Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens De Couleur Libres
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2011-07-10
Reviewed 2011-07-10
MATANA ROBERTS: Coin Coin Chapter One
Constellation, 2011
EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ – Deep, powerful music for large ensemble, inspired by ancestral history and the terrible ghosts of slavery. Roberts’ composition and poetry is breathtakingly daring, as is her own searing performance (on reeds and vocals). The ensemble includes prepared guitar, two violins, two bassists, even a musical saw alongside the usual horns, piano & drums… it must have been a white-knuckle experience live. This is a single, extended work, but the tracks work individually. Not comfortable listening, but gripping stuff. FCC clean.
All very impressive! Fo’s picks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
1. 7:27 – sax blares over piano, then a slow surreal swirl; nostalgic at the end
2. 7:40 – terrifying shriek, spiritual flow & spoken poetry, chaos… then solemn
3. 8:26 – rolls at first, ghostly interlude, blossoms gloriously, sax/bass dialogue
4. 7:33 – cool rolling spiritual & spoken word, some old-time saloon jazz, drifts
5. 9:47 – slave auction as folksong and a jazz walk… this is deeply disturbing
6. 5:53 – sax over slurred strings, becomes a somber vocal lullabye/dirge
7. 10:05 – turbulence, rising scream, then rolling groove & heavy spoken word
8. 4:18 – a gentle folksy sway with spoken/sung poetry, ends with applause
[ Fo ] 07/10/11
Constellation, 2011
EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ – Deep, powerful music for large ensemble, inspired by ancestral history and the terrible ghosts of slavery. Roberts’ composition and poetry is breathtakingly daring, as is her own searing performance (on reeds and vocals). The ensemble includes prepared guitar, two violins, two bassists, even a musical saw alongside the usual horns, piano & drums… it must have been a white-knuckle experience live. This is a single, extended work, but the tracks work individually. Not comfortable listening, but gripping stuff. FCC clean.
All very impressive! Fo’s picks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
1. 7:27 – sax blares over piano, then a slow surreal swirl; nostalgic at the end
2. 7:40 – terrifying shriek, spiritual flow & spoken poetry, chaos… then solemn
3. 8:26 – rolls at first, ghostly interlude, blossoms gloriously, sax/bass dialogue
4. 7:33 – cool rolling spiritual & spoken word, some old-time saloon jazz, drifts
5. 9:47 – slave auction as folksong and a jazz walk… this is deeply disturbing
6. 5:53 – sax over slurred strings, becomes a somber vocal lullabye/dirge
7. 10:05 – turbulence, rising scream, then rolling groove & heavy spoken word
8. 4:18 – a gentle folksy sway with spoken/sung poetry, ends with applause
[ Fo ] 07/10/11
Recent airplay
Rise
Memory Select — Sep 07, 2011
I Am
Jazz: Cantan — Sep 02, 2011
Song For Eulalie
Memory Select — Aug 31, 2011
Song For Eulalie
No Cover, No Minimum — Jul 29, 2011
Charting
2011-07-10 — 2011-09-11
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Sep 11 | 1 |
| Sep 4 | 2 |
| Jul 31 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Rise | ||
| 2. | Pov Piti | ||
| 3. | Song For Eulalie | ||
| 4. | Kersaia | ||
| 5. | Libation For Mr. Brown: Bid Em In... | ||
| 6. | Lulla/Bye | ||
| 7. | I Am | ||
| 8. | How Much Would You Cost? |