Taking Off: Artie Zaitz

For many years, guitarist Artie Zaitz has been an integral member of trumpeter Mark Kavuma’s jazz collective The Banger Factory. The recent release of The Regulator on Banger Factory Records marks Zaitz’s confident debut as a bandleader. Now in his early 30s, he is rapidly establishing a name for himself as one of the most exciting emerging guitarists on the UK jazz scene, as well as a torchbearer for the iconic guitar-organ trio format.

Music has always been in Zaitz’s blood. His parents emigrated from Poland to the UK the year that he was born, and he's gigged prolifically on the London blues circuit.

“My dad had a vast CD collection,” he explains, “which included all sorts of Blue Note, Impulse! and Prestige recordings. I became totally enthralled with it all.”

By the age of 11, his musical education was in full flow: he was taking regular piano and guitar lessons, jamming to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, and meticulously transcribing T-Bone Walker and BB King licks.

“All jazz comes from the blues. The best jazz musicians have always had a deep understanding of it. Even Coltrane, when he got pretty far out, could still bring it home with the blues. It’s amazing.”

Three jazz guitarists stand as clear favourites for Zaitz: “Grant Green is, for me, the most bluesy of them all. I really love his horn-like single note approach. Kenny Burrell was an all-rounder who was great at chord melody stuff. And Wes Montgomery’s vibe was just incredible.”

The Blue Note label has played a particularly big role in shaping Zaitz’s sound. He describes Grant Green’s Idle Moments as his all-time favourite record, due to its seductive “late-night mood”. Other personal favourites of his include Cannonball Adderley’s Somethin’ Else, Larry Young’s Unity, and Jackie McLean’s One Step Beyond.

Discussing modern musicians, he highlights John Scofield and Bill Frisell as particularly important idols. This blend of old-school and modern influences is strikingly evident in Zaitz’s own playing, as he has developed a wonderful ability to weave rich tapestries of jazz history with his sophisticated phrasing.

Artie is open about the influence of the jazz organ, a second instrument he regularly plays at gigs and on studio sessions. As a teenager, he was first introduced to the Hammond organ at a Matt Scofield Trio gig: “I was blown away by Johnny Henderson’s co-ordination of bass and melody. After that, I got deeper into Jimmy Smith’s catalogue of records. The organ trio format is classic. It’s legendary. Guitar and organ really do marry each other, because they’ve got a lot of similarities in tone.”

Zaitz also speaks about his close friendship with Mark Kavuma, which developed during their shared time at Trinity College.

“Mark started The Banger Factory band through a residency we had in Brixton, a vision I’ve supported since the beginning. He’s one of my favourite trumpet players – it’s always a joy to play alongside him.”

The mysterious title The Regulator originates from a nickname given to him by Kavuma: “It’s his term of endearment for me. Gigging together in the past, we would often rotate the rhythm section. When you play with a group that’s never played together before, someone needs to cohesively glue it all together, to be aware of the form, to regulate the groove.”

Zaitz has a skill for surrounding himself with top-notch musicians, as exemplified by the lineup on The Regulator.

“As far as the Hammond organ goes, Ross Stanley is one of the only guys that really does it justice, to be dedicated enough to carry it to gigs and play the pedals as well. His solos are very articulate and quite flawless.”

Zaitz expresses similar admiration for drummer Steve Brown: “Man, he always has the right cymbal beat and groove. It’s greasy. He’s right on top in a good way – he keeps you on your toes. And his smile propels the band forward all the time.”

Conga player Dave Pattman completes the quartet. This extra percussive layer evokes a 1960s Latin-tinged vibe reminiscent of Kenny Burrell’s Midnight Blue. It binds the group together rhythmically and provides the springboard for each improviser to launch off from.

The magic of Zaitz’s guitar tone comes from the simplicity of his setup.

“My main guitar is a 1960 Gibson ES-330 that I love. But for most gigs, I’ll just take my Japanese 1963 reissue Fender Telecaster. It’s a great workhorse guitar. My main gigging amp is a 13-watt Fender Excelsior, a 2013 limited edition. On the album, I used my Gibson and borrowed a 1957 tweed Fender Deluxe. The resulting tone is clean and crisp, raw and rootsy.”

In the coming months, Zaitz has numerous gigs and residencies lined up across London. He hopes to reunite The Regulator quartet for a second album very soon. Somehing to look forward to.

Artie Zaitz appears as part of the Banger Factory Records night at the EFG London Jazz Festival, at Queen Elizabeth Hall on 17 November: efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk

This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Jazzwise. Never miss an issue – subscribe today