Mark Alban Lotz is an Utrecht-based flute player and improviser who is also quite well known in Turkey as a jazz player and improviser. He had come to Istanbul in 2010 to make two recordings with Istanbul-based improvisers. One of these recordings was with Islak Köpek, Turkey’s first free improvisation ensemble founded in 2005. This record, “Istanbul Improv Sessions May 4th”, was released on Evil Rabbit Records in 2011. Islak Köpek and Mark played a concert at Borusan Müzik Evi in Istanbul soon after the release of the album. Islak Köpek’s founder Korhan Erel and Mark have also started a duo after this collaboration, which resulted in concerts in Turkey and the Netherlands with guests like Wolter Wierbos, Eric Boeren and Robert van Heumen.

Mark Alban Lotz returns to Istanbul once more to reunite with Islak Köpek. They will play a concert at Gitar Cafe on May 2nd. The concert will start at 9pm.

Mark Alban Lotz: flutes
Şevket Akıncı: acoustic guitar
Korhan Erel: computer, controllers
Gülşah Erol: cello
Giray Gürkal: electric guitar, effects
Robert Reigle: tenor saxophone
Volkan Terzioğlu: tenor saxophone

We’d like to extend our thanks to the Kingdom of Netherlands Consulate in Istanbul for supporting this musical and cultural exchange between Mark Alban Lotz and improvisers in Istanbul.