Lumark Gulley

Lumark is a native of Mobile, AL. Born into a musical family, Lumark knew at an early age that he would be a musician. He grew up listening to all kinds of music.By the time he was in high school, Lumark was playing drums in various choirs with his sister, Lola, who is also a very gifted musician, playing drums and bass with his high school music teacher in the E. B. Coleman Big Band and playing a funk band with classmates from high school. Jazz was his real love.In 1988, Lumark attended Jackson State University. While at JSU, Lumark studied trombone and arranging with Paul Adams. He also studied with drummer Al Fielder. It was also during this time that he would do various gigs around Jackson bassist rodney Jordan, trumpeter Russell Gunn, both of whom were classmates and pianist James Hurt.After Graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in Music education, Lumark Moved to Milwaukee, WI where he would perform with organist Melvin Rhyne and then Baton Rouge, LA where he would play bass with famed calrinetist and educator Alvin Batiste.While playing a gig in New Orleans September 1996with Mr. "Bat", as he is known, Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson would sit in. A few months later in 1997 while sitting in at a local jazz spot in Baton Rouge, Lumark would meet Desi Anderson, Wess' wife. She would convince Wess to call Lumark, "I thought Mark was a bass player, kind of a sad one at that"he would tell his wife. He gave in after several unsuccessful attempts to find a drummer for an upcomming gig. Lumark has been playing drums and occasionally bass with Wess ever since.Currently, Lumark lives in the Dallas area. He regulalrly performs with cats such as Marchell Ivery, Shelley Carroll, Bobby Sparks, Keith Anderson and many others playing various styles and grooves.