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