Tom Rainey Trio

In his trio, Tom Rainey – one of the busiest drummers on the New York scene – has united with two of his closest musical allies. Ingrid Laubrock, the saxophonist extraordinaire who left England for the USA some years ago, causing quite a stir with her own band projects as well as in groups from Anthony Braxton to Mike Reed. Plus Mary Halvorson who in recent years has earned herself a superb reputation as one of the most interesting guitarists in contemporary Jazz and has worked in projects with musicians ranging from John Zorn to Yo La Tengo, as well as with her own groups. Both Laubrock and Halvorson who are also active composers took first places in the DownBeat 2018 Int’l Critics Poll. With these outright individualists Rainey founded his trio in 2009 which now celebrates its tenth anniversary.

In his trio, Tom Rainey – one of the busiest drummers on the New York scene – has united with two of his closest musical allies. Ingrid Laubrock, the saxophonist extraordinaire who left England for the USA some years ago, causing quite a stir with her own band projects as well as in groups from Anthony Braxton to Mike Reed. Plus Mary Halvorson who in recent years has earned herself a superb reputation as one of the most interesting guitarists in contemporary Jazz and has worked in projects with musicians ranging from John Zorn to Yo La Tengo, as well as with her own groups. Both Laubrock and Halvorson who are also active composers took first places in the DownBeat 2018 Int'l Critics Poll. With these outright individualists Rainey founded his trio in 2009 which now celebrates its tenth anniversary.

After making the studio recording 'Camino Ciel Echo', New York drummer Tom Rainey’s trio has now recorded a “live” album containing the distilled essence of numerous concerts including several European tours.

After making the studio recording ""Camino Ciel Echo"", New York drummer Tom Raineys trio has now recorded a live album containing the distilled essence of numerous concerts including several European tours. Tom Rainey, born in 1957 in Santa Barbara, was known at an earlier stage of his career as an exceptional drummer. Since he moved to New York he has played with some of the heavy weights of the contemporary jazz scene including Mark Helias, Kris Davis, Tim Berne and Tony Malaby. For his own trio, he has chosen two strong female musicians. Ingrid Laubrock is a saxophonist who plays with an extraordinary sensitivity for structure and form, fusing intellect and poetry in her refined improvisations. Mary Halvorson is one of the most sought after jazz guitarist of her generation. One critic, praising this release, called it a concise lecture on the aesthetics of collective sound shaping.

The piano trio with bass and drums is one of the paramount forms of jazz. It permeates history and is a sort of “banner” for the standard measure of this music and a reference point by which one may appreciate the evolution of a century-old form of jazz. And ORBIT is a new chapter in that story. A pun on the initials Oliva-Rainey-Boisseau International Trio, ORBIT is a theme that drives the music of the group, perfectly illustrating what today’s trio can be: a universe of individual paths, instruments, personalities in orbit around each other. Three spheres of attraction and freedom, influence and feed into the two others. This theme naturally lends itself to the tracks that make up the album - Circles, The Tourniquet, Spirals, Wavin - but the music itself draws its energy, kinetics and interactions from it.

On this second CD with his band Obbligato Tom Rainey surprises with standards and beautiful love songs like «Stella by Starlight», „What Is This Thing Called Love“ or „I Fall in Love too Easily“.

While named after himself, guitarist Brad Shepik's trio is as much about his bandmates as Shepik himself, with Gary Versace on Hammond B-3 and Tom Rainey on drums. All three masters of musical invention, this album features technically advanced, elegantly integrated, beautifully detailed jazz improvising. It’s also pretty soulful. The trio has a knack for honing in on the heart of the music, reflecting both the exhilaration of collective creation and the subtler emotional tints unique to each piece.

Recorded at Systems Two Studio, Brooklyn, 'Almost There' pairs London-based pianist Barry Green with jazz greats, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey. This album is a spontaneous performance of standards and Green's unique compositions especially written for this line-up.
Between them Drew Gress and Tom Rainey perform with the highest level of international jazz musicians, such as Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Tim Berne, Ralph Alessi, Craig Taborn and John Abercrombie to name a few. Along with Green's recent experience of headlining festivals and jazz clubs all over the world he has performed with the likes of Dick Oatts, Charles McPherson, Chris Cheek, Bill McHenry, Gerald Cleaver and Carla Cook. The unique range and experience of this trio' sound and approach come through in every note!

Pianist Fred Hersch paid some dues at the Village Vanguard, sitting in as a sideman there from 1979 on, playing with the bands of saxophonist Joe Henderson, trumpeter Art Farmer, alto sax man Lee Konitz, and bassist Ron Carter. But he waited until 1997 to make his debut as a leader. That debut was captured on tape, and surfaces now, years later, with the Fred Hersch Trio '97's @ The Village Vanguard.