Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Igor Osypov Quartet: Dream Delivery

Igor Osypov Quartet: Dream Delivery

By Dave Wayne
July 28, 2016
View read count

Igor Osypov

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Igor Osypov's debut album, I (Unit Records, 2015), was quite promising in many ways. Yet, it was a snapshot of an artist still in the formative stages of the craft. Thus, the content of the Berlin-based plectrist's Dream Delivery came as a pleasant shock. Seemingly, within the past year, Osypov has taken prodigious strides towards staking out a unique personal sound. Wielding a semi-hollow body electric, Osypov defaults to a clean tone and a notably percussive attack while mixing in carefully selected effects quite judiciously. While I seemed to hover stylistically around the bucolic low-key, fusion-tinged jazz sounds popularized by

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny and

John Abercrombie

guitar
1944 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">John Abercrombie in the 1970s and 80s and further developed by

Kurt Rosenwinkel

guitar
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Kurt Rosenwinkel (Osypov's mentor at Jazz Institute Berlin) and

Nir Felder

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Nir Felder during the 2000s, Dream Delivery casts the stylistic net much farther. Starting off with "Lakmus," a joyous burst of free-bop, Osypov's sharp-edged sound seems much more akin to that of lesser-known (but no less wonderful) improvisers such as

Joe Morris

bass, acoustic
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Morris and

Jeff Platz

guitar
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Platz.

None of the fine musicians backing Osypov on I are present on Dream Delivery. The entirely new crew includes a tasty, adventurous drummer in

Moritz Baumgärtner

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Moritz Baumg?rtner and a brawny, assured bassist in

Max Mucha

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Max Mucha. Saxophonist

Wanja Slavin

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Wanja Slavin is a real find. Sticking exclusively to alto, Slavin is every bit as mercurial an improviser as Osypov, and possesses the sort of lush, vibrant sound one can listen to for days without tiring. It turns out that Slavin has studied with some of the finest (and most interesting) jazz saxophonists around: Nicolas Simion,

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz, and Leszek Zadlo. Konitz' influence—that buttery almost flute- like tone and precise yet unhurried phrasing—on Slavin's playing is evident on two down-tempo pieces; the tension-filled group improv "The Man Who Was Sunday" and the darkly sensuous "Balladize." On the latter, Osypov's acoustic guitar is also quite a treat.

Dream Delivery comes at the listener from every possible angle. The title track gradually builds— Slavin's yelping alto out front—morphing from an elegiac jazz ballad to an indie rock anthem. "Erased Roads," a hard bop waltz, revels in rolling rhythmic possibilities. "Ushuaia" draws from the same stylistic well that informed I. However, the looser, more spontaneous sensibility of the rhythm section takes the piece to a completely different place. The two versions of "Refreshments" are a hoot. The piece is substantial enough to warrant a reprise. On the first take, Mucha's clipped bass line has math-y funk feel—almost M-BASE sounding—but the melody veers off in completely different direction. Osypov stomps hard on his stomp boxes, and Baumg?rtner gleefully goes to town on his kit. When Slavin solos, the guys pull the energy in and the effect is like a welcome cool breeze. The second take is much looser, and maybe a touch slower, with Baumg?rtner adding a lot more textural variations.

A most auspicious sophomore effort, Dream Delivery is one of the year's most pleasant jazz surprises.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Lakmus; Erased Roads; Dream Delivery; The Man Who Was Sunday; Ushuaia; Refreshments; Balladize; The Man Who Was Monday; Refreshments (basement version).

Personnel

Igor Osypov

guitar, electric

Igor Osypov: guitars; Wanja Slavin: alto saxophone; Max Mucha: double bass; Moritz Baumg?rtner: drums and percussion.

Album information

Title: Dream Delivery | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: For Tune

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Rubicon
< Previous

Sea Ahead
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.