Pianist Simon Nabatov and drummer Tom Rainey have been playing together in various bands since 1990 – the Simon Nabatov Trio with Mark Helias of Drew Gress, the Simon Nabatov Quintet with Mark Feldman, Herb Robertson and Mark Helias, the Matthias Schubert Quartet, the NDR Big Band and the Klaus König Band. In 2005 they recorded a CD titled Steady now, the first one as a duo. ‘Prodigiously educated, Nabatov so dominates his instrument that it’s often difficult for him to hold back… Resonating note clusters, slinky vamps and contrapuntal passing chords ooze from his fingers along with key clipping, basso explorations plus struck and strummed internal string patterns… Rainey’s the perfect foil. Actively rumbling, striking, slapping and bouncing his foreshortened beats, contrapuntally he encourages the pianist, yet simultaneously restrains him.’ (Coda).
Simon Nabatov-piano, Tom Rainey-drums, Ernst Reijseger-cello