Guitarist Artie Zaitz is rapidly establishing a reputation as one of the most exciting musicians on the UK scene. Taking his influence from the legend that is John Scofield, Zaitz’s eagerly awaited leadership debut brings together the guitarists love of the sound of the mid-sixties’ organ trio and Afro-Cuban and Latin American music.
Ahead of the release of The Regulator featuring Ross Stanley on Hammond C-3 ‘Big Bertha’,
Steve Brown on drums and Dave Pattman on conga, Jazz Views invited Artie to select his top ten favourite albums.
Of his selection the guitarist says, “Here are 10 of my favourite albums that influenced me with short writeups. Tried to pick some not so obvious ones”
Grant Green – Idle Moments (1963)
Quite possibly my desert island album, this recording features an all-star cast including tenor sax giant Joe Henderson and my favourite vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson near the start of their careers. The opening title track written by the severely underrated pianist/producer Duke Pearson perfectly encapsulates a searching mood that draws the listener in, with Grant Green (one of my biggest influences) lamenting and really projecting freely on his guitar. A perfect sounding Blue Note with all the frills and ensemble sensitivity. Beautiful.
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (1959)
As mentioned before, this would seem an obvious choice, but no top 10 list of mine would be complete without what I consider a Bible of Jazz – I can also safely maintain that Miles is my favourite musical artist of all time. I call this the Old Testament … not much to say about this that hasn’t already been wonderfully said but I can recall my first time listening to this at the age of 10 and the impact it’s had on me then and ever since.
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1964)
For me, this is the New Testament … Coltrane’s classic quartet towards the end of their tenure were starting to push the ‘boundaries’ further into realms of freedom and exploration, whilst retaining forms of blues throughout. An incredible suite of music that for me is one of the highlights of Coltrane’s incomparable singing and emotional sound. What a band.
Eddie Harris – Mean Greens (1966)
One of the leading pioneers of quartal harmony, tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris was truly a one of a kind. On his second album for Atlantic Records, the first half of the record features the same lineup as heard on The In Sound (1965) featuring musical giants Cedar Walton, Ron Carter and Billy Higgins. The second half features a pretty different bag altogether with organ, percussion and Eddie doubling on Wurlitzer Electric Piano. I’ve had fun transcribing and playing this album; I love how Eddie’s compositions draw from various influences including early funk – he just grooves in anything he does. Check out the final track, Goin’ Home where Eddie plays Wurli exclusively, really getting down and gritty with the blues and paying homage to Wes Montgomery with two handed octave lines and chords. A huge inspiration and delightful album, I can’t recommend it enough!
Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else (1958)
Another classic Blue Note, this album has been a particular favourite since my early days of getting into jazz. A lot of these records were shown to me by my dad from his vast collection and this would certainly be a strong contender for anyone’s top 10. Miles once again at the forefront with Cannonball, the ensemble swings so effortlessly throughout. To me the beauty lies in the approach of the session and its minimal arrangements – really, they’re just getting together and playing wonderful tunes with a couple (one could say almost improvised) blues originals added for good measure. I think a lot of people would consider these versions of Autumn Leaves and Love for Sale in particular to be definitive. Everything feels so relaxed and inspiring, a real treat to the ears.
Jackie McLean – Destination Out! (1963)
This Blue Note may not be known to many but there’s something about this one, it has a special place in my heart. This is the follow up to One Step Beyond which features an unusual new lineup that Jackie put together with trombonist Grachan Moncur III in search of a new sound, including a 17 year old Tony Williams on drums, pre-Miles. The drum seat here is wonderfully amended by Roy Haynes however, Bobby Hutcherson is singing through his vibes and Moncur wrote three out of four tunes. From the first notes of the opening ballad Love and Hate and the cryptic structure of Esoteric, this is yet another record that exemplifies the beauty of space and searching into the unknown which is perhaps why we get drawn to things we can’t always fully understand?
Kenny Burrell – Midnight Blue (1963)
In my honest opinion, this album should be in at least every guitarist’s collection if they really consider themselves a blues or jazz lover. Kenny shows us a masterclass in taste, feel and phrasing, comfortably accompanying himself in an otherwise chord-less setting, really evoking that midnight blue mood and all its mystique. Tenorist Stanley Turrentine was the perfect choice to feature on this with his blues sensibilities and sultry sound. My dad got me to transcribe the opener Chitlins Con Carne early in my studies of the instrument, where Kenny’s solo in particular shows a direct approach to simplicity and clarity.
Larry Young – Unity (1965)
Being also a lover of the Hammond organ, Unity is a huge statement made by organ legend Larry Young that all organ enthusiasts should know about. With such an incredible cast of musicians such as Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones on drums and with relatively unknown trumpeter at the time Woody Shaw composing half of the material, Larry gets into some different territory that hadn’t thoroughly been explored on the instrument before. They called him the ‘Coltrane of the organ’. Rudy Van Gelder always captured great sounds in his studio and this is right up there – you feel like you’re standing in the room with them.
Grachan Moncur III – Evolution (1963)
Though perhaps not the most technically proficient trombonist, Grachan Moncur is one of the most underrated pioneers of the avant garde movement, but to me his compositions are so unique that I highly consider him my favourite composer and a huge inspiration of the artform. Once again, Jackie McLean, Bobby Hutcherson and Tony Williams appear in this lineup with the incredible Lee Morgan and Blue Note house bassist Bob Cranshaw rounding out the support. Highlights of this album are The Coaster and Monk In Wonderland, Moncur’s nod to the high priest of modern jazz.
Bernstein, Goldings, Stewart – Live at Smalls (2011)
My one modern offering on this list is for the longest lasting Organ Trio of all time! We owe it to these guys for keeping that tradition alive whilst simultaneously maintaining their individual group sound and compositional voices. Fortunate to have seen and hung out with them on a few occasions, Larry Goldings should be familiar to the modern jazz scene and is a living legend of the Hammond Organ – the whole trio has been a huge inspiration for sure. The way they play and have kinetic understanding with each other is truly a masterclass in group interplay. Milestones is one of the unmistakable examples of this.
The Regulator by Artie Zaitz released on Banger Factory Records (BF005/BF005LP)
Album release (digital & vinyl): Friday 6 September 2024
For more information visit markkavuma.uk/bangerfactoryrecords
