Photo: M.Tarantelli

This Friday will see the release of Matana Roberts‘ Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis, marking the fourth instalment in her ongoing experimental project Coin Coin. The project counts already three releases, 2011’s Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres, 2013’s Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile and 2015’s Coin Coin Chapter Three: river run thee.

Roberts offered a few words about it:

“As an arts adventurer dealing w/ the medium of sound and its many contradictions I am most interested in endurance, perseverance, migration, liberation, libation, improvisation and the many layers of cognitive dissonance therein as it relates to my birth country’s history. I speak memory, I sing an american survival through horn, song, sadness, a sometimes gladness. I stand on the backs of many people, from so many different walks of life and difference, that never had a chance to express themselves as expressively as I have been given the privilege. In these sonic renderings, I celebrate the me, I celebrate the we, in all that it is now, and all that is yet to come or will be… Thanks for listening.”

Following the magnificent first taste from the album, “Raise Yourself Up” / “Backbone Once More” / “How Bright They Shine”, the phenomenal alto saxophonist, composer, improviser and sound experimentalist is raising the bar of excitement with a medley of three pieces, “Her Mighty Waters Run” / “Wild Fire Bare” / “Fit To Be Tied”.

Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis is out on October 18th through Constellation.