Biography
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Born
1978 (age 46)
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Born In
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States
Matana Roberts is a jazz saxophonist, composer and improviser based in New York City, United States. They are a past member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). The Jazz Journalists Association selected Roberts as a finalist nominee for the 2008 Up and Coming Musician of the Year award (which Lionel Loueke ultimately won).
Born in Chicago, United States, Roberts was raised on the city's South Side and studied classical clarinet during their youth. They formed a trio, Sticks and Stones, with bassist Josh Abrams and drummer Chad Taylor, with whom they regularly performed at the Velvet Lounge. In 2002, Roberts moved to New York, initially busking in subways and publishing a zine, Fat Ragged, about their experiences.
Roberts is the composer of Coin Coin, a musical work-in-progress exploring themes of history, memory and ancestry. Roberts performed at the London Jazz Festival in 2007. In 2008, Central Control released Roberts' The Chicago Project. The album, produced by Vijay Iyer, includes performances by members of Prefuse 73 and Tortoise along with AACM saxophonist Fred Anderson.
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