Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden...

A challenging and solid addition to the Coin Coin series.

Matana Roberts - COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis

The fourth installment of Matana Roberts' COIN COIN series is instantly one of the decade's most compelling jazz projects.

Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter 3: River Run Thee

The latest installment of Matana Roberts' Coin Coin series shifts the narrative down a drone-laden, cluttered pathway.

Matana Roberts- "vanhorne park midnight"

Jazz experimentalist Matana Roberts drops a 10-minute solo sax piece that's as moving as it is winding. Despite a lack of boundaries due to a lack of other instruments on the track, Roberts stays incredibly sharp and focused in her playing; not letting a single moment here pass by without being given purpose. She transitions from impressive melodies to less restrained playing fluidly, and nearly every bit of it comes through with a strong sense of emotion.

Check out Roberts' 2011 album Coin Coin Chapter One if you've yet to.

Matana Roberts- Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de Couleur Libres

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WATCH THE REVIEW

Matana Roberts- Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres

Matana Roberts' latest project and album, Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres, is a dense and experimental dive into the worlds of jazz, spoken word, noise, and chance music. The album's been kind of teasing me ever since I got a promo of it earlier this year. To be honest, it's not an easy pill to swallow.

Not to say the album is bad. Not at all, actually. The recording is pristine, and the musicianship is really impressive. What makes this album difficult is how emotionally affecting it is. At every moment, the music or lyrics are reaching for some level of intensity.

If there's any justice in the world, I'll find the time to give this a solid review.