Jazzmania.be

Jazzman review on our CD Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out! by the Mark Lotz Trio

English Translation:
Flute/bass/drums trios are rare, not to say extremely rare. Mark Lotz has the experience, and he brings it. A few years ago, he produced ‘The Wroclaw Sessions’ with bassist Grzegorz Piasecki and drummer Wojciech Bulinski. Here, covid obliges, and he has surrounded himself with musicians based in the Netherlands: bassist Zack Lober and drummer Jamie Peet. A talented flautist who has been making a name for himself, Lotz has been touring the world’s stages for several decades. German by birth and living in Holland, he grew up in Uganda and Thailand. The title of the album is a reference to Timothy Leary’s cult book, in which he explores his notion of the inner life and his experience with LSD. But Lotz didn’t stop at a simple hug. He delved into his memories of his own experience with this synthetic drug, for which, he says, he retains an “intense affection”. He has also named eight of his tracks after Leary’s Eight-Circuit Model of Consciousness. But don’t expect to discover any soaring or psychedelic music when you listen to this album. Nothing of the sort. Lotz and his trio keep well within the perimeter of a tamed and trained jazz. It’s when you take the time to immerse yourself in the fabulous nuances that Mark Lotz gives to his instruments: alto and bass flute, but also the bansuri, that sort of large classical Indian transverse flute. Like a painter, Lotz plays with colours and tones. And to do that, he doesn’t need to have soaked up any acid beforehand – all he needs is talent, hard work and inspiration.