Mark Guiliana

Mark Guiliana is an American drummer, composer, and electronic musician who became a key collaborator in David Bowie’s final creative period.

As a core member of the Donny McCaslin Group, Guiliana played drums on Blackstar (2016), bringing a contemporary jazz, electronic, and groove-based rhythmic approach into Bowie’s last studio album.

Key facts

Name: Mark Guiliana
Role: Drums, electronic percussion
Group: Donny McCaslin Group
With Bowie: 2014–2016
Key album: Blackstar (2016)
Era: Bowie’s final studio period

Where Mark Guiliana fits in Bowie’s timeline

Mark Guiliana enters David Bowie’s story at its conclusion. After decades of stylistic reinvention, Bowie deliberately turned away from rock traditionalists and sought inspiration from the contemporary New York jazz underground.

Guiliana, already known for redefining the role of the modern drummer, became a central figure in this final reinvention.

The Donny McCaslin Group

The Donny McCaslin Group was recognised for its explosive energy, complex rhythmic structures, and fusion of jazz improvisation with electronic music. Guiliana’s drumming sat at the heart of this sound.

His style blended acoustic drums with electronic textures, loops, and groove-based repetition—an approach that fascinated Bowie.

Blackstar: rhythm as architecture

On Blackstar, rhythm is not simply accompaniment; it is structural. Guiliana’s drumming underpins the album’s tension, unease, and forward motion.

Tracks such as “Blackstar”, “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)”, and “’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore” showcase his ability to merge jazz independence with electronic discipline.

Bowie’s trust in the musicians

Bowie encouraged Guiliana and the rest of the band to bring their own musical identities into the sessions. Rather than dictating parts, Bowie curated an environment of exploration.

Guiliana’s rhythmic language became inseparable from the album’s character, giving Bowie’s final statement a distinctly modern pulse.

Live performances and continuation

Bowie did not tour after Blackstar, but Guiliana and the McCaslin Group continued to perform the material live in their own concerts, presenting it as an extension of Bowie’s final vision.

These performances confirmed that the music was not a stylistic experiment, but a fully realised artistic collaboration.

Why Mark Guiliana matters in Bowie’s story

Mark Guiliana represents Bowie’s final creative leap forward. At the end of his life, Bowie aligned himself with musicians who embodied innovation rather than legacy.

Through Guiliana’s drumming, Bowie’s last work avoided nostalgia and instead spoke in the language of the present—urgent, complex, and alive.

Beyond Bowie

Outside his work with Bowie, Mark Guiliana is widely respected for his solo projects, including Beat Music, and for collaborations with artists such as Brad Mehldau and Avishai Cohen.

His contribution to Blackstar stands as one of the most influential intersections between modern jazz and popular music in the 21st century.