This was the second piano trio album I recorded in the search for the perfect bandmates in this format, and it worked for me on so many levels... I owe a lot to these two incredible guys, both musically and personally.
The band stayed together, toured and recorded once again some years later (the CD "Sneak Preview").
Kevin Whitehead wrote in Village Voice in July 1993:
For a sterling piano trio, try Russian-born Simon Nabatov's "Tough Customer" (enja), with bassist Mark Helias and drummer Tom Rainey. These three are so close, it's almost a crowd. Nabatov, Ray Anderson's regular pianist, was Moscow Conservatory-trained, but he swings anyway, with great articulation and diamant-hard attack even at insane tempos."Tough Customer" features snaky bass vamps, fiendish metrical intricacies and a frequently shifting landscape. ...you'll dig this.
1. Puzzled 09:30
2. The Sage 13:02
3. Professor Of The Air Science 07:51
4. Kdreefta Molaina 08:45
5. Mark This 16:08
6. Tough Customer 12:00
7. Simple Simon 06:24
Simon Nabatov - piano
Mark Helias - bass
Tom Rainey - drums
all compositions by Simon Nabatov (GEMA), except
tracks 3, 4 - by Mark Helias (Radio Legs Music/BMI)
recorded January 27, 1992 at the WDR Radio Studio, Cologne
recording engineers: P. Esser, K. Holz, Th. Kern
produced by Dr. Ulrich Kurth
released by Enja Records in 1993
