Then there’s the whole festival thing. Not the two days in a field kind of festival thing but the more citified version that allows the four corners of the world to converge and absorb the joys of cabaret. Mojo Juju & The Snake Oil Merchants might not be a true festival band but it is easy to see, given the evidence on their “Anthology” compilation album, that they would appeal to the better class of big city listener.
Whilst certainly guilty of liberating the sounds of the past, Mojo Juju & The Snake Oil Merchants show a commendable vigour in their reinterpretation of other people glories with “Scat Song” and “My Home” likely to cause even the most civilised amongst you to take to the dancefloor. It’s not all up-tempo though and, even on the slower songs such as “”Dance With You”, Mojo Juju’s voice loses neither composure nor control and that is a sure sign of quality.
I have this feeling that Mojo Juju & The Snake Oil Merchants would need to be experienced in the live environment in order to attain full appreciation but that does not detract from what is here on the silver disc. Mojo Juju clearly has the passion for performance and that, as always, is the very thing that matters most.