Christina Galisatus

Christina Galisatus
Root (featuring Jeff Parker)

Release date: 5/1/2020

Slow & Steady Records​ announces the release of Bay Area-born, Los Angeles-based pianist and composer ​Christina Galisatus​’ debut single, ​“​Root,”​ featuring guitarist ​Jeff Parker​. “Root” navigates seamlessly between the meticulous and notated world of chamber music, and the open, unscripted world of improvised music. “At the time of this composition, I felt a mix of conflicting emotions,” reflects Galisatus. “I was getting close to graduating college and didn’t know what would happen next. I was working on seeing the beauty in the unknown, seeing the uncertainty as an opportunity rather than a loss.”

“Root” mirrors the duality of Galisatus’ sentiments. It begins as a deep and contemplative piece of chamber music – originally written to feature her sister, a classical clarinetist, and her father, a trumpeter – which she initially workshopped with pianist Edward Simon. “Ed challenged me to notate it as a classical composer would, indicating every detail that I wanted to hear,” recalls Galisatus. “He told me to play it over and over again, and eventually I would notice small details that I’d keep coming back to.” The song then takes a turn, opening up into a much lighter and blissful improvised section, complemented perfectly by a soulful guitar solo from Jeff Parker. “Even before I had arranged the piece, I was excited imagining Jeff’s voice on it,” says Galisatus. “I simply wanted the song to feel good, and to sound pretty. Jeff’s phrasing, melodic sense, and feel fit perfectly.”

The same mantra of feel and sound guided Galisatus as she assembled a stellar lineup of West Coast-based musicians, including bassist ​David Piltch​ (“he plays with such melodicism and expressivity, always while maintaining a solid groove”), drummer ​Tamir Barzilay​ (“everything he does makes you feel good”), saxophonist Michael Blasky​ and multi-reedist ​Steven Lugerner​ (“two of my favorite horn players, hands-down. Both breathe so much life into their melodies and can draw so much emotion out of the music”). Overall, “Root” signifies a beginning – embracing a new, and unwritten chapter of life, in a new city, with a number of new collaborators. “The process of releasing just this one song taught me a lot about myself as a musician and composer,” notes Galisatus. “I have a lot more music that I’m excited to share.”

Christina Galisatus - piano
Jeff Parker - guitar
Steven Lugerner - bass clarinet
Michael Blasky - tenor saxophone
David Piltch - bass
Tamir Barzilay - drums & percussion

Composition by Christina Galisatus
Produced by Christina Galisatus & Steven Lugerner
Recorded by Eric Astor @ The Hideaway (Chatsworth, CA) & Zev Shearn-Nance @ Newton Park Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
Mixed & Mastered by Rich Breen @ Dogmatic Sound (Burbank, CA)
Artwork by Christina Galisatus