Track-by-Track: Ilya Osachuk Outlines His Latest Album ‘The Answer’

As an instrumentalist, collaborator, and overall visionary, Ilya Osachuk shines in every way on his debut album, The Answer. This release is a triumph for the young artist, not just because it’s his first release but also because of how evolved a musician he proves himself to be. He oversaw the entire process as a composer, arranger, performer, and producer. He draws inspiration from his Ukrainian background but also pays tribute to his most significant musical influences. Greats like Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Ray Brown influenced Osachuk throughout the composing process. The Answer is diverse, but most notably, the performances are honest, sincere, and pure of heart.

While he oversaw the whole process for The Answer, Osachuk also took this opportunity to collaborate. The album features two stellar piano trios. Pianist Tyler Henderson and drummer Kai Craig join him on tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9. On tracks 4, 6, and 7, Osachuk is accompanied by pianist Donald Vega and Billy Drummond. This came as a supreme honour to Osachuk as both Vega and Drummond are mentors and role models to him. The Answer is a well-rounded showcase of the young artist’s talent and still-growing potential.

Osachuk joins us today for a Track-by-Track rundown of the background and the key moments in The Answer.

1. “I Cover the Waterfront”

“‘I Cover the Waterfront’ is a song that I fell in love with from the first time I heard it. This arrangement, featuring myself trading sections of the melody with the piano (played by Tyler Henderson on this track), was influenced by the Ray Brown Trio, one of my earliest musical inspirations. It felt fitting to start the album with one of my favourite standards approached from the perspective of one of my earliest influences, Ray Brown.”

2. “Lviv Perspective”

“‘Lviv Perspective’ is an original composition I first sketched in Lviv, Ukraine, in 2020. I was inspired to write this piece because of the cognitive dissonance I experienced when meeting my extended family in Ukraine for the first time. The questions swimming around my head at the time were: Why do they seem so much happier than me even though their lives seem so much harder? What about our lives are different? Why can’t I enjoy what I already have instead of constantly looking for more?”

3. “Intro (February)”

“An improvised bass solo I played in the studio to set up February. It represents a kernel of an idea that emerges to the surface when February begins and introspection starts to take place…”

4. “February”

“‘February’ is an original composition I first drafted in 2020. It centers around the idea that the month of February has always been a transitional period in my life. It has always seemed to be when I truly start to engage with the opportunities and challenges the new year presents to me. I want to convey a message of introspection through this song, narrowing its focus into a single point at its end, symbolizing a new realization in oneself. Master musicians and mentors Donald Vega (piano) and Billy Drummond (drums) helped me bring this concept to life on this track.”

5. “Work”

“‘Work’ is one of my favourite compositions by another of my greatest musical inspirations, Thelonious Monk. Monk is one of the best examples of what Jay McShann described as a ‘stylist.’ He always followed his ear and stayed true to it in his playing and his writing. He created a sound and concept all his own – unmistakably so.

“I have had a fixation with this concept ever since Jon Gordon, one of my mentors, explained it to me. This recording of ‘Work’ does not try to mimic the original. Instead, it is an archive of what was truest to Tyler Henderson (piano), Kai Craig (drums), and myself in the studio that day.”

Ilya Osachuk ‘The Answer’ album artwork

6. “Tenderly”

“‘Tenderly’ is one of the first standards I ever learned to play. I have always had a profound connection to the melody and lyrics of this tune. I have played it throughout my entire career up to this point, so it felt right to record it here. There is little else to say about it other than that I hope you enjoy this rendition of a beautiful, heartfelt song.”

7. “The Answer”

“‘The Answer’ is the album’s title track because the composition’s sentiment is descriptive of the whole project. For so long, I have searched for definitive answers to any question I am posed. I am naturally impatient, so not having an answer can provoke anxiety and distress in me.

“Through the process of composing this tune, and making the entire album, I have learned that accepting uncertainty in music and life makes those sorts of problems melt away. When I recorded this song with Donald Vega (piano) and Billy Drummond (drums), this feeling of acceptance truly started to settle in for me, making for a beautiful and spontaneous track.”

8. “Waltz for J”

“The J in ‘Waltz for J’ stands for justice. This piece does not stand for any one social justice issue. Instead, it is a meditation on humanity’s repetitive nature. Why do we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again? When will we finally learn from them? This piece is also a prayer of hope, a beacon of optimism that this cycle can be broken; that by continuing to struggle against these issues, the cycle can, in fact, be broken, and real progress can be made.”

9. “Satellite”

“‘Satellite,’ composed by John Coltrane, seemed like a fitting way to end the album. The concept of this arrangement is to perform addition by subtraction: omitting the melody at the beginning of the song and only playing it at the end. Instead, it starts with an improvisation of my own, and I am gradually joined by Kai Craig (drums) and then by Tyler Henderson (piano). After I explained this concept to them in the studio, we immediately recorded it. We did not rehearse it at all, intending to capture our improvisations in their raw state, and forcing us to be creative in the moment.”