In the last few years it seems like drummer Mark Guiliana is the musician who’s first called when a jazz-oriented project seeks a heavy, forceful groove. Last year he paired with keyboardist Brad Mehldau on the Grammy-nominated Mehliana: Taming the Dragon (Nonesuch), a high-profile excursion into texture and rhythm. But Guiliana’s best known for driving recent projects by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, bassist Avishai Cohen, guitarist Lionel Loueke, singer Gretchen Parlato (who also happens to be his wife), and keyboardist Jason Lindner, among others. It’s no wonder trumpeter Dave Douglas enlisted him for his recent High Risk project with electronic-music producer Shigeto—the group performs in Chicago tonight and tomorrow at Constellation—as Guiliana expertly moves from conventional beats to electronic ones, giving the music a tough backbone without sacrificing its elasticity.
<a href=”http://markguiliana.bandcamp.com/album/family-first”>Family First by Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet</a>
