MATANA ROBERTS — Always (review)

MATANA ROBERTS — Always album cover Album · 2015 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Chicagoan Matana Roberts is better known by her Coin Coin... series of historical/social albums where she combines African-American roots music with free jazz and occasionally classic orchestrations and/or electronics.

Besides of Coin Coin... she regularly works on side projects more or less related with her main line. "Always" is her second album, released in 2015, and it is a very special one. Being a younger generation AACM member Matana demonstrates her Chicagoan avant-garde jazz school's influences very often, no strange that in old AACM tradition she recorded solo sax album (what was quite a popular action in early 70s and have been over-exploited by great Steve Lacy during later decades, but is way not a fashion of the day in the second decade of new century).

Just alto sax and just two compositions are presented on this album - one continues as long as 33 minutes though. Matana plays free improvised music which is deeply rooted in early last century's legacy,mostly gospel and blues. Her sax's soloing recalls human voice, singing simple, sad and very natural story and this way "Always" is seriously related with her "Coin Coin..." music. Minimalistic cover art perfectly conveys quite technically simple and minimalist music which has almost magic influence. This album, being wholly improvised,could become an excellent soundtrack to historical art-movie about American South.

Second,shorter (less than 10 minutes long)track is not a narrative balladry, but more explosive Ayleresque free jazz song, very naturally connected with the album's opener and radiating same atmosphere. Even if fully improvised sax solo music isn't listening for everyone, this album (as almost any Matana's music) is a bit more than just music - it's a true art which works even if its outer form isn't most accessible.

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

ARC Jazz Related Improv/Composition
FANTASTIC SWIMMERS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Fervency Bop
PASQUALE GRASSO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tomorrow We'll Figure Out the Rest Pop/Art Song/Folk
SILJE NERGAARD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Belonging Post Bop
BRANFORD MARSALIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
III Nu Jazz
ANDORRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Piero Umiliani - Musica Dell' Era Technologica - 1972 - Full Album
PIERO UMILIANI
js· 1 day ago
Use Of Light: Kurt Rosenwinkel + Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM) - Live At CARA
KURT ROSENWINKEL
js· 2 days ago
Emma-Jean Thackray - Wanna Die (Official Video)
EMMA-JEAN THACKRAY
snobb· 2 days ago
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder - Balloon Pop (Official Audio)
HIROMI
snobb· 2 days ago
Enemy - Sun Flex from 'Fiend' - Kit Downes, Petter Eldh and James Maddren
ENEMY (KIT DOWNES - PETTER ELDH - JAMES MADDREN)
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed