Matana Roberts - a caged dance / enthralled not by her curious blend '2023

Tracks list

Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the garden… is the latest instalment in
composer, improviser, saxophonist, and visual artist Matana Roberts’
visionary project exploring African-American history through ancestry, archive
and place. Weaving together elements of jazz, avant-garde composition, folk and
spoken word, Roberts tells the story of a woman in their ancestral line, who
died following complications from an illegal abortion. At a time when
reproductive rights are under attack, her story takes on new resonance. “I
wanted to talk about this issue, but in a way where she gets some sense of
liberation,” Roberts explains. By unpacking family stories and conducting
extensive research in US public archives, Roberts has created a rounded portrait
of a woman who is, as their lyrics put it, “electric, alive, spirited,
fire and free.”

Each part of Coin Coin explores radically different musical settings, from the
free jazz and post-rock eruptions of Chapter One to the solo noise collage of
Chapter Three. Featuring a new ensemble steeped in jazz, improvisation, new
music and avant-rock, helping to expand the project’s existing sonic
palette, Chapter Five is no exception. Roberts is joined by fellow alto
saxophonist Darius Jones, violinist Mazz Swift (Silkroad Ensemble,
D’Angelo), bass clarinettist Stuart Bogie (TV On The Radio, Antibalas),
alto clarinettist Matt Lavelle (Eye Contact, Sumari), pianist Cory Smythe
(Ingrid Laubrock, Anthony Braxton), vocalist/actor Gitanjali Jain and
percussionists Ryan Sawyer (Thurston Moore, Nate Wooley) and Mike Pride
(Pulverize The Sound, MDC). The late, great trumpeter jaimie branch, who was due
to play on the album, receives a credit for “courage”. The album is
produced by TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone, who also contributes synths.

As a composer, Roberts draws upon strategies associated with the post-war
avant-garde, including John Cage and Fluxus member Benjamin Patterson’s
conceptual approaches to scoring and performance. The immersive work of Maryanne
Amacher, in which “sound and the body almost collaborate” is another
key influence. “That is the foundation for me of the Coin Coin
work,” they explain. “It’s not just the alto saxophone as an
instrument placed in the jazz canon, it's the alto saxophone as an instrument
that can be utilised to affect the body.”

Listeners will be struck by Roberts’ ability to mould diverse sounds into
a cohesive whole. The spoken word passages are accompanied by driving modal jazz
on “how prophetic”, minimalist synth loops on “enthralled not
by her curious blend” and cantering folk forms on “(a)way is not an
option”. These are interspersed with instrumental pieces that range from
avant-garde abstraction and squalling free jazz, to solo saxophone reflections
and Mississippi fife and drums blues. There’s a further evocation of
American roots music in the powerful group vocal arrangement of “but I
never heard a sound so long”, adapted by Roberts from the plantation
lullaby “All The Pretty Horses.”

While this new chapter of Coin Coin focusses on a female-identified protagonist,
others haven’t (Chapter Three being from the perspective of a male
ancestor) and Roberts intends for future chapters to continue to cover the
breadth of the gender spectrum, as well as their Native American heritage.
“I'm proud that people say that the Coin Coin work speaks of a woman's
story. But I want to make sure that it retains its inclusivity, because what we
look like is not always what you see.” This reflects Roberts’ own
experiences as a queer person of colour. For the remaining chapters of Coin
Coin, Roberts will continue exploring identity and ancestry. “Expect it to
keep heading towards a liberation of the human spirit.”

Tracklist:
1.01 - Matana Roberts - a caged dance (6:03)
1.02 - Matana Roberts - enthralled not by her curious blend (3:55)
1.03 - Matana Roberts - shake my bones (4:03)
1.04 - Matana Roberts - a(way) is not an option (5:55)
1.05 - Matana Roberts - we said / different rings / unbeknownst (9:41)

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