The group moniker is a spin on flutist
Mark Alban Lotz
's last name. This 2003 effort represents the group's inaugural U.S. release. Based in Amsterdam, this
jazz
quartet, featuring American
free jazz
drummer
Michael Vatcher
(a longtime resident of the Netherlands), abides by a rather frisky, loose-groove demeanor. However, the musicians explore a widespread musical landscape here. On bassist
Marc van Roon
's composition titled
"In the Air,"
the ensemble finds a happy medium by alternating between free-form interplay and a blithely enacted
swing
vamp. Otherwise,
Lotz
is a proficient flute performer. He uses concert, alto bass, and contra bass flutes throughout this most captivating set. Thus, there are quite a few contrasting ingredients, as the artists institute a gleeful, cross-polarization of
classical
musings and modern
frameworks amid a few ethereal passages. They render a loosey-goosey spin on
Sonny Rollins
' classic
"Oleo."
Yet, one of the sparkling highlights of this affair pertains to the quartet's perky musical demeanor, topped off with traditional Dutch wit and ingenuity. By covering the works of disparate artists such as
Bob Dylan
and
Ornette Coleman
along with originals, the musicians intimate a sophisticated viewpoint manifested by their stylistic approach. ~ Glenn Astarita