Alto saxophonist and storyteller Matana Roberts played the latest installment of Coin Coin last night at 61 Local. This one, a solo set, is intended as one of the bookends to an ambitious 12-part project that weaves together stories, history, and myths passed down in Roberts’ own family. This is an artist with a rare aesthetic vision, able to draw together ideas, melodies, phrases, stories, and images together in a kaleidoscopic work of sight and sound.

Roberts’ selections for the evening were vivid and provocative and she managed to build one layer upon another as she returned to the phrase, “I like to tell stories …” between short and often tender turns on alto overlaid upon a series of looped video and audio clips. The hour-long piece was improvised throughout as she led the audience through a story about the character “Papa Joe,” a man born free in Tennessee in 1870 and how he fell in love with an orphaned woman of possible mixed-race background. The tale is one filled with both tragedy and triumph–and as Roberts claimed at the start of the performance, she had elected to do this on the thirteenth anniversary of 9/11 because she “wanted to do some healing.”

As this part of the project makes clear, Coin Coin continues to be one of the most exciting works of creative music going on right now in New York City. The music is at the same time personal as well as readily accessible, startling in its sincerity and captivating in its clarity. Roberts possesses such keen abilities of observation and appreciation for the myriad people who came before her. The tales she spins offer us a profound and original view of the United States as she deals with topics including slavery, rape, race-related violence, and post-slave American society. Roberts immediately connects with her audiences, often engaging them to take part in the music, or to discuss aspects of it publicly afterwards.

Last night’s performance gives followers of Roberts’ work and fans of creative music something to look forward to once it is committed to record.

Roberts performance was the first in Snugs concert series at 61 Local (Brooklyn) this Fall. Many exciting performances will follow in September and October. Please click here for a complete listing.

–Cisco Bradley, Sep 12, 2014