Mark Guiliana

Mark Guiliana has earned recognition as an adventurous jazz drummer through both sideman appearances and leadership of his own ensembles. Notice arrived for him early in the 21st century during stints with bassist Avishai Cohen, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and guitarist Brad Shepik, after which he attracted further praise for an array of projects that explore new territory. Electronic music entered his output as far back as the 2012 release Beat Music and the 2014 album The Los Angeles Improvisations. With pianist Brad Mehldau he issued the 2014 electronic jazz recording Mehliana: Taming the Dragon. In 2016 he appeared on Blackstar, the final album by David Bowie. After signing with Motema Music he delivered the quartet album Jersey in 2017 and followed it a year later with the electronic, through-composed solo project Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music! Subsequent work with Baku-born keyboardist Isfar Sarabski on the 2022 album The Sound of Listening preceded the 2023 solo release Mischief, which features drums and electronics.

Born in Florham Park, New Jersey in 1980, Guiliana developed an early childhood interest in music yet waited until age 15 to begin formal drum lessons with 4Front drummer Joe Bergamini. During high school he performed across multiple ensembles that spanned big band, rock, prog rock, and funk. He later enrolled at William Patterson University in New Jersey, where he pursued jazz studies with John Riley and Kevin Norton.

Upon completing his degree in 2003, Guiliana entered the studio and touring bands of Avishai Cohen and contributed to six albums with the group. As a vehicle for additional musical directions he helped establish the experimental-garage-jazz trio HEERNT, which issued the full-length album Locked in a Basement in 2006. Beyond those commitments he took part in both studio sessions and live performances with an eclectic list of artists that included Me'Shell Ndegéocello, oudist Dhafer Youssef, Matisyahu, Gretchen Parlato, Brad Shepik, and Bobby McFerrin.

A self-titled EP appeared from Guiliana in 2010. In 2012 he assembled the ensemble Beat Music!, which released its first EP later that same year, followed by the digital album A Form of Truth in 2013. Co-produced by Ndegéocello, that recording blended jazz, dub, funk, glitch, hip-hop, and rock through contributions from guitarist Nir Felder, saxophonist David Binney, and four bassists that included the co-producer herself.

Later the same year Guiliana and Brad Mehldau launched the adventurous, genre-blurring duo Mehliana, whose debut album Mehliana: Taming the Dragon came out on Nonesuch in February 2014. Engagements with trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist McCaslin preceded the 2015 release of his own album Family First. He rejoined McCaslin for what became David Bowie’s final album, 2016’s Blackstar. In 2017 he also played on Brooklyn producer and drummer Shigeto’s album The New Monday before issuing his own quartet recording Jersey. The electronic-influenced Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music! followed in 2019 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

After the pandemic Guiliana recorded the 2021 album Planet with Azerbaijani pianist and composer Isfar Sarabski and contributed several tracks to vocalist Gretchen Parlato’s acclaimed studio album Flor. The following year he reassembled his jazz quartet for the August release The Sound of Listening, which drew widespread critical praise, and he also appeared with Avishai Cohen and Sweden’s Gothenburg Symphony on Two Roses. In April 2023 he presented Mischief, a dense solo album performed on multiple drums and banks of electronics.