The Regulator is a fine example of the impeccable guitar playing of Artie Zaitz, perfectly melding together jazz and blues influences.

Release Date: Available now

Label: Banger Factory Records

Format: Digital and Vinyl

GIFTED GUITARIST AND BAND LEADER

Artie Zaitz is an exceptionally gifted guitarist, who on this album, The Regulator, is joined by a stellar cast of musicians. They are Ross Stanley playing the Hammond C-3 organ, together with Steve Brown on drums, and Dave Pattman on conga. Ross Stanley of course has featured on several jazz albums reviewed by At The Barrier and is a virtuoso player. This album is a significant release, as it is Artie Zaitz’s debut recording as a band leader. The music moreover was recorded live in the studio, showcasing a winning combination of blues and jazz, over an engaging array of swing rhythms.  

EXPLORING THE ALBUM

The opening track Some Extent, written by Artie Zaitz, evidences the bands pace and sparkle. The guitar weaves an enthralling melodic solo around the syncopated rhythm. It has the feel of scat singing, as the notes soar and then break down, with an almost impossible fluidity. Ross Stanley’s characteristically inventive Hammond organ solo pushes the rhythmic trajectory of the track to a new level of intensity. This is embellished by Steve Brown and Dave Pattman playing some great fills on drums and conga.

Con Alma, features the band’s interpretation of a Dizzy Gillespie standard. The bossa nova style of delivery is just perfect for Artie Zaitz to demonstrate the lyrical blues side of his playing. The guitar solo is full of passion and emotion and really flies out of the speakers. A Nod to the High Priest, composer Ruben Fox’s tribute to Thelonious Monk, features Ross Stanley’s wonderfully expressive organ playing, where the notes and sustain literally dance out of the recording. Artie Zaitz’s inspired guitar solo follows, strikingly throwing out a ringing flurry of angular notes. A dramatic moment is Steve Brown’s drum break at the end of the track, where he skilfully utilises the full panoply of sounds from his kit. 

EMBRACING THE SOUL JAZZ GROOVE

Boogaloo Ga Goo, composed by Artie Zaitz’s father Jake, is imbued with sweeping fusion influenced guitar lines that also have a keen blues tinge. Dave Pattman’s conga playing is also quite excellent here, effortlessly adding some precision rhythmic accents. The track that follows, Our Miss Brooks, is a walking blues composition by Harold Vick. Here Artie Zaitz’s stinging blues licks demand turning the volume up, and Ross Stanley’s Hammond organ fills add just the right atmosphere. The organ solo itself has an exhilarating blues swing and irresistibly pushes the instrument into rhythm and blues territory. 

Closing track The Regulator, written by Mark Kavuma, has an intriguing spoken word introduction by poet and performer Fausta Joly. The spoken introduction really captures the essence of Artie Zaitz’s music. A music which speaks directly to the heart with groove, skill and optimism. The band here really embrace the soul jazz groove, with every player pushing at the boundaries, traversing shifting tempos, and enabling the music coming at you, to fill up the room with a joyous big sound.

LISTENING TO THE VINYL VERSION

A note on the vinyl version of this superb album, which offers the listener the full analogue experience. The expansive soundstage provides placement of the instruments in a way which gives the listener a tangible sense of the band recording live in the studio. All the players are finely balanced in the sound mix, emphasising the almost telepathic interplay between them. The dynamic energy that was clearly evident in the studio charges out of the speakers, while at the same time the subtleties within the music, particularly in the solos, is always to the fore. 

To conclude, Artie Zaitz is a major guitar talent, and this album allows him to explore the full sonic possibilities of his playing, accompanied by a completely sympathetic group of musicians, who also excel on this album.

For more information about Artie Zaitz: Bandcamp / Facebook

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