Ilya Osachuk - The Answer (2024) Hi Res

Ilya Osachuk's debut album as a leader, The Answer, is a beautiful, diverse, grounded, and forward-looking recording. It does what all my favorite music does: it incorporates the past and traditions of the music while being present and looking to the future.

Ilya is accompanied by two exceptional groups on this album. He is first joined by young phenoms Tyler Henderson on piano and Kai Craig on drums. Their sense of time and flow is immediately evident from the first notes of I Cover the Waterfront. Their ability to interpret the jazz tradition while innovating within it is a rare feat amongst musicians of any age. Later, Ilya is joined by master musicians and mentors Donald Vega on piano and Billy Drummond on drums, who he studied with at Juilliard. Both of these musicians are world-class, and their profound contributions to this recording speak for themselves.

Throughout the album, Ilya has found creative ways to approach and present Great American Songbook standards, jazz standards, and his original compositions, often through great moments of craft and concept in the playing and writing. Ilya's interpretation of the melody on Tenderly, Billy Drummond's cymbal sound on his entrance on February, Ilya's arrangement of Satellite... There are many moments like that from all the musicians here that make this an exceptional debut recording for Ilya. It's a great start to what I know will be many more great recordings to come!