Olga Voichenko. (feat. A. Schilkloper). Charivni Sny. (Magic Dreams)

It looks like Ukrainian jazz has, finally, started active making up for everything that it did not manage to realize during the last few years. That is why release of every new jazz album is now an important, noticeable event. But when the issue is release of a new album by Olga Voychenko – such event seems twice more noticeable. And that is both because Olga has been for several years already named the best Ukrainian jazz vocalist – and the grounds for that have always been very substantial. And because almost seven years have passed from the moment of release of the first full-value album, and participation in a few additional projects could in no way satisfy the hunger of fans. Rather, vice versa – the hunger has been ever growing, I can witness that. In addition, the public knew that this time a whole cohort of known, bright musicians co-operated with Olga, among them Arkadiy Shilkloper, Vladimir Zinkovsky and many others. Clearly, that it warmed up the impatience. Well, and, in the end, this is an event just because Olga Voychenko has recorded a quite unexpected, but interesting album – she has let free both herself, and the musicians. Here, two Russian-language pieces have been included, and the very animated "My Favorite Things". But the basis of the album is vocal improvisations. And so diversified that every next play surprises you without fail. On the whole, it seems, the music balances somewhere on the verge of hard-bop, besides, it contains some transparent ethnic elements. And, I think, it is just the beginning – it is known that Olga has some serious long-term plans. And, consequently, the experiments will continue. For sure, as the potential is enormous.

Anton Jozhik Leyba (Hedgehog)

Olga Voichenko - vocal
Sergey Kapelyushok - guitars (1-4,6), vocal (1,3,4), percussion (8)
Arkadiy Schilkloper - horn (1,6)
Volodymyr Zinkovsky - fleyta (1)
Rodion Ivanov - keyboards (1-4,6)
Rustem Bari - perkussion (1)
Denis Dudko - bass (1,6)
Oleksandr Murenko - drums (1,6)
Sergey Makarov - bass (2-4,7)
Oleksandr Lebedenko - drums (2-4), percussions (4)
Jean Charles Richard - soprano sax (3)
Evgeny Didyk - trumpet (3,7)
Yuri Shepeta - keyboards (7)