Mood Jga Jga were a band from Winnipeg, Manitoba who formed in 1971 after Greg Leskiw left The Guess Who. Greg and Gord Osland signed Hermann Fruhm after six days. The name Mood Jga Jga came from Gord Osland's son Sam, who mumbled the words while Osland and Leskiw were under the influence. Sam Osland went onto play with Vancouver indie band Imbrue Huzza, who released a cassette in 1993.

Mood Jga Jga features the fine writing of Greg Leskiw and is the finest jazz country blues rock album ever released in the province of Manitoba. The music is timeless. It could have been released last year, or 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, and you wouldn't know it. The album was actually released in 1974 on Warner BS 2772. The band featured Greg Leskiw (Brother, Shags, Logan Avenue, Dianne Heatherington & the Merry-Go-Round, Gettysburg Address, The Guess Who, Crowcuss, Wild Rice, Kilowatt, Les Q, SwingSoniq) on guitar and vocals; Herman Fruhm (Dianne Heatherington & the Merry-Go-Round, Gettysburg Address, Crowcuss, Pete Silvester & the Zambonies) on guitar; Bill Merritt (Rocki Rolletti) on bass; and Gord Osland (Graham Shaw, Fred Penner) on drums. The album was produced by Phil Ramone (Paul Simon, Billy Joel). The recording engineers were Phil Ramone and Richard Blakin, assisted by Dennis Druzbic and Glen Burger. Orchestration by Chris Dedrick. Art direction by Bob Lockheart & Ed Thrasher. Photo silkscreen by Sue Smith. Original photo by Gerry Kopelow. Design by John & Barb Casedo. Management by James Millican. The album was recorded in midtown Manhatten at A&R Studios in the summer of 1972. It took 4 months to complete. The song "Turn Around" was on the Canada Gold LP compilation in the mid-seventies.

Mood Jga Jga gathered again in 1991 and made a recording for a CBC compilation Variety Recordings 6 on CBC VRCD 1006 (Gimme My Money/ Fine Time/ If You Ever Leave Me/ Sensible Lover/ Better Place, Better Time/ Why? Why? Why?). They re-isssued their album privately on CD, with the help of k.d. lang's manager Larry Wanagas, in 1994 in a limited pressing of 1000 copies. They re-formed a few times afterwards, appearing at The Winnipeg Folk and Jazz Festivals. They also got together again in 1997 and released "Boys Will be Boys", pressed privately on MJJ 0001 (Sensible Lover - Krautsuppe Song/ Better Place Better Time/ Dancing With Comrade I/ Boys Will Be Boys/ It's Gonna Get Better/ Desert Rain/ Herm's Toon/ Ma Cherie/ Forgive Him/ Dancing With Comrade II/ Be My Champion/ Interlude/ Universal Blues). That album was dedicated to the late Dianne Heatherington.

Mood Jga Jga-Queen Jealousy.mp3 (2.59 mb)

Mood Jga Jga-Kill the Hangman.mp3 (4.30 mb)

Mood Jga Jga-Gimme My Money.mp3 (3.63 mb)

Mood Jga Jga-Come and See Me Here My Friend.mp3 (3.92 mb)

Any comments, please contact Robert Williston at ryder@robertwilliston.com