Landermason – Tree of Souls

Landermason are Fiona Lander and Paul Mason – hence the name. Fiona plays piano, clarinet, saxophone and whistles, Paul guitar, and they both sing. They’re in Northumberland and are performing at the new Bellingham All Acoustic festival at the beginning of May. So is this CD all-acoustic?

Some fine whistle playing on the first track made me think I was in for a treat. But I was soon to realise that this self-penned material has only tenuous links with folk - as they say in Living on a Shoestring – “we mix folk and jazz like no-one else has”. We have strong use of saxophone, drums and piano working jazz/blues/honkytonks/funk in various forms, but perched in the middle – track 6 – is Stay With Me, moving and meanfully presented, and oh that gloriously fine whistle-playing! – all too brief. With up-beat track 9 – One For the Road – the ubiquitous drinking song! – it seemed to be a fitting finale, but no – the dreary jazzy Sunday brought this curious CD to a close.

The singing reminds me of Karen Carpenter – a sure attraction for some, but not too much for “folkies”.
Graham Oldham
www.landermason.com