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292: TOM RAINEY – OBBLIGATO. Float Upstream

Intakt Recording #292/ 2017

Ralph Alessi: Trumpet
Ingrid Laubrock: Saxophones
Kris Davis: Piano
Drew Gress: Bass
Tom Rainey: Drums

Recorded at Brooklyn recording in NYC by Andy Taub on January 19th, 2017.

Original price CHF 12.00 - Original price CHF 30.00
Original price
CHF 30.00
CHF 12.00 - CHF 30.00
Current price CHF 30.00
Format: Compact Disc
More Info

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».

Tom rainey has played in bands with Tim Berne, Fred Hirsch and Craig Taborn, and his own trio with Ingrid Laubrock and mary Halvorson. For this ensemble he chose some of the finest players New York has to offer: Ingrid Laubrock, ralph Alessi, Kris Davis and Drew Gress.

Christian Broecking writes (liner notes): „With Obbligato, rainey brings two familiar acquaintances from Jazz history to the fore – collective playing and improvising on Standards – the actual material itself, the well-known melodies and chord progressions are not overly taken apart. With Obbligato he wanted to find his own way of playing the milestones of Jazz history

Album Credits

Cover art: Christine Reifenberger
Graphic design: Jonas Schoder
Liner notes: Christian Broecking
Photo: Peter Gannushkin

Recorded at Brooklyn recording in NYC by Andy Taub on January 19th, 2017. mixed by Andy Taub on January 26th, 2017. mastered by Alan Silverman at Arf! Productions Inc. on May 3rd, 2017. Executive Production by Anja Illmaier. Produced by Tom Rainey and Intakt records.

Customer Reviews

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J
J.D.Considine
Downbeat Magazine

The jazz standard may be the most renewable resource in popular culture. Even though some of these tunes have been in circulation for nearly a century, they remain infinitely malleable and eternally fresh. Obbligato, drummer Tom Rainey's "standards" band, takes an approach that respects the melody and harmonic structure of these compositions while employing strategies from collective and free improvisation.

Take the torch classic "What's New." Obbligato's take on it opens with a long and discursive solo by bassist Drew Gress. He follows the changes, but the restless invention of his line makes pianist Kris Davis' eventual statement of the melody almost a surprise. Davis takes things at a rubato tempo, with gull-like chirps from Ingrid Laubrock's soprano saxophone and a thrumming, coloristic pulse from Rainey. The performance evolves from there, with Ralph Alessi's trumpet evoking Chet Baker and Lester Bowie in equal measure. Yet the haunting Bob Haggart refrain remains front-and-center the whole time, offering the perfect bal- ance between the pleasure of a familiar melody and the thrill of hearing something entirely new.

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pdb
De Standaard

In een ver verleden speelde Tom Rainey mainstream jazz in het eerste trio waarmee pianist Kenny Werner naam maakte. Intussen is de New Yorkse drummer heel andere wegen ingeslagen en is hij een kopstuk van de avant-garde. Maar kijk, hier pakt hij met zijn kompanen van de New Yorkse scene zowaar enkele standards aan. Rechttoe rechtaan versies moet u niet verwachten - de melodie van 'Stella by starlight' zal u bijvoorbeeld pas helemaal aan het eind herkennen. Liever kneden ze die overbekende nummers naar hun eigen visie op moderne jazz, vol interactie en improvisatie. Zoals trompettist Ralph Alessi, die mooie dialogen opzet met saxofoniste Ingrid Laubrock, zonder dat ze ooit unisono spelen. En in de solo's van pianiste Kris Davis klinkt zelfs de invloed van freejazz-icoon Cecil Taylor door. Hoogtepunt is 'What's new', met een sterke intro van bassist Drew Gress, die we ook kennen van bij Robin Verheyen.

// SCRAMBLED //