''Black Science'' is an album by saxophonist

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...

and his band Five Elements, recorded in 1990 and released on the

Novus Novus (Latin, 'new') may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Novus Biologicals, later Bio-Techne, an American biotech company * Novus Entertainment, a Canadian telecommunications company * Novus International, an animal health and nutrition ...

label.

Reception

The ''

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'' wrote that "strong modern street music sensibilities infuse contemporary funk to create a sort of hip-hop jazz." The ''

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'' determined that "the off-kilter drumming of Marvin 'Smitty' Smith and darting lines of Reggie Washington's electric bass set up a complicated maze for the snaking, urgent, unceasing curiosity of Coleman's alto sax." The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

review by Scott Yanow states: "Altoist Steve Coleman's CD is recommended as a good example of his music. The improvisations are dynamic, unpredictable, and quite original... Coleman, who wrote all but one of the originals, is the dominant force behind this often-disturbing but generally stimulating music".Yanow, S.
AllMusic Review
accessed July 22, 2014

Track listing

''All compositions by Steve Coleman except as indicated'' # "The X Format" - 6:45 # "Twister" - 7:48 # "Turbulence" - 6:22 # "Beyond All We Know" - 4:10 # "A Vial of Calm" - 7:06 # "Black Phonemics" (David Gilmore, Steve Coleman) - 4:01 # "Ghost Town" (Dave Mills, Steve Coleman) - 6:56 # "Magneto" (James Weidman) - 2:52 # "Cross-Fade" - 3:07 # "Black Phonemics (Reprise)" - 1:50

Personnel

- alto saxophone *

James Weidman James Edward Weidman Jr. , (born July 23, 1953, in Youngstown, Ohio) is an American jazz pianist. Weidman's father was a saxophonist who led his own band. He began playing piano when he was eight years old and eventually became electric organist ...

- piano, keyboards *

David Gilmore David Gilmore (born 5 February 1964) is an American jazz guitarist. Gilmore studied at New York University with Joe Lovano and Jim McNeely. In 1987, he began working professionally with the M-Base Collective and Ronald Shannon Jackson. In the ...

- guitar *

Reggie Washington Reginald Reuben Washington (born July 28, 1962 in New York City) is an American jazz bassist. He is the brother of drummer Kenny Washington. Reggie and his brother Kenny played percussion instruments as The Washington Brothers from age seven. So ...

- bass guitar *

Marvin "Smitty" Smith Marvin "Smitty" Smith (born June 24, 1961) is an American jazz drummer and composer. Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. "Smitty" was exposed to music at a young age, receiving formal musical ...

- drums *

Cassandra Wilson Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is one of the most successful female jazz singers and has been described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed wit ...

- vocals (tracks 1, 4 & 5) *

Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...

- double bass (tracks 2, 4 & 5) *Dave Mills - voice (track 7) *Najma Akhtar - vocals (track 7)

References

{{Authority control Steve Coleman albums 1991 albums Novus Records albums