Fo' Reel: Heavy Water

Journeyman musicians have an ease about them that enables them to readily collaborate, making exceptional music in the bargain. New Orleans's Fo' Reel is such a band. The core of Fo' Reel is made up of New Orleans soul singer C.P. Love, guitarist and producer Mark Domizio, keys player Johnny Neel and bassist David Barard. The group is supplemented with drums and percussion and a tight, bottom-tone horn section. The music is stylistically the blues, though there is nothing gut-bucket or raw rural about it. This is city-sophisticated (the "city" being the Crescent one). It is carefully considered and produced, sonically lush and genre far-reaching.

Many shades of blues are demonstrated on Heavy Water, from the soul-circuit "Breaking Up Someboy's Home" and "Heavy Water" to the Latin-influenced "What Can I Do" and the churchy-gospel "Just as I Am." there are several tips-of-the-hat in "Gate" (composed in the style of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown), "Shake N Bake" (styled after early era Tower of Power), "Outside Love" (echoing Little Feat's "Old Folks Boogie") and the afore mentioned "Just as I Am" (which is all Percy Mayfield). Domizio's even-handed production guaranteed that this collection would be seamlessly assembled into an exceptional New Orleans blues sampler.

Standout performances (out of standout performances) belong to Love, whose command of all styles is both expansive and not entirely unexpected. Keyboardist Johnny Neel demonstrates throughout the recording how a Hammond B-3 organ, like cilantro, lime and garlic, can improve everything. Heavy Water is a solid shot of Americana, sleek with production and informed by experience.