Supergroups don't come tangier or more organic than Lil' Band O'Gold, the recently organized nonet of singers and instrumentalists from South Louisiana. The swamp-rock all stars, responsible for creating a certifiable buzz at this year's Jazz and Heritage Festival, were organized on a whim by Cajun accordionist Steve Riley of the Mamou Playboys and C.C. Adcock, a blues-informed guitarist who cut his teeth with Bo Diddley and Buckwheat Zydeco.

The pair convinced '50s hitmaker Warren Storm to renege on his retirement from the drums, and - voila! - the rest of the band fell in place. The core trio was joined by File pianist David Egan, bassist Dave Ranson (Sonny Landreth), pedal-steel guitarist Richard Comeaux (River Road) and three saxophonists - Dickie Landry (Talking Heads), David Greely (Mamou Playboys) and Pat Breaux (Beausoleil). Call it a bayou version of the Texas Tornados or the Traveling Wilburys.

Lil' Band O' Gold digs up '60s John Fred gem "Shirley" for a slow-grooving romp driven by those greasy saxophones, calling and responding with the chunky guitars at one point, and Adcock's comically shivering vocals. The underappreciated Adcock takes center stage, too, on the pretty pop ballad "Dream Girl," bolstered by a New Orleans R&B beat and Comeaux's lovely pedal-steel decorations.

Storm applies his commanding, seasoned vocals to an effective reworking of Ben E. King weeper "7 Letters," the pleading "Please Mr. Sandman" and "That Feel," an impressionistic piece penned by Tom Waits and Keith Richards. Riley's vocals are center stage on the fun-loving "7 Nights 2 Rock" and two tunes that would fit neatly into the Playboys' book -- "Allons Rock 'N' Roll" and "Cajun Twist."

Riley and Greeley share vocals on "Parlez Nous a Boire" ("Let's Talk About Drinking"), a shuffling hymn to the bottle, and Egan, Adcock and Storm tag-team it for the acoustic-edged, reflective "In Another Time."

A steamy Lafayette crawfish boil or a sweaty night at Mid-City Rock 'n' Bowl in New Orleans might be the most apropos setting for a shot of Lil' Band of Gold. But any festive occasion will do.

- PHILIP BOOTH