Lopez / Laubrock / Rainey

Lopez / Laubrock / Rainey: “No es la Playa”

(US, DE)

Through years of working together, saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey have developed a deep rapport and connection, working in larger groups alongside one another, but also in a duo that’s become one of their most potent avenues of expression. German-born reedist Laubrock has become one of the most ambitious musicians on New York’s scene, perpetually seeking out new compositional gambits to further contextualize her improvisational gifts, while Rainey – a vet who’s logged time with iconoclasts like Tim Berne and traditionalist like Kenny Werner – is that sort of musician who finds his path within every context, routinely improving everything he’s part of. A few years ago, they began working with the young Puerto Rican bassist Brandon Lopez, a figure of power and restless curiosity. The multi-generational trio’s 2022 debut album “No Es La Playa” is a product of locked-in free improvisation and the strongest context for Lopez’s outsized playing thus far. They operate as equals, each player pushing one another while also keeping excess in check. Lopez understands the unique bond and artistic sensibilities of his partner here, finding his way into their thorny, propulsive exchanges with preternatural ease, inserting fast-moving tangles of sounds here, deeply woody, explosive snaps and sustained tones there. But he’s not cowed by them either, asserting himself when useful, and redirecting the music toward new frontiers. Their Berlin performance comes as part of the trio’s first ever European tour.