Rampersaud/Shaw/Martin/Neal/Krakowiak / Halcyon Science
Album: Halcyon Science   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Rampersaud/Shaw/Martin/Neal/Krakowiak   Added:Jan 2012
Label:Barnyard Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-05-26 Pull Date: 2012-07-29 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Jul 22 Jul 8 Jul 1 Jun 17 Jun 10 Jun 3
Airplays: 1 1 1 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Aug 28, 2012: Rebop
Halcyon Science
4. Jun 26, 2012: Rebop
Little Bird Told Me So
2. Jul 17, 2012: Rebop
0110011
5. Jun 12, 2012: Rebop
Little Bird Told Me So
3. Jul 05, 2012: Catharsis
Take Me To Your Leader
6. Jun 05, 2012: Rebop
0110011, Halcyon Science

Album Review
librae jackson
Reviewed 2012-05-21
No lyrics; no FCC issues. Song lengths posted on hard copy of review (physical cd).

1. Halcyon Science – Begins nicely, with horns (trumpet, alto & baritone saxes)working in unison to make an opening statement. In fact, they take their time with it….choosing when to fill space, and when to leave it blank….like an orator giving a poignant speech. After the introductory notes, the drums and bass come in to supply the direction of the groove.

2. 0110011 – Long intro, with the bassist and percussionist setting the precedent for the song’s tone, as they tease at a groove, but veer back to multi-directional improvisation. The baritone sax comes in to kick things off at 2:45, and from 3:40-4:40, there arises, again, a semi-consistent groove. After that point, they don’t look back, as the remainder of the song is an experimentation of sound, which can be perceived as disorderly.

3. Take Me To Your Leader – This song attempts to live out its name, as these common instruments are played in an other-worldly manner, to get that “alien” feel that they were seemingly shooting for. There are mostly short, sparse notes from the horns, while the bass, drums and trumaphone contribute to the “spacey” sound. The end gives the impression that the aliens fulfilled their mission.
What Is It You Are Looking At? – Suspenseful intro, reminiscent of a dark sci-fi movie score. Beginning at 0:48, there are discordant notes throughout the song, particularly from the trumpet. Sounds like an elephant trying to blow an object from its trunk, with desperation. Stellar drumming at 5:00, with the saxophones playing harmonic patterns.

4. Dirigible – In this song, all of the horns harmonize very well together, while the drums and bass contribute a solid foundation. At the 7:30 mark, they go their separate ways, and do not reconvene until the end of the song, where they seem to share their weary stories, having all gone through a lot , while apart.
Six The – This song recalls track 3’s alien theme. This time, the instruments cohesively create a sound that takes the listener directly to the lab of the spaceship, where the prodding, probing and dissecting have commenced.

5. Little Bird Told Me So – Of all of the songs on the album, this is the one that most sounds like a bona fide fixture in the jazz genre. It doesn’t groove or swing, but it does retain an improvisational style that feels like a futuristic Duke or Miles endeavor. From 6:40-8:50, the conventional music fades out, and all that is left is the sound of outside wind.




Track Listing
1. Halcyon Science   4. What Is It You Are Looking At?
2. 0110011   5. Dirigible
3. Take Me To Your Leader   6. Six The
  7. Little Bird Told Me So