ElMamboWorld

Mark Lowrey began lessons in classical piano at age 8. He studied with several local private teachers while exploring many styles of improvisational music on his own. After graduating high school, while immersing himself in the Kansas City jazz scene, he briefly tried out a number of fields relating to music: Instructional Assistant/Accompanist for the North Kansas City School District, Music Director at St. John's Episcopal Church - he even spent a while writing jingles for Time Warner Cable.

Realizing that his real love of music came mostly from live performances, Mark refocused on performing. He has played as a solo pianist in countless venues in Kansas City and led a successful jazz trio for a few years. Mark began an interest in many styles of Latin American music, and was able to join the salsa band El Mambo Orquestra, with Michael Deleon and many others as informal teachers in Salsa and Merengue music.

Currently, Mark is a staple member in the following bands: The McFadden Brothers/The Lonnie McFadden Quartet, Krystle Warren and the faculty, The Boulevard Big Band, Zoë and the MoFos, and of course - El Mambo Orquestra. While he is still learning more about the styles of Jazz, Classical, Salsa, Rock, and R&B, Mark is soon to join Tango Lorca, a small ensemble that plays modern Argentine Tango music.

Mark explains that "If not for my involvement in El Mambo Orquestra; without learning a completely new set of rules in a style unfamiliar to me, I would not have been so ready to appreciate other new things - Cuban Rumba, Indian Raga, Argentine Tango, etc. - The world is huge, and there's a lot of cool music being made. I say check al of it out."