Mark Guiliana (November 2005 Issue)
Thrilling You Softly

He may well be at the forefront of an exciting new style of drumming. Twenty-four-year-old New Jersey native Mark Guiliana reveals this on Avishai Cohen's new album, At Home. To be sure, file it under jazz'there's too many implied triplets to do otherwise. But there's also a willingness to cross boundaries into other styles, such as drum 'n' bass. On this album, you'll hear more slick fills and chattering cross-stick than you've heard in a long time. But the trick is that when Guiliana scurries rabbit-like across the skins, the meter doesn't budge.

    "Being open to anything is really important to me," explains Mark. "I try not to exaggerate how open. I really get excited about trying to find that 'loud energy' through softer playing and relying on communication and exploration of sounds. At lower dynamics, I can get more sounds out of the drums."

    Perhaps surprisingly, powerhouse Tony Williams was a major inspiration. So was Mark's first teacher, Joe Bergamini. "Then when I attended William Paterson University," Mark recalls, "I got into Jim Black. He embraces the idea of 'anything goes.' I studied with John Riley for a few years, too. He was a real role model because he can do it all."

    Asked about his penchant for cross-stick work, Mark replies, "I like playing cross-stick because it's an articulate sound, a short sound, but not a loud sound. With the left stick in that position, the right hand is free to play the rims, head, or even the other stick."
    Apart from his steady gig with Avishai, Guiliana subs in The Jazz Mandolin Project. And he's keen to work more around New York with his own band, Heernt. Heernt." Mark smiles: "It's just a sound I like." Check out www.markguiliana.com for more on the up-and-comer.

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