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NewMusicBox LIVE! presents Matana Roberts

Combining words and music, Matana Roberts recounts an experience that showcases the kindness of strangers and the instincts of an improviser.

Written By

Molly Sheridan

Saxophonist/sound experimentalist Matana Roberts took the stage at NewMusicBox LIVE! on May 19, 2015, to share a story from her four weeks of travel in the American south. “I’m obsessed with American history because it’s so, sooo messed up,” Roberts told the crowd to acknowledging laughter. Before launching into the tale of her visit to a Civil War cemetery as part of her #SouthernSojourn2014 project, she prepared the audience to share in its telling by contributing a sung tone when cued throughout her 30-minute set. Combining words and music, she then recounted an experience that showcased the kindness of strangers and the instincts of an improviser.