Mark Guiliana has become recognized as one of the world’s leading drummers, admired and in demand across the spectrum from jazz to rock to electronic music for his rhythmic sophistication, creative impulse, and individual sound. He has been in the vanguard of drummers creating a new vernacular on the instrument, blending virtuosity on acoustic drums with artfully deployed electronic beats and processing. Guiliana’s newest album as a leader – Jersey, to be released in September 2017 via Motéma Music – features his ever-compelling Jazz Quartet, with bassist Chris Morrissey, saxophonist Jason Rigby, and pianist Fabian Almazan. Describing the Jazz Quartet’s concept, Guiliana says: “Many of my releases as a leader have been driven by electronic-inspired beats and textures, but with Family First and now Jersey, it felt like the right time to present my music in an entirely acoustic environment. So the Jazz Quartet is my humble attempt to make a personal statement using the traditional palette of saxophone, piano, bass and drums. For the band, this lineup presents the challenge: How creative can we be inside this box – how much freedom and experimentation can we find? And I have to say that it’s always so exciting to hear the guys play this music in ways I never could have imagined.”
Guiliana was chosen as Best Jazz Drummer in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll 2017, while DownBeat dubbed him a Rising Star in its Critics Poll. JazzTimes aptly proclaimed: “Guiliana, a technical master with a rare sense of musicality, has over the past decade become one of the most influential drummers of his generation.” Along with leading his own groups – the acoustic Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet and electronica-minded Beat Music – the drummer has appeared on a string of acclaimed recordings with others. The verve and precision of Guiliana’s drumming was a primer mover of Blackstar, David Bowie’s multiple Grammy Award-winning final album. Guiliana teamed with keyboardist Brad Mehldau as the duo Mehliana for the Nonesuch release Taming the Dragon, and he has also collaborated with such artists as saxophonist Donny McCaslin, guitar hero John Scofield, Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer-songwriter Matt Cameron, neo-soul singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, guitarist-vocalist Lionel Loueke, jazz bassist Avishai Cohen, reggae/hip-hop artist Matisyahu and jazz singer Gretchen Parlato.
Time Out London sums him up perfectly: “What happens when you add hard bop drum masters Elvin Jones and Art Blakey to a 1980s Roland 808 drum machine, divide the result by J Dilla and then multiply to the power of Squarepusher? Answer: Mark Guiliana
Jul 24th 2017 Get Info / Tickets
Geneva, Switzerland
Cour de l'Hôtel de Ville
MARK GUILIANA JAZZ QUARTET
Aug 17th 2017 Get Info / Tickets
Malguenac , France
Malguenac Jazz Festival
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet
Nov 11th 2017 Get Info / Tickets
Oosterpoort, Netherlands
Rockit Festival
MARK GUILIANA JAZZ QUARTET
Dec 2nd 2017 Get Info / Tickets
Roanoke, VA USA
Black Box Theater/Rehearsal Hall
MARK GUILIANA JAZZ QUARTET
HI-RES IMAGES
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VIDEO
Mark GUiliana Jazz Quartet – One Month (Embed)
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – Johnny Was (Embed)
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – ABED (Embed)
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet Family First “EPK” (Embed/Download)
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – Live at Rockwood (Embed/Download)
Mark Guiliana Beat Music – “in BIRD” Live/EPK (Embed/Download)
Mark Guiliana Beat Music – Spirit Animal (Live) (Embed/Download)
Mark Guiliana – Solo (Embed/Download)
BIOGRAPHY/PROGRAM NOTES
Biography: Download (doc)
Official Website: http://www.markguiliana.com/
CURRENT RELEASE
Family First – Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet (June 4, 2015)
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Times of Malta: Mark Guiliana
From Times Of Malta Watch: ‘Play with others’, world-renowned drummer urges musicians By: Herman Grech Mark Guiliana gives a very simple piece of advice to budding and established musicians out there: just keep playing with other musicians. “It might be easier to get distracted and play alone. I’ve grown more as a musician by playing with others rather than through...
Posted Jul 21st, 2017
Batteur Magazine Feature: From Bebop To Pop
From Batteur Magazine Mark Guiliana: From Bebop To Pop To read more click here
Posted Jul 11th, 2017
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet Does Jazz Proud
From Ottawa Citizen Jazzfest review: Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet does contemporary acoustic jazz proud By: Peter Hum These days, It usually strikes me as quaint at best and gratuitous at worst for a jazz group to have the word “jazz” in its name. Sure, decades ago it worked for Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet...
Posted Jul 5th, 2017
The New Cool: Mark Guiliana
From knkx The New Cool: Mark Guiliana, Drummer Up Front By: Abe Beeson When a friend recently told me that drummer Mark Guiliana is not just swinging through the Northwest with saxman Donny McCaslin’s group next month, he’s also bringing his own band to town this fall, it was juicy news indeed. Guiliana is one of the most beloved drummers...
Posted May 30th, 2017
#1 Jazz Drummer: Mark Guiliana
From Modern Drummer 2017 Modern Drummer Readers Poll Winners: Mark Guiliana wins top “Jazz Drummer” and “Recorded Performance/Audio” The year 2016 was a landmark for jazz/electronica drummer Mark Guiliana, who toured extensively in support of the first acoustic jazz album under his leadership (Family First) and experimental electroacoustic recordings by trumpeter Dave Douglas (Dark Territory) and saxophonist Donny McCaslin (Beyond...
Posted Apr 6th, 2017
The Guardian's Best Albums of 2016
From The Guardian Best albums of 2016: No 3 Blackstar by David Bowie By: Dorian Lynskey To say that David Bowie’s final album was coloured by his death two days after its release, and the revelation that he recorded it beneath the terminal shadow of cancer, would be an understatement. It was flooded by it. Few albums have ever been...
Posted Dec 14th, 2016
The music flowed naturally from the Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet
From The Financial Times Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet, Ronnie Scott’s, London — review The music flowed naturally in this gig from the drummer and his band By: Mike Hobart Contemporary left-field jazz likes to pepper its narratives with historical references. At this gig, featuring a sax and rhythm quartet led by drummer Mark Guiliana, light polyrhythmic chatter was set alongside...
Posted Oct 25th, 2016
Mark Guiliana’s "astonishing, tentacular drumming" on David Bowie's Lazarus
From The Guardian David Bowie’s last three songs: decoding the final transmission Bowie’s Lazarus soundtrack contains three new songs from his final recording sessions. A first listen shows a great artist racing through a final burst of creativity By: Dorian Lynskey …Bowie was never one for straightforward autobiography. His lyrics, even from a song as beloved as Life on Mars?,...
Posted Oct 20th, 2016
L’ÉQUILIBRE SELON MARK GUILIANA
From Citizen Jazz L’ÉQUILIBRE SELON MARK GUILIANA By: Denis Desassis Mark Guiliana est venu à Nancy Jazz Pulsations, précédé d’une réputation flatteuse que les faits vont avérer. Le batteur s’est notamment fait connaître aux côtés d’Avishai Cohen avec lequel il a joué pendant cinq ans, mais aussi de Brad Mehldau. Surtout, son nom a circulé auprès d’un public dépassant de...
Posted Oct 14th, 2016
Mark Guiliana Featured in Guitar Center Magazine
from interviews.guitarcenter.com Mark Guiliana is the ultimate embodiment of the “DIY musician.” A percussionist, educator, producer and composer, Guiliana has definitively earned a name for himself in today’s jazz community, and has played for some incredible artists, none more beloved than the late David Bowie. In addition to his vast amount of session work, Guiliana leads two groups of his...
Posted Jul 12th, 2016
HOW TO LISTEN TO JAZZ (with Mark Guiliana)
from gearpatrol.com HOW TO LISTEN TO JAZZ By: John Zientek Jazz music is an ever-evolving fusion of style, a national art form embodying the metaphor of America as a complex cultural melting pot. From the start, early American musical elements — West African rhythms, elements of spirituals and the blues, and America’s marching band instruments, brass and reeds — came...
Posted Jul 6th, 2016
Review: John Scofield, Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana Debut as an All-Star Trio
from nytimes.com Review: John Scofield, Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana Debut as an All-Star Trio By: Nate Chinen The new-groove super trio making its world premiere at the Blue Note this week — John Scofield on guitars, Brad Mehldau on keyboards, Mark Guiliana on drums — plants its flag at the convergence of ruggedness and finesse. Just past the midpoint...
Posted May 30th, 2016
Mark Guiliana on Seth Meyers!
Mark Guiliana is the guest drummer on Late Night with Seth Meyers this week!
Posted May 2nd, 2016
Mark Guiliana: A Jazzer For Today
from blog.gretsch.com Mark Guiliana: A Jazzer For Today By: Fred Gretsch I want to start this article about Gretsch drum artist Mark Guiliana with a quote from a review of his 2013 recording, A Form of Truth, taken from Relix magazine: “There are musicians that the general public recognizes for their greatness, and then there are the musicians that other...
Posted Feb 15th, 2016
New York Times Features David Bowie's "Blackstar"
From nytimes.com On David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar,’ Turning to Jazz for Inspiration By Nate Chinen “A lot of questions arose when David Bowie unveiled “Blackstar,” the 10-minute title track of his new album, as a music video in November. What was the meaning of the clip’s sci-fi surrealism? What had inspired its ominous lyrics? And, perhaps more practically, who were these...
Posted Jan 4th, 2016
Rolling Stone France Features David Bowie's Album, "Blackstar"
From rollingstone.fr Blackstar de David Bowie : l’homme qui marche… Blackstar David Bowie: the man walking… By Sophie Rosemont “David Bowie sait écrire une musique pour tout le monde… mais il ne la fait pas comme tout le monde. Enregistré avec le groupe du saxophoniste new-yorkais Donny McCaslin, ★ est une prise de risque, un live bouleversant et un aboutissement...
Posted Dec 16th, 2015
MOJO Features David Bowie's "Blackstar"
From mojo4music.com “This Is Fresh!” The Secrets Of David Bowie’s ★ Album By MOJO Staff ““This is fresh. This came from a different space,” longtime Bowie producer/confidant Tony Visconti says of the album, whose title track is premiered in full on Sky Atlantic tonight (November 19) at 8.45pm GMT. Visconti goes on to explain how their approach to ★ differs...
Posted Nov 19th, 2015
BBC News Reports "Bowie Hires Jazz Artists For New Album"
From bbc.com Bowie hires jazz artists for new album By Mark Savage “Rock star David Bowie has hired a group of young jazz musicians to push his 25th album in a new direction. “Having jazz guys play rock music turns it upside down,” Bowie’s producer Tony Visconti told Mojo magazine. Called ★ (Blackstar), the record will be released on 8...
Posted Nov 19th, 2015
LA Weekly Features Mark Guiliana
From laweekly.com Beat Music: The Los Angeles Improvisations By Gary Fukushima “Drummer Mark Giuliana has had a pretty good run the past few years. For starters, last November he made the cover of Modern Drummer. He’s been on tour the past year, playing gigs with trumpeter Dave Douglas, Brad Mehldau (in their duo project, Mehliana) and his own quartet. He...
Posted Aug 25th, 2015
TimeOut London Features Mark Guiliana
From timeout.com Mark Guiliana Beat Music “Immense drum talent Mark Guiliana (who’s worked with everyone from Gretchen Parlato to Bobby McFerrin to Dhafer Youssef) leads his band Beat Music through tracks powered by Guiliana’s tricksy and driving grooves. Support comes from genre-defying trippy five-piece Native Dancer.” To read the full article click here
Posted May 1st, 2015
Huffington Post Features Mark Guiliana
From huffingtonpost.com 14 for ’14: Favorite Music of the Year By Ari Sadowitz “Mr. Guiliana put out three albums this year, and while My Life Starts Now lacks the fervor found here, February’s Mehliana: Taming the Dragon duet with Brad Mehldau is a masterpiece. As a composer/leader, this record sees the Beat Music moniker reach new heights on the west...
Posted Dec 30th, 2014
MusicRadar Names Mark Guiliana as One of the Best New Drummers In The World
From musicradar.com 10 best new drummers in the world right now: 2014 poll results revealed By Rhythm Magazine “2014 highlight: After collaborating with the likes of Meshell Ndegeocello, Wayne Krantz and Gretschen Parlato, drummer/composer Guiliana released his solo debut, My Life Starts Now, in 2014. His drumming is informed by the hard bop of Art and Elvin but he also...
Posted Dec 15th, 2014
JazzTimes Features Mark Guiliana: A Man and His Groove
From jazztimes.com Mark Guiliana Starts a Rousing New Chapter: A Man and His Groove By Brad Farberman “Screaming horns, wandering bass, shadowy drums and a piano that sounds like it’s being punched. That’s free-jazz, right? Not according to the driving, electronic-music-minded drummer Mark Guiliana, who co-leads Mehliana, a duo with pianist Brad Mehldau; can be heard on recordings by bassist...
Posted Dec 11th, 2014
Irish Times Features Mark Guiliana
From irishtimes.com Mark Guiliana: My Life Starts Now By Cormac Larkin “To say that Mark Guiliana is a drummer’s drummer is not necessarily to recommend his music to general listeners. The 34-year-old New Jersey native has become the patron saint of a new generation who move freely between the acoustic, human- centred instrumentalism of jazz and the processed world of...
Posted Oct 10th, 2014
DownBeat Magazine Features Mark Guiliana
From downbeat.com Mark Guiliana: New Dialogue By Ken Micallef “The electronic music style drum ’n’ bass had a watershed year in 1996. Initially labeled “dance music” as fans in underground London clubs jolted their bodies to the music’s jackhammer rhythms and sampled cyber melodies, the far-reaching tendrils of drum ’n’ bass would boil musicians’ brains for years to come. e...
Posted Oct 1st, 2014
All About Jazz Features Mark Guiliana
From allaboutjazz.com Mark Guiliana: Emulating The Source By Ben Scholz “Over the past ten years, electronic music and jazz have developed a curious relationship. As programmers and DJs sought to remove the human element from their beats and loops, acoustic musicians sought to apply the tight, complex patterns of house and trance music to their traditional instruments. Drummer Mark Guiliana...
Posted Aug 28th, 2014
TimeOut New York Features Mark Guiliana's Beat Music
From timeout.com Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music “Drummer Mark Guiliana, a leader of the field of electroacoustic fusion, launches a new label, Beat Music Productions—along with a pair of inaugural releases—at this guest-star-studded late-night hang. Expect tight, spacey funk-soul-jazz-tronica aplenty.” To read the full article click here
Posted Aug 28th, 2014
iDrum Magazine Features Mark Guiliana
From idrummag.com Mark Guiliana Releases My Life Starts Now & Beat Music: The Los Angeles Improvisations By ianc “September 2014 will see Mark Guiliana diving head first into the launch of his new record label, Beat Music Productions. The label will be flying out of the gate with two new recordings,My Life Starts Now, and Beat Music: The Los Angeles...
Posted Jul 31st, 2014
JazzTimes Features Mark Guiliana
From jazztimes.com Drummer Mark Guiliana to Launch Own Label By Jeff Tamarkin “Drummer Mark Guiliana, who has appeared on more than 30 recordings and recently partnered with pianist Brad Mehldau in the duo Mehliana, will launch his own label, Beat Music Productions, on Sept. 2. The maiden releases on the label will be two albums led by Guiliana, My Life...
Posted Jul 29th, 2014
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet Download
Mark Guiliana’s astonishing, tentacular drumming alone confirms that Bowie’s last band, led by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, was one of his best, capable of anything
The Guardian
Mark Guiliana, a technical master with a rare sense of musicality, has over the last decade become one of the most influential drummers of his generation
JazzTimes
…a drummer around whom a cult of admiration has formed
The New York Times
Rhythmic interplay and complex layers are key features of Guiliana’s style, so these characteristics permeated the entire set. The music is full of surprises, in form and content; in spite of this, the transitions were fluid, even when moving between radically different sections. Sometimes you’d wonder how the music arrived at its current point, so suddenly yet with such ease. Add to this the fact that Guiliana and his bandmates have a gift for intentionally blurring form, and you have an utterly absorbing musical experience, with beautiful twists and turns.
Jazzwise
Guiliana may well be at the forefront of an exciting new style of drumming…
Modern Drummer
What happens when you add hard bop drum masters Elvin Jones and Art Blakey to a 1980s Roland 808 drum machine, divide the result by J Dilla and then multiply to the power of Squarepusher? Answer: Mark Guiliana
Time Out London
…but it is Mark Guiliana – fast-becoming the most influential drummer of the new jazz generation following his starring role on David Bowie’s Blackstar – who is raising this still-emerging form to a new, more organic level.
Irish Times