‘Nurture The Child / Challenge The Adult’ by Harry Christelis | Album Premiere | Interview
Exclusive album premiere of ‘Nurture The Child / Challenge The Adult’ by Harry Christelis, out February 17th 2023 via Clonmell Jazz Social.
‘Nurture The Child / Challenge The Adult’ features immersive and thought-provoking original contemporary jazz by a quartet of highly acclaimed musicians, led by guitarist Harry Christelis. Due out on 17th Feb 2023 on LP, CD and digital formats via new label, Clonmell Jazz Social.
This is an album of explorative contemporary jazz, one of deep musical conversations between all the players. Drawing on their divergent experience and pedigree, ‘Nurture The Child / Challenge The Adult’ brings to mind the Fourth Worlds of Jon Hassell, the oceanic exploration of Miles Davis, the deep space of ECM and the remote, avant-pop lighthouse scan of late Talk Talk. But these are mere comparisons, ‘Nurture The Child / Challenge The Adult’ draws you into an ecosystem you have never visited before – a place you’d want to spend an hour: comfortably unfamiliar, intimately remote, beguilingly melancholic, and distressingly beautiful.
Personnel:
Harry Christelis – electric guitar
Andrea Di Biase – double bass
Dave Storey – drums
Christos Stylianides – trumpet
“A reflection of a challenging personal moment in my life”
Was there a certain concept behind the album?
Harry Christelis: The music on this album is a reflection of a challenging personal moment in my life, as well as what was an unprecedented and challenging time for millions of people around the world. All the compositions (apart from ‘Zero Hours’) were written during the Covid-19 lockdowns, a time when people’s normal lives were halted, and were instead replaced by a vast amount of time to reflect. The album is a culmination of the wide range of emotions I felt during that time, acknowledging memories as well as current experiences that spoke of the aspects that were missing from my life and relationships. In the end, I boiled much of this experience down to a singular truth; that humans need a balance in their life of having their inner child nurtured and supported, while the adult side of themselves is challenged and questioned.
Can you share some words about the writing and recording of it?
With such a vast amount of time on my hands during the lockdowns, and experiencing what felt like such a drastic shift in global consciousness, the composing of the music actually felt quite effortless. I had endless time to be with my guitar, so I just kept experimenting until I touched upon themes and ideas that seemed to resonate with my feelings.
When it came to recording the music, I strived to keep things as uncluttered and open as possible. Before handling any of the compositions over to the musicians, I made sure that I was only giving them a basic sense of the melody and harmony. I didn’t want to talk about anything to do with the details of the performance before we played, such as the tempo, feel, form, or structure. In this way, everyone had to rely solely on their instincts, using what they hear around them as fuel for their own interpretations of the music. For me, this means the music is always fresh and keeps a deep sense of collective creativity. This approach also means I am rarely disappointed in the outcome of a performance, as I go into each take with no exception of what it will be. The compositions I write are very personal to me and my experiences, but once they are performed, I want them to be a representation of all the experiences of the musicians, brought together in one big melting pot. All tracks on the album are recorded completely live, with no edits, added effects, or overdubs, helping to further capture the spontaneous creation of each piece.
“All tracks on the album are recorded completely live”
What about production?
The production of the record was fairly straightforward. With some incredible studio engineering skill from David Holmes from Lightship 95 Studio, we were able to capture the quartet in a way that is 100% true to our live sound, playing altogether in one room, mixing in the acoustic instruments with electronics and effects in real time. Because of this, the post production work was also fairly straightforward. Working with the masterful Alex Bonney, we were able to mix and master the record in a way that simply draws out each player’s natural sound, and reflects an honest representation of the band’s dynamic, when and wherever we play.
What are some future plans now?
With the record coming out on the 17th February, I’m now really looking forward to getting on stage and further exploring this music with the quartet. We have a few concerts already booked for 2023, with more to be confirmed. There will be a London album launch concert at the prestigious Vortex Jazz Club on 4th April, as well as a concert at the Lescar in Sheffield on 12th July, and another London date at Green Note on the 10th November for the 2023 London Jazz Festival. More dates will be announced soon!
Klemen Breznikar
Harry Christelis Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube
Clonmell Jazz Social Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube
