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.
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