Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music @ Rockwood

Mark Guiliana's Beat Music @ Rockwood

It has been a while since I last heard Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music (formerly known as Mark Guiliana’s Thing). This time it was with Jason Lindner on keyboards, Stephen Wall on all kinds of innovative and traditional instruments and gadgets, and Chris Morrissey on bass. It was really packed in Rockwood (I hope everybody tipped well as there was no admission). I was really lucky to get a seat upstairs, high enough to notice the words of wisdom “Play less” written on Mark Guiliana’s snare drum I guess actually this straightforward approach is the big charm of this music: in this uncluttered and seemingly simple groove (not so many fancy time signatures) there is so much inner movement and textures that the space in it is actually the thing that becomes irresistibly addictive…

Musically, I think the project has evolved quite a bit since I last saw them: it’s more thought out although by no means lacking improvisation and spontaneity, still. As a proof to that, vocalist Jeff Taylor (in whose band Mark Guiliana and Stephen Wall play as well) got on stage for a few tunes for even more musical energy.

Mark Guiliana's Beat Music featuring Jeff Taylor

For my heart’s content, they even played the classic Heernt tune Locked in a Basement

The only that I feel a little restless about is that, as I’ve heard Mark Guiliana so many times in the past, I wonder if it’s just the grass having been greener or his drumming actually used to be a bit more graceful and subtle those days. Of course, the Rockwood sound doesn’t seem to support such qualities anyway: I would actually be really worried of my hearing if I’d frequent the place a bit more.

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