Christina Galisatus - Without Night

Christina Galisatus
Without Night

Release date: 01/27/2023

Christina Galisatus’ stunning debut album, Without Night, emerged from a whole-hearted embrace of making music for no one but herself. After working for years proving what she could do to earn the respect of male gatekeepers in the often misogynistic modern music scene, Without Night is a reflection of Galisatus refusing to give into what others expected of her. The album is a stunning, bold, and defiant creation that honors her honesty and creativity. Perhaps that’s why these songs feel so organically lived-in, warm and familiar yet filled with daring chord changes and a remarkable cohesion between Galisatus and the band she assembled.

Finally having a set of compositions that felt completely true to her after writing and performing music that didn't always feel this way, Galisatus made the decision to record the music as a stamp in time. Once this decision was made, she arranged other details, like whom she wanted to record these songs with and in what configuration they would do so. She recruited Erin Bentlage on vocals, Michael Blasky on tenor saxophone, Steven Lugerner to handle bass clarinet, Brandon Bae for guitar duties, Joshua Crumbly on the bass, and Zev Shearn-Nance behind the drum kit. As an artist whose compositional process entails improvising on piano while singing wordless melodies on top, Galisatus had never before considered writing lyrics for her songs. Her previous work always reflected moods and themes through harmonic ingenuity and melodic themes. On Without Night, though, she pens lyrics for Bentlage, who gorgeously sings about the idea that the difficulties we face are an integral part of what makes our lives and experiences more full.

“The process of finishing school and trying to find my footing, not only as a musician but as a person navigating relationships, mental health struggles and the world in general, brought up a lot of emotions, especially when looking back on various experiences I had in the past that I was just starting to process,” she explains. “The music that I was writing at that time mostly came from that theme.”

As such, the album’s rich strand of folk inspired chamber jazz blends the contemplative analysis of these themes with a staggeringly crisp full-band sound. “A Fragile State” begins with a minor-chord piano melody that Galisatus performs with patience, letting each chord suggest where it’s heading before she moves to the next phrase. Saxophone and brushed drums enter, and the result is a song about the fragility of our mental states, and how we must assume the existence of ups and downs in order to best work with, rather than against, our emotional states. The composition cleverly reflects this struggle as each phrase gets longer and longer, as if Galisatus and her band want to complete the entire phrase from the onset but keep on getting interrupted.

On “Without Being Held,” Galisatus and her band open up with a rousing introduction before fading into the background as Bentlage sings, “To feel warmth in the coldest of veins; To lose the peaceful mornings interrupted by memories.” The band moves from explosive interludes to quiet meditations, illustrating the peaks and valleys of a lush canyon landscape with dynamics, which is something Galisatus wanted in her band when she began assembling the group for the album: “I really wanted people who I felt could play delicately and sensitively,” Galisatus explains. “People who prioritize taking care of the music.” Though the compositions themselves as well as each musician on the album are technically brilliant, Galisatus didn’t want that to be a listener’s first impression of the music. Instead, the overarching feeling is one of a group deeply in-tune with one another, following the songwriting with a true ingenuity.

Above all, Galisatus wanted her first LP effort to be a reflection of what she loves in music. “The music that I've always been drawn to, whether it's listening to music or performing and composing, has always been music that just feels beautiful to me,” she explains. “All of the music on this album came during and shortly after realizing that I don't have to adhere to anyone else’s vision.” She pauses for a second before adding, “I need to honor what I find honest.”

Christina Galisatus - compositions / arrangements, piano
Erin Bentlage - vocals
Michael Blasky - tenor saxophone
Steven Lugerner - bass clarinet
Brandon Bae - guitar
Joshua Crumbly - bass
Zev Shearn-Nance - drums

Recorded January 12-13, 2022 at Tritone Recording Studio (Los Angeles) by Talley Sherwood
Produced by Christina Galisatus
Mixed by Zev Shearn-Nance
Mastered by Maximilian Sink

Cover art concept & creative direction by Jacob Skaggs
Cover art photography by Nick Vaughn
Cover art production design by Kat Vaughn
Cover art produced by Unpaved Media
CD layout and design by Bella Porter