– In an interview, you said that David Bowie heard your band play New York scenes and decided to hire you to record the Blackstar album because he liked the sound of your band. How would you describe him? What makes your sound unique, distinctive?
– I think my sound is a combination of the influences I experienced. I try to include all the music, art that makes the most sense to me, let those influences interact, communicate with each other and remain open to the outcome: I’m always curious regarding where the various interactions can lead. Maybe the uniqueness comes from what I’ve been doing for years, but I try to always be honest and not deny my experiences or my influences.
– How did you start playing drums? Apparently, it all started with your fascination with rock music?
– Yes, indeed. When I started playing drums in 1995, I listened to music on the radio and MTV: I was mostly “transported” by bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. This experience is an important part of my musical choices to this day. But soon following that I discovered jazz and became simply obsessed with the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Art Blakey and many other great jazz masters – the list of jazz influences is very long. And then I became interested in electronic music and the folklore of West Africa and other regions.
– What music are you listening to now?
– Almost every day I listen to John Coltrane, Bob Marley, a lot of Cuban music, I still listen to a lot of electronica, among my favorites are Squarepusher, Aphex Twin. From contemporary compositional music, I like to listen to the recordings of the Japanese pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, the playing of Brad Mehldau. Actually, I listen to music all the time.
– How was your project “Beat Music” born?
– I formed Beat Music to respond to all the influences I experienced in electronic music. But the improvisational beginning that fills the structures of electronic music is also very important for us. It’s more of a jazz influence. So in terms of sound, Beat Music would be an electronic music group, but the performance is very jazzy: we improvise, listen to each other, react to each other, and this makes each of our performances extremely unique, possible only at that particular moment.
– You have performed at many famous festivals and stages. Where were the most memorable performances?
– I am very happy to travel a lot in my life, playing in many wonderful places. However, I have to admit that one of my favorite stages is the Village Vanguard, a small jazz club in New York. I always feel happy playing here with my band. It’s a special place – very little has changed since the club opened 90 years ago. How many of my heroes – jazz legends – have played here! There is a special energy in this space, it’s always a kind of high for me to be there.
– Have you been to Lithuania? What do you expect from the performance in Vilnius?
– I am really looking forward to the performance and the opportunity to share my music with people in Vilnius! I have never been to Lithuania and I feel excited at the prospect of getting to know new people, your culture, music, finally, to taste the food… I am really looking forward to the performance in Vilnius, which will allow me to discover another part of the world that is new to me.
American jazz star Mark Guiliana with his band and his most famous project “Beat Music!” – July 31. In Vilnius. Tickets are distributed by “KAKAVA.LT”. This performance, suitable for a summer evening, will take place in an open space, in one of the most beautiful and cozy courtyards of the capital’s old town (Trakų St. 10).
#Džiuljana #perform #Lithuania #time #part #world #Culture
2024-07-08 21:52:14
