Wex[EP]: Mark Lomax II

(Please note: The introduction begins at the 2 minute mark in the video) 

Following the tradition of master jazz percussionists Max Roach, Milford Graves, and Michael Carvin, Lomax bases his compositions and improvisations on a mixture of singable melodies and complex rhythms invoking the storytelling function of Afrikan drumming.

Mark Lomax II, a lifelong resident of Columbus, Ohio, is a critically acclaimed composer, recording artist, and drummer; an activist and educator specializing in the sociopolitical and spiritual aspects of African American art, music, and race; and a tireless advocate for the role of the arts in building community. In 2018, he became the first local artist to receive the Wexner Center's Artist Residency Award. His impressive discography includes over 40 published recordings. Read full bio.

Dr. Lomax requests that viewers who wish to send tips for the performance donate to the Greater Columbus Arts Council's COVID-19 Emergency Relief for Artists program. Donate today.

More about Wex[EP]

As today's vocabulary has expanded to include "social distancing" and "essential businesses," the Wex has entered into a conversation with some of our favorite local artists to bring you Essential Performances. With a nod to the short-form, often experimental nature of extended-play records, the Wex[EP] series seeks to document a facet of each artist’s practice and explore innovative ways of communing with one another during this rupture of routine.

Join us on Thursdays as we chart a better tomorrow with the thinkers, players, movers, and makers to whom we continue to look for joy and inspiration. If you are able, please consider supporting each artist by using the links located on this page.

View the Wex[EP] lineup.