New CD: Zaiti Acoustic Quartet - Still Time

Phil

This is a phenomenal recording. Especially love the final track "SOS" (Wes Montgomery) - stunning. It really makes the cross over from GJ to modern jazz. Hope it gets the attention of the main jazz circles.
~ Cheers, Phil

bbwood_98

Best gypsy Jazz band in the world! IMHO!
I'be been a fan for several years- and have quite a lot of film and mp3s of zaiti and Seb, They are the MAN(S)! regarding the pompe, its a pompe four, but with the accent on one and three, and occasionally with the upstroke ine between 4 and 1. also- the 2 and 4 arn't totally squisched, just a bit shorter, and more strings are struck- big clue! Hit four stings on one and three, and six on two and four; always focus on the bass!
Cheers,
Ben

V-dub

Michael Horowitz wrote:

Like a lot of the younger French players, Mathieu plays in the style I called pompe four in the rhythm book.

After hearing Mathieu at Samois 06, I subconsciously adapted the "pompe four" and I've also been totally sold on it. I've also noticed some of the younger US players doing it too, like Tom **** and Jimmy Grant in particular.

The reason I think it's gaining popularity is because it sounds so great when there is no bass. So in guitar duo settings, things keep swinging and the bass line is sort of "implied" with the 1 and 3 emphasis.

It sounds a bit different to me than what the German guys do. It's a little more subtle and delicate.

Anyway, there is no question these guys are cutting edge in terms of rhythm and lead playing.

dennis

i think it's a question of semantics, when mathieu says 1 and 3, i understand what he means, but i still feel it as 2 and 4 (with accents on 1 and 3 of course)... i think what he means is that there is an emphasis on the 1 and 3 that is lacking in a lot of players.

again, semantics, but the accent doesn't mean that the 1 and 3 is louder than 2 and 4, it means that you put an emphasis on the bass strings in such a way that it "growls"

if we foollow that definition, then all styles of rhythm playing have that accent on 1 and 3 (the bass strings)... certain styles make it last longer like mathieu and many many other players do...

anyway, as far as the album goes, it's fantastic, but it's not just adrien, it's the whole band. It's a real group effort and everyone is worth his weight.. i particularly love cedric's playing!

dennis

btw another aspect that's overlooked in rhythm playing besides sound is timing.. the tendency in this style to push the beat... most people who come from a different background (outside the gypsy community that's probably 90 percent of rhythm palyers i've observed!! ) aren't used to this mentality and therefore drag (or maybe they don't have the technique)... in my opinion and observation, in this style it's better to speed up than to slow down...

the downside is that certain rhythm players sometimes exaggerate this and speed up waaaaaaaay too much.. it's still better than slowing down though!!

technique aside, it's just a question of subconscious brainwashing... once you get used to the idea, it's corrected... it happened to me when i was playing a lot with ritary in 2005, i dragged too much, but in my defense i was massively jet lagged, having to play a gig the day i arrived, going to bed at 2 am, waking up at 8am to catch the first showing of the new star wars movie, then another gig... ugggh!

BluesBop Harry

Yes Dennis, almost every good player I met Samois said it's better to speed up.

I tried it once but it was while playing rhythm on Them there eyes for Sebastien Giniaux, at 3$%bpm... of course I couldn't keep up, and he was quick to tell me so, after we finished the song some several bpm slower... he suggested to omit the upstroke and only move the wrist.

It seems to me that the "pompe four" helps keep the tempo up at the faster tunes, but i still have a loooong way to go.
Thanks for all the tips everyone.

I agree Zaiti is one of the most forward thinking Gypsy Jazz bands today and I can't wait to see what this guys come up with in the future.
If you don't have their record yet, you're missing out...badly.

robertsaunders

Still Time just arrived, and it's great, though I have a lot of listening to do to really hear. Of note so far— Adrien's solo on In a Sentimental Mood...so graceful, articulate, and seductive I have to ask where a kid his age got such a mature sensibility...I'm just getting mine! Zaiti's version of Jaco's Three Views of a Secret is stunning.

What rate do most max out at on their pompe? I hit the wall at 184 bpm, but that's after a long warmup, and I can't sustain it for long...though I can at 176. What's considered a respectable maximum rate?

~Rob

Mitch

Hi everyone,

I don't often participate to this forum but I just wanted to say a word about what we all apparently agree to call a great album.

Adrien is rally mind-boggling and most of all, as Dennis said, the sound of the band is really tight, fine and subtle. I really love it!

And it swings...

Mitch

gone

I knew about Adrien becasue everybody from America who made it possible to go to samois, when back mostly spoke of Adrien, if not only.
I of course ran to the computer to look it up on youtube, but it didn't really grasp my attention, it was obvious that Adrien was great, but, really there's a lot of great guitar players around so, there it ended.
Until of course Mill Valley!!
I sat on my chair and a few minutes later the band came out and started playing.
Holy ^@(^@$^@(*#%#)*^%$^(&amp(_&() Sh $#^#)*#)@_#(#@T!!!!!!
I've been breathing for 27 years i think i have that down pretty good.
Adrien messed up my breathing pattern, I HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT!!!
I listen to the recording sometimes now, some parts its plain excellent guitar playing, but others i can't explain other than with the word genius, that i don't understand, but that 's really all i can think of.
If you like the cd wait till you hear them live, hahahahahahahhaa, i'm jealous of you, that you're gonna get to see them, for the first time.

If i'd ever use one of those phrases where people express how dead Django would feel about things now, like "Django would be so happy" or "Django would want to die again", I'd say, Django is wearing a BIG FU^%*&&_(*)*)()()+(+G SMILE, smoking a BIG FAT FU$#%^@^@%#%@$#%#G CIGAR thinking, thanks to these guys, gypsy jazz will be the coolest thing ever, again.

Gonzalo

Love to Zaiti, thanks for making something cool, so much cooler.

CalebFSU

I just downloaded this on I tunes last night and man is it good. I am going to play a good solid chunk of it on my show this sunday and I rarely do that, with new artists. This is one of my favorite records of 08 by far of anything I have listened to.