Mehliana, comprised of pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana, kicks off the Kennedy Center’s ’14-’15 jazz season.

Two years have passed since Jason Moran took over as the Kennedy Center‘s Artistic Advisor for Jazz, taking the place of the late, great Billy Taylor. DCist interviewed Moran shortly after he took the position and he laid out some ambitious goals, one of which was to use the many spaces in the Center to present jazz in new contexts. The Crossroads Club, which is essentially a banquet space redecorated and repurposed, is one of these new venues. Tomorrow, Mehliana will stop in the Crossroads to kickoff the ’14-’15 jazz season.

Mehliana is a collaboration between pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana. Mehldau’s Art of the Trio series of recordings brought a fresh light onto the acoustic piano trio format and his solo piano work is just sublime. Guiliana has worked with a host of jazz notables and is one of the New York scene’s most in-demand sidemen. The two started playing together informally in 2008, and their initial sessions led them to believe that a more electronic approach would be the way to go.

“Really this project, after the instrumentation was agreed upon—which was Brad’s keyboard set up with synthesizers and the Rhodes and my specific drum set up with some electronic percussion as well—[was] really just about the way we played with each other,” Guiliana said. He also noted that two of his siblings went to GW, so he is very familiar with D.C.

The duo went about writing material and developing a live set. They toured Europe before entering the studio to record Taming the Dragon, which was released earlier this year. The two interact at an extremely high level and the songs shift tempo and mood on a dime.

“I wrote out what I called ‘stems’ for some of these,” Mehldau said of the writing experience. “This was, for me, particularly gratifying, because I’ve never been a very good collaborator, and with Mark, it felt natural.”

“I am always inspired by Brad’s musicianship and his dedication to the moment, and I am trying to be there with him and create some good music,” Guiliana added.

Mehliana is also a strong choice to start the Kennedy Center’s new jazz season. The Crossroads Club was conceived as a space that could bridge the gap between jazz and contemporary dance music. Previous performers have included Me’shell N’Degeocello, Robert Glasper, and Medeski Martin & Wood. Mehliana’s sound has the textural and rhythmic elements of drum ‘n bass, but also the improvisational freedom that comes with playing jazz. With EDM being the rage that it is, this performance might serve as a gateway to those who are looking to explore more organic music. Also, because both Mehldau and Guiliana are extremely busy musicians with established careers, this will likely be a rare chance for D.C. audiences to see Mehliana in person.

“Speaking for myself, I know one thing I love about what we do, and I say this humbly, is that when we go onstage it’s a one hundred percent commitment to the music and to the moments,” Guiliana said. “So I hope [the audience] can take the ride with us.”

Mehliana performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets tomorrow night at the Kennedy Center‘s Crossroads Club. Tickets $32.