German jazz flautist Mark Alban Lotz has always been keen to improvise and create fusion music with a difference. During his formative years as a musician, the 54-year-old kept practising and gained a lot of experience in different projects ranging from creating music for theatre and films, collaborations with dance, art, poetry and video art groups and crossovers into African, Brazilian, Turkish and other global tunes.
“My biggest challenge is the industry itself — the idea of making a brand out of yourself with the work that you produce is a game that we have to play,” admits Mark, perhaps referring to the ensemble that he created in 1991, Lotz Of Music, along with two Dutch musicians — jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Maarten Ornstein and drummer Stefan Kruger. Mark has since collaborated with various musicians under this project, the latest being Swiss clarinetist Claudio Puntin.
This week, Mark comes to Chennai to team up with Indian pianist Anurag Naidu and guitarist Deepak Srinivas, the latter who was also seen in a musical residency project last August hosted by German double bass player Sebastian Gramss and saxophonist Roger Hanschel.
Digging deep into what they promise to play, Mark explains, “Improvisation is the key. I will start the evening with a solo recital — jazz flute and world tunes with a little electronic thrown in. After that there will be a duo with Anurag, and then we will transition into a trio performance.”
Expressing his confidence in the upcoming collaboration, he adds, “Anurag is a brilliant pianist who I met last year in Mumbai. To create music with him will be a piece of a cake. With Deepak, we will mix our jazz styles with Carnatic music.”
As for his upcoming projects, Mark has his hands full. Besides a partnership with Scottish percussionist Alan Purves, there is also a fusion project with the Fula tribe of West Africa. “I have created an ensemble called A Fula’s Call for the same,” he says.
January 5. 7 pm. At Goethe-Institut.