Lolanders is a band I put together with Oene Van Geel by invitation of the Going Dutch project which promotes Dutch music in the UK. We feature three musicians each from Netherlands and Scotland: Oene on viola and voice, Mark Haanstra on bass guitar, Udo Demandt on percussion with Graeme Stephen, guitar, Hardeep Deerhe, tabla and myself on bagpipe and whistle, playing compositions by various group members.
We performed at Celtic Connections Festival, Glasgow and Sheffield Jazz Festivals, Music Meeting Nijmegan, InJazz Rotterdam, Bimhuis Amsterdam and more in 2019. We hope to find opportunity to play together again.
Review:"In Praise of Chamber Music|Celtic Connections", Keith Bruce, The Herald, 26/01/19 https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/17379775.keith-bruce-in-praise-of-chamber-music/
"Two days later, in the neighbouring Strathclyde Suite, came the debut of another new Scots-born chamber ensemble, this one combining musicians supported by Dutch Performing Arts with three locals: Hardeep Deerhe on tabla, jazz guitarist Graeme Stephen and the whistle and pipes of Fraser Fifield. There was groove-aplenty from the LoLanders too – no matter whose composition was on the music stand, these experience hands could mine a riff for all it was worth. This was the finest context for Fifield’s talents I have heard, and communication between him and the viola and vocals of Oene Van Geel was the igniting spark, mirrored in Deerhe’s combination with percussionist Udo Demandt, and Stephen’s lick-trading with bassist Mark Haanstra".