Sheesham Crow, Lotus Wight and Son Sanderson are neither a greengrocer's emporium nor a firm of solicitors. They play old time American music and have a lot of fun doing just that, whilst giving their audiences a very different entertainment experience. Such is their dedication to reproducing the original sounds of the 1920s and 30s that their latest album was recorded using almost the same technology as old 78rpm albums had available, then digitised for CD! And this idiosyncratic approach is apparent in their stage show.
Sheesham and Lotus front the act with two fine, powerful and rich tenor voices, each taking their share of the lead vocals. Most of their songs date back to the period they so admire and include plenty of opportunity for a bit of singalong audience participation. Crow plays fiddle and does a superb job on harmonica, with Wight on banjo. Underwriting the enterprise is the rock solid sousaphone accompaniment of Sanderson. Add in a bit of Jew's harp, bones, kazoo, a weird harmonica/trumpet combo, some vocal impersonations of a brass section, and soaring whistling from Sheesham, produces a sound that has variety, imagination, eccentricity and moments of surprise.
Their enjoyment of the music is obvious and that passion is one of the reasons why the experience they generate is so captivating. Sheesham is all charm and suave sophistication. The impassive bulldog visage of Lotus breaks out into a big grin and sets his left leg a-flapping. And Son wears a beguiling aura of bewilderment. They are chatty, funny and tell stories that give insights into the approach they bring to their music. (Plus being a pleasure to chat with at the interval and as we left the building.) Above all they are excellent musicians, a very tight unit that have a very clear focus on what they bring to the world.
It would seem impossible not to get swept up in the toe tapping tunes and songs. This might not be the kind of music you'd think would be to your taste, but here's a band producing a live experience that defies genres.
Sheesham and Lotus and Son are proper entertainers.
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