Duke Williams ((better)) | Francis Mooky

Mooky signed a development deal, but the album never came. The label wanted him to play to a click track, to quantize his feel into something “radio-friendly.” Mooky refused. “You can’t put the Mississippi River in a measuring cup,” he told them. They parted ways, and he was back to square one.

Francis wanted to help. He wanted to be a hero. But he worried. I am not a fierce knight, he thought. I am just a Mooky. If I bark, I sound like a squeaky toy. If I run, I trip over my own paws. francis mooky duke williams

This feature explores the resilience of a player who dominated the northern game before making his mark in Buffalo. The "Mooky" Mystique Mooky signed a development deal, but the album never came