MEILANA profile picture

MEILANA

myspace screwed up and changed my top friends UGH!

About Me



Bio:
Meilana McLean Gillard
is an exciting, young tenor saxophonist and composer residing in Brooklyn, New york. She enjoys creating music that is not held captive by any particular genre or label and takes full advantage of NYC's vast artistic culture. Most-recently, you can find Meilana performing at various New York city venues like Minton's Playhouse and Sweet Rhythm with such artists as Charli Persip and Tyshawn Sorey. Meilana recently recorded with Joan Osborne ("Breakfast in Bed" 2007 Timelife) and Greg Osby. Look in early 2008 for a record by Charli Persip's Jazz Orchestra "Super Sound" which features an original composition and an arrangement by Gillard for 16 pieces. Gillard leads her own groups "Quintet Nouveau" and "Heartland" and co-leads "Symmetry" with Baritone-Saxophonist, Lauren Sevian(Mingus Big Band). Meilana has been a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra since 2001. She has performed with artists such as: Lou Rawls, Rene Marie, Johny Mathis, Mary Wilson, Debbie Reynolds, Toni Tennile, Seamus Blake, Benny Rietveld, Jeff "Tain" Watts and Gary Bartz. Gillard was born in London, UK in 1981. She relocated to the miniscule village of Ridgeway, Ohio at a very young age where she began to study music at age 7 and saxophone at age 11. Through her teens she won several awards for her efforts as a jazz soloist. Gillard studied for 2 years at Ohio State University under "Beatles" saxophonist, Gene Walker where she became developed an obsession for composition and arranging. She abandoned her small-town life in pursuit of knowledge and the desire to play with musicians of the highest calibur. Meilana moved to New York City in 2003 and began study at the New School University Jazz Program(class of 2005) where she studied privately with Seamus Blake, George Garzone, Tim Price and Dave Glasser.
TRACK LISTING
"With you at Dawn" composed/arranged/performed/recorded by Myself
Featuring:
Meilana: Tenor
Giggles McGillicuddy(aka: me):Flute 1
Jebbidiah Snodgrass(aka: me): Flute 2
Melinda McLaine Gilliyurd(aka: me): Clarinet 1
Muhlarnia Gilliarde(aka: me): Clarinet 2
Melanie Gaylord(aka: me): Bass Clarinet
****and "QUINTET NOUVEAU" is featured on the Live Tracks: "Ix Chel-Live" and "Visionary from Sweet Rhythm(both compositions by myself), recorded by Chelsey Fitzgerald who pressed the record button on my minidisc player...warm round of applause for her please :)
Meilana: Tenor
Nir Felder: Guitar
Katia Toobool: Piano
Marcos Varela: Bass
Tyshawn Sorey: Drums
"The Bounce"
Meilana: Tenor
Katia Toobool: Piano
Marcos Varela: Bass
Steve Lyman: Drums
"Intrinsic Evolution"
Me: Tenor
Nic Cowles: Flute
Andrew Hadro: Bass Clarinet
Bryan Noll: Electronics/laptop
Tim Hayes: Rhodes
Marcos Varela: Bass
Jamire Williams: Drums
(All tunes are composed and arranged by Meilana Gillard unless otherwise noted.)

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/23/2005
Band Website: meilana.com
Band Members: Meilana Gillard: Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet
Nir Felder: Guitar
Sam Barsh: Rhodes/Nord
Marcos Varela: Bass
Tyshawn Sorey: Drums


Influences: Music/art that inspires me…in random order except for GENE WALKER who is number ONE!!! Lester Young, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lucky Thompson, Dexter Gordon, Art Tatum, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Jimmy Blanton, Sidney Bichet, Ella Fitzgerald, Melba Liston, Charli Persip, Count Basie, Neil Hefti, Sammy Nestico, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Don Byas, Slam Stewart, Milt Hinton, Johnny Hodges, Billy Strayhorn, Gene Ammons, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Grey, Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, Oscar Peterson, Russell Procope, Cootie Williams, Bill Evans, Ray Brown, Gene Harris, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Hank Mobley, Stanley Turrentine, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, Red Garland, Lee Morgan, Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Nat Adderley, Blue Mitchell, Cannonball Adderley, Hank Jones, Billy Higgins, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Jimmy Scott, SHIRLEY HORN, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz, Paul Gonsalves, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Elvin Jones, Leroy Vinegar, Jack Dejohnette, Eric Dolphy, Booker Irvin, Mary Lou Williams, Nancy Wilson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elis Regina, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, June Christy, Stan Kenton, Blossom Dearie, Sarah Vaughn, Vaughn Wiester, Jim Hill, Jimmy “Lee” Hill, Charles Tolliver, Freddie Hubbard, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie Bayard, Seamus Blake, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, Dewey Redman, Sam Rivers, Greg Osby, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Michael Brecker, Donny McCaslin, Abraham Burton, Lauren Sevian, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Dave Douglas, Gary Thomas, Jaleel Shaw, Julius Hemphill, Tyshawn Sorey, Katia Toobool, Marcos Varela, Nir Felder, George Garzone, Dave Glasser, Tim Price, Steve Wilson, Steve Nelson, Kenny Drew Jr., Bob Mover, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Reich, Glass, Ryo Noda, Paule Maurice, Marcel Mule, Eugene Russeau, Stockhausen, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, James Brown, Otis Redding, Aarron Neville, The Delfonics, Curtis Mayfield, Steely Dan, Tower of Power, Sam Cooke, Son House, The Isley Brothers, The Police, Robert Palmer, Earth Wind and Fire, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Little Johnny Taylor, The Meters, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, The Commodores, Weather Report, Cheap Trick, Def Leopard, Poison, Madonna, Bill Withers, Willy Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Dave Kikoski, BECK, Eric Alexander, Clarence Carter, Rick James, Prince, Eric Clapton, Dr. Dre, Snoop, E40, The Roots, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest, Digital Underground, George Clinton/Parliament, J Dilla, Mary J. Blige, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Onyx, Busta Rhymes, Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, Janet Jackson, Green Day, The Pixies, The Breeders, Kim Deal, Guns and Roses, Anna Wayland, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Aerosmith, Radiohead, Joanna Newsom, Justin Timberlake, Timberland, Raphael Saadiq.
Sounds Like: ..smells like jazz
Record Label: MFAKTR Records(when I start it)
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Kitty Slideshow moved here...

Here is a slideshow dedicated to the life of my sweet cat Ellington who passed away 3/11. ...
Posted by MEILANA on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:40:00 PST

Get your dumb blog quizes here! :p

Your Birthdate: May 4You don't love lightly. For you, love is always a serious undertaking.However, you are able to love many types of people. You can bring out the best in almost anyone.Love surprise...
Posted by MEILANA on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:32:00 PST

Movie's I just REALLY Dig

Anatomy of a Murder    This move is killing and also features a soundtrack by Duke Ellington who also appears in the film...KILLER!  I like the tune "Flirtibird", its hella good.Ca...
Posted by MEILANA on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:14:00 PST

Fred Lebayle: Great Mouthpiece craftsman from Lyon, France!

Let me just start this by saying that I am absolutely NOT a gear-head! Mouthpieces, reeds, horns....welll.....they don't really interest me. I just like to use whatever works and gives me the sound I'...
Posted by MEILANA on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:01:00 PST

Meilana featured in "Hot House" April Issue

check out my mug in Hot House this month.  You can read the article online but there is no picture on the website...for that you gotta get a hardcopy....or just look at the only black and white p...
Posted by MEILANA on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:37:00 PST

menu foods killed my cat :(

I know now the cause of my sweet little cat Ellington's untimely death.  I'm sure many of you have heard on tv or radio about the recent menu foods "wet" food recall.  This affects brands li...
Posted by MEILANA on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:33:00 PST

My cat Ellington died today :(

Ellington McLean GilardBorn: April 5th, 2005Died: March 11th, 2007 1:47pmToday my sweet little angel kitty cat died.  It was awful.  I don't want to go into details too much, but lets put it...
Posted by MEILANA on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 03:07:00 PST

Meilana mentioned in Scott Yanow's Review of IAJE 2007

Let me preface this by saying, this is indeed a well-written and humorous (as well as accurate) description of one's experience during the IAJE festivities! - MeilanaThis article was written by Scott ...
Posted by MEILANA on Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:16:00 PST