Tom Rainey

Tom Rainey is one of the drummers most closely identified with New York's creative and improvised jazz scene, a fixture on the city's bandstands since the late 1980s known for momentum, nuance, and a wide dynamic range. Born in 1957, he attended Berklee College of Music and moved to New York in 1979, going on to work as a sideman with Tim Berne, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Mark Helias, Drew Gress, Nels Cline, and Kenny Werner. After roughly three decades in supporting roles, he stepped out as a leader with Pool School (Clean Feed, 2010), a trio with guitarist Mary Halvorson and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, his longtime musical and life partner. He also leads the quintet Obbligato, which reworks jazz standards with Ralph Alessi, Laubrock, Kris Davis, and Drew Gress across a series of albums for Intakt Records beginning in 2014. His playing draws on the full history of jazz drumming while staying rooted in open, interactive improvisation.