Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix

“Equally melodic and assertive, her sound feels rooted in tradition, yet broad enough to encompass R&B and Latin music; its pronounced funk suggests allegiances to hip-hop and dance.” -Marcus J. Moore, The New York Times Three time 2023 Grammy-nominated: BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM Lakecia Benjamin Phoenix Produced by Terri Lyne Carrington BEST JAZZ PERFORMANCE Lakecia Benjamin "Basquiat" BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION Lakecia Benjamin "Amerikkan Skin" Phoenix, the latest and fourth studio album from Benjamin, (January 27, 2023) on Whirlwind Recordings was produced by mulit-Grammy award-winning Terri Lyne Carrington and features a star-studded line up of specially curated guests Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter. A deeply personal outing for Lakecia, this album is mostly original compositions and arrangements, solidifying her standing as not just an amazing player but as a formidable composer and arranger. “Phoenix” is a double metaphor. Lakecia Benjamin refers to the New York City she grew up in and watched it slowly die during the pandemic and then come back to life. But it is also a personal reference to the death which she miraculously escaped from in the fall of 2021 following a serious car accident. This new opus is also an opportunity to highlight her own compositions as well as the creativity, talent, and commitment of the female artists she surrounds herself with. “Phoenix” marks yet another stratospheric rise for an artist who resolutely knows what she wants to say and how to say it, all the while honoring her mentors and the traditions that have come before her. Voted by 2020 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising star Alto Saxophonist and Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Charismatic and dynamic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin fuses traditional conceptions of jazz, hiphop, and soul. Benjamin’s electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with several legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and The Roots. A streetwise New York City native born and raised in Washington Heights, Lakecia Benjamin first picked up the saxophone at Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. From there she joined the renowned jazz program at New York’s New School University. However, even at that early stage, Benjamin was already playing with renowned jazz figures like Clark Terry and Reggie Workman, which introduced her to opportunities to play and tour with an array of artists such as Rashied Ali, Christian McBride, Gregory Porter and James “Blood” Ulmer. With her deep jazz roots, she was soon in demand as an arranger and horn section leader, landing stints with such acclaimed artists as Anita Baker. Lakecia Benjamin’s album Pursuance is an intergenerational masterpiece that takes one on a journey through the lineage of the music with the works of John and Alice Coltrane. Benjamin pays homage to those who have come before by featuring innovative bandleaders of her generation, such as, Reggie Workman (co-producer and playing), Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Dee Dee Bridegwater, Meshell Ndegecello, Regina Carter, Bertha Hope, Last Poets, Greg Osby, Steve Wilson, John Benitez, Marc Cary, Marcus Gilmore, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Strickland, Brandee Younger, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Jazzmeia Horn.

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Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2148797-2

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