Roots in Motion is the new album by virtuoso ud player and composer Mehmet Polat. Together with pianist Franz von Chossy, double bassist Daniel van Huffelen and drummer Jeroen Batterink, Polat forges an innovative sound with instruments from different traditions. He finds freedom in alternating between simple and complex, uneven time signatures. The ud player creates a distinctive sound that shows similarities with traditional music from around the world, but with the freedom of contemporary jazz.

Mehmet Polat, born in Turkey and based in Amsterdam, is internationally recognized as the innovator of the ud, the Arabic lute. He expanded the instrument’s range by adding two bass strings and developed a special technique for the left hand. With his roots firmly in Anatolian traditional music and Ottoman classical music, Polat explores styles and traditions from around the world in his compositions.

Mehmet Polat oud, Franz von Chossy piano, Daniel van Huffelen double bass, Jeroen Batterink drums