Putting
out a CD these days can be rewarding. Get a spiffy concept for an
album artwork, get the studio / mastering sound right and have the
tracks RTG (ready to go). Blues-rock fans will note all the above
are in gear on the 2014 CD release of Heavy Water by
the New Orleans based band known as Fo Reel. The band
adeptly merges a kind of 1960s R&B sound with a more rock-based
Allman Brothers influenced soul / jazz groove. Central to the band
sound is legendary New Orleans soul singer C.P. Love and the
red hot guitar sound of Mark Domizio, and they both
receive solid backup from David Hyde (bass), Johnny Neel
(keys) and a number of musicians who round out the Fo' Reel sound,
including a full horn section. Commenting on the band's origins, Domizio
tells mwe3.com, "Were
not a supergroup, just seasoned musicians having a good time. While
I was working on a solo project with David Hyde, Johnny Neel and C.P.
Love, I began talking to C.P. about forming a band. We talked to Johnny
and he said he was in, then C.P. came up with the name Fo Reel
the next day."
Domizio sounds influenced by guitar greats of the past including Duane
Allman, Kim Simmonds, Stevie Ray Vaughan among others, and the band
rocks its way through eleven modern day blues rock classics, including
a couple of horn driven R&B instrumentals. Imagine the soul sound
of the 1960s brought into the mid 70s and then into the 21st
century, with an added touch of funky grooves and you come close to
where Fo Reel is coming from. A relaxed spin from start to finish,
Fo Reels Heavy Water is essential listening for
fans of modern blues-rock www.CDBaby.com
mwe3.com presents an interview with
Mark Domizio of Fo Reel
mwe3:
Can you tell the readers where you live now and what you like best
about it and where youre from originally?
Mark Domizio: I live in New Orleans. I moved here from Philadelphia
in 1997 for the music and fell in love with the small town feel of
the city, along with the music and food and never left.
mwe3: Is your band Fo Reel a modern day blues rock supergroup
of sorts? How did the band come together and evolve and when did the
Heavy Water CD take shape, when was the music written and how
did you come up with the title Heavy Water?
Mark Domizio: Were not a supergroup, just seasoned
musicians having a good time.
While I was working on a solo project with David Hyde, Johnny Neel
and C.P. Love, I began talking to C.P. about forming a band. We talked
to Johnny and he said he was in, then C.P. came up with the name Fo
Reel the next day.
Heavy Water is about musicians and alcohol, which is what heavy
water is and why the bear is drinking a shot on the CD cover.
mwe3:
Whats the chemistry like between the band members of Fo
Reel and what did the musicians bring to the table for the making
of the Heavy Water CD?
Mark Domizio: The chemistry between the band members is great.
We have a lot of fun and everybody is very creative, we have a family
feel. When the CD was recorded everyone had creative freedom and they
really put their soul into it. What you hear on the CD is great musicians
having fun.
mwe3: Can you tell us when you started playing guitar and what
guitars are you featuring on the Fo Reel CD? What amps and other
special effects do you like to season your guitar playing with?
Mark Domizio: I was about 14 when I began playing guitar. On
the CD I used a new Gibson Firebird with Lollar pickups on most songs
and a Flying V on the rest. I used a PRS Amp on everything, other
than Just Ss I Am. We used a Super Reverb that David Farrell
had from Black Top Records.
mwe3:
On the Fo Reel CD you also include a couple of cool instrumental
tracks. How do you balance the vocal side of the band with the instrumental
cuts and what do you like best about both genres?
Mark Domizio: The instrumentals are a chance for the band to
stretch out and a great way to start the show. Then, Im ready
for the vocals, thats when the show goes to another level.
mwe3: Who were some of your big music and guitar heroes growing
up and what artists today do you feel are breaking new ground for
blues and blues-rock?
Mark Domizio: Growing up; Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy,
Son Seals, Albert Collins and Miles Davis. Breaking new ground; Derek
Trucks and Robben Ford.
mwe3: What plans do you have for Fo Reel in 2014 and
into 2015? Are you planning more concerts, music writing and recording
in the near future? When can we expect a new Fo Reel album in
the future?
Mark Domizio: We plan on touring 2015 and working on a new
CD late in the year.