Jonathan Pryor
An amalgamation of Mark's musical journey so far. Mark NEVER disappoints if the listener is opened to analyzing the vehicle.
Favorite track: our essential nature.
The new album from one of the most influential, virtuosic and commanding drummers of our time, featuring Shai Maestro, Jason Rigby and Chris Morrissey.
Following his acclaimed quartet albums ‘Jersey’ and ‘Family First’, this third release is everything you’d expect from Mark Guiliana, whilst taking the music in new directions we’ve never seen from him before. In complete contrast to his latest BEAT MUSIC! work, ‘the sound of listening’ (intentionally lower case) is a deeply honest and expressive album by a musician who knows where he’s headed and what he wants to say with people he deeply trusts.
The title and idea behind ‘the sound of listening’ is taken from the book ‘Silence’ by Thích Nhất Hạnh, which considers, as Mark explains, ‘the inner silence required to truly observe the world.’ In ‘the sound of listening’ the entirety of compositional breadth of Mark’s acoustic and electronic influences is brought together, interspersed with miniature vignettes in a unified voice: the album speaks of Mark’s own journey and thinking with his relationship to music – to see the world and his presence within it through a zoomed out lens, where differences are unified and perspectives aligned.Track titles including ‘a path to bliss’, and ‘the most important question’, reflect Mark’s passionate response to his own exploration and path to serenity, which takes centre stage in this meticulously thoughtful, introspective album.
Over the course of his career, Mark has built a vast cult-like following for his own projects as well as with key collaborators including Avishai Cohen, Brad Mehldau, Gretchen Parlato, Meshell Ndegeocello, the late great David Bowie, and more recently St. Vincent. ‘the sound of listening’ reaffirms his authority as an artist where the expectation is there’s no expectation.
All music composed by Mark Guiliana (HEERNT Music, BMI)
Produced by Mark Guiliana
Executive producer Dave Stapleton
Recorded and mixed by John Davis at the Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, NY in March 2022.
Mastered by Alex DeTurk at the Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, NY in April 2022.
Album artwork & letterpress printing by Oli Bentley, Split.
Mark Guiliana plays Gretsch drums, Vic Firth sticks, Remo drumheads and DW hardware.
Management:
Tom Korkidis – New Village
Booking:
Mike Bindraban – Good Music Company (EU, Int’l)
Chris Weller, Ryan Anderson – Big Fish Booking Co. (North America)
THANK YOU Chris, THANK YOU Shai, THANK YOU Jason; THANK YOU John, Alex & everyone at the Bunker; THANK YOU Tom & New Village, THANK YOU Dave, Olivia & everyone at Edition; THANK YOU Oli; THANK YOU Mike & Jurjen, Chris & Ryan; THANK YOU Village Vanguard; THANK YOU Cole Whittle, Scott Liken, Jochen Neuffer, Drew Mckeon; THANK YOU Thich Nhat Hanh; THANK YOU to my entire family, especially Gretchen & Marley — you have all my love.
"What happens when you add hard bop drum masters Elvin Jones and Art Blakey to a 1980s Roland 808 drum machine, divide the
result by J Dilla and then multiply to the power of Squarepusher?
supported by 56 fans who also own “the sound of listening”
I have been a fan of this band for 18 years. I loved their original, hard-hitting piano trio incarnation up through the early 2010s when I felt they were running out of inspiration. This new guitar and sax quartet feels like a new birth. The music seems to me more meditative and textured, still with sparks flying but a more searching, reflective mood. Long live The Bad Plus! Michael Strmiska
This swinging Welsh jazz combo packs each song with blissfully darting horn lines and simmering rhythms on their latest LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 23, 2022
supported by 48 fans who also own “the sound of listening”
A story of sadness, confusion, and despair ending in hope and certainty that the cosmos is not a random and meaningless jumble of atoms populated by mindless mechanical men, but a world of meaning, beauty, and truth. Emotions and the heart are not everything, but they are an essential part of being human. ianjworsomething