Record Reviews

IGOR OSYPOV ~ DREAM DELIVERY FOR TUNE 0091 (Barcode: 5902768701920) ~ UKRAINE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Ukrainian (resident in Berlin) guitarist / composer Igor OsypovFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with German saxophonist Wanja SlavinFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Moritz BaumgartnerFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tunes (one is repeated twice in different versions), six of which are original compositions by Osypov and two are co-credited to all four members of the quartet. The music is floating somewhere between mainstream Jazz and Fusion, dominated mostly by guitar sounds. The compositions are stylistically diverse, and somehow lack a coherent direction, and as a result the album sounds confusing and uninviting. The musicians are much more professional this time than those on Osypov´s debut album, but sadly their abilities are not potent enough to save this album from the fate of its predecessor. Slavin is a formidable player and his parts are absolutely stunning, but Osypov´s guitar, which sounds out of tune all the time, really stands in the way to enjoy them. Mucha and Baumgartner try their best to keep this music together and often play some wonderful parts, but alas again not being able to save the overall result. I am sorry that for the second time Osypov´s playing is simply painful to my ears. I tried my best to approach this album without predetermination, but alas I failed again to discover its beauty. As cruel as it might sound, I think that this music with the guitar parts removed could produce a great trio album.

Updated: 17/08/2024Posted: 10/07/2016

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IGOR OSYPOV ~ I UNIT 4582 (Barcode: 7640114795824) ~ UKRAINE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Ukrainian (resident in Berlin) guitarist / composer Igor OsypovFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with American saxophonist Logan RichardsonFind albums by this artist, Austrian pianist Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Martin BuhlFind albums by this artist and alternating drummers: American Jesus VegaFind albums by this artist and Polish Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. All these musicians, except for Richardson, are students at the Jazz Institute Berlin. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Osypov. The music is typical modern Jazz, basically pretty mainstream, with some unusual rhythmic patterns, but other than that quite straightforward. The melodies are a bit thin and forgettable, but the idea here is to play as many notes as possible by everybody on board, so the improvisation and soloing are at the centre. These are very talented, but also very young players, which becomes immediately apparent. The quintet has some sync / timing problems and everything starts to sound a bit alike after the third tune or so. The guitar sound is a bit to sharp and Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist like, the pianist seems to live in a separate universe and the only thing that sounds truly coherent is the bass. In short parts of this album are really difficult to listen to. Overall this album was perhaps recorded a bit too early, before the music and the quintet matured enough, to be able to achieve the effect they deserve. Better luck next time!

Updated: 27/04/2018Posted:

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TOMS RUDZINSKIS ~ ABYSS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 198026345301) ~ LATVIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 - 2021 Released: 2023 This is an album by Latvian saxophonist / composer Toms RudzinskisFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting, which includes young European Jazz musicians, all resident in Berlin: Ukrainian guitarist Igor OsypovFind albums by this artist, Swedish keyboardist Povel WidestrandFind albums by this artist, German bass guitarist Tom BerkmannFind albums by this artist and drummer Fabian RoschFind albums by this artist and Danish vocalist Mette Nadja HansenFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, all composed by the leader. The music is beautifully melodic modern Jazz, with a slight Fusiony sound due to the electric keyboards / guitar / bass sound, but does not cross over to the repetitious Fusion doodling, which really saves the day. The music is coherent and offers a captivating continuity, which offers the listener a pleasant and diverse sonic journey. Rudzinskis is an excellent saxophone player and his soloing dominates the proceedings, but all the rest of the crew also offer splendid contributions. The vocalese by Hansen adds a nice sonic enhancement to the proceedings, but she also sings lyrics splendidly. I am aware of the earlier recordings by Osypov as a leader, and his work herein is way more mature and impressive, showing considerable progress. Overall, this is a pleasant and interesting album, which should be enjoyed by Jazz and Fusion listeners alike, a nice document of the thriving young Berlin scene, which draws many European Jazz musicians to settle there, at least for a while. It is fresh and full of interesting musical ideas, and as such warmly recommended.

Updated: 17/08/2024Posted: 17/08/2024

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