FatDog - New Found Land (2014)

FatDog are the musical torchbearers of a new found land - a mythical island in the North Sea, where musicians from Scandinavia and Britain meet to play and swap stories.
With members from Sweden, Norway and England, and based on both sides of the Swedish-Norwegian border, FatDog cross boundaries every time they meet, both literally and musically. Three are established folk musicians anchored in the musical traditions of Scandinavia and Britain. Three are accomplished jazz musicians with an ear both for the local and the cosmopolitan, the traditional and the experimental.

FatDog's instrument line-up usually raises a few eyebrows: concertina, trumpet, cittern, clarinet, hurdy-gurdy, saxophone and double bass. Having no percussionist, the rhythm section is provided by the buzz of the hurdy-gurdy, the chug of the concertina and, on occasion, the thrash of a cittern. The resulting rhythmic drive is unobtrusive but irresistible.

FatDog's repertoire always has at least one foot in folk music, either taking a traditional song or tune as their point of departure or composing new ones in the folk idiom. The rhythms of Scandinavian dance are well represented here, while influences from Macedonia to Morris dance turn up without seeming out of place.

About half of the material on New Found Land consists of songs featuring Richard's rich baritone. Whether singing in Norwegian, French or his native English, his style, honed over 40 years of singing traditional material, is honest and direct. Two of the tracks featured are six-voice a cappella songs - providing a change of musical scenery.