.

“Literally an hour before we hit the stage, Mathew was in the bathroom,” 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. The group’s next performance will be Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. at Cher-Ae Heights Casino.

Cogliati said he’d like to stay local and perhaps open for some national bands.

“It’s all about having fun making music,” he said. “Music is the creative outlet.”

“How much luckier can you be to have your hobby be this fun?” Turney said.

Bigham said he hasn’t given up the idea of some day making it in the industry.

“If it doesn’t happen right now, we’re still having the time of our lives,” he said.