Mojo Buford - Mojo and His “Chi 4” Add a Beat to the Blues
The following was excerpted from the liner notes of our Twin Cities Funk & Soul compilation. Writers: Will Gilbert, Eric D. Foss, Danny Sigelman.
George “Mojo” Buford was born in Hernando, Mississippi, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1952, at age 23, he moved north to join the Chicago blues circuit. While working a day job as a janitor at a local college, he immersed himself in the blues scene at night. He became friends with Little Walter, who later connected him with Muddy Waters’ band in 1959, replacing harmonica player James Cotton.
After a 1963 performance with Muddy Waters at the Loon nightclub in Minneapolis, Buford decided to settle there. According to local legend, Muddy Waters left town without the band after the show, leaving Buford behind, where he ultimately made Minneapolis his home.
He earned the nickname “Mojo” from audiences at Mattie’s Barbecue on Nicollet Avenue, who repeatedly requested Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Workin’.” In a 1979 Insider interview, Buford recalled how the name stuck after seeing it written on a club sign. He embraced it, adding his last name and becoming known as Mojo Buford.
He formed Mojo and his “Chi 4,” featuring Oliver Lee “Sonny Boy” Rodgers on guitar, Jo Jo Williams on bass, and Francis Clay on drums. In 1964, they recorded “My Mojo’s Working” b/w “She’s A Whole Lot’s A Woman,” released in 1965 on the Adell label. Throughout the decade, Buford released additional singles on Adell, Bangar, Twin Town, and Garrett, though many leaned more toward blues than R&B.
Though primarily a blues artist, Buford understood the appeal of R&B in the Twin Cities. In a 1972 Insider interview, he noted that audiences preferred soul-oriented sounds and that traditional blues struggled to maintain a foothold without adapting to that style.
In the early 1970s, he rejoined Muddy Waters’ band, touring and recording internationally before returning to the Twin Cities. Despite his success, Buford remained critical of the local music industry, citing ongoing racial barriers that limited opportunities for Black musicians.
Buford’s experiences reflect broader challenges faced by many artists in the Twin Cities R&B scene. While overt discrimination may have lessened over time, structural barriers persisted, and Buford often found better-paying work outside Minnesota, even later in his career.