A sonic exploration and tonal analysis of contemporary creative music in a myriad of improvisational/composed settings, textures, and expressions.
Welcome to Sound Projections
I'm your host Kofi Natambu. This online magazine features the very best in contemporary creative music in this creative timezone NOW (the one we're living in) as well as that of the historical past. The purpose is to openly explore, examine, investigate, reflect on, studiously critique, and take opulent pleasure in the sonic and aural dimensions of human experience known and identified to us as MUSIC. I'm also interested in critically examining the wide range of ideas and opinions that govern our commodified notions of the production, consumption, marketing, and commercial exchange of organized sound(s) which largely define and thereby (over)determine our present relationships to music in the general political economy and culture.
Thus this magazine will strive to critically question and go beyond the conventional imposed notions
and categories of what constitutes the generic and stylistic definitions of ‘Jazz’, ‘classical music’, ‘Blues.’
'Rhythm and Blues’, ‘Rock and Roll’, ‘Pop’, ‘Funk’, ‘Hip Hop’, etc. in order to search for what individual
artists and ensembles do cretively to challenge and transform our ingrained ideas and attitudes of what
music is and could be.
So please join me in this ongoing visceral, investigative, and cerebral quest to explore, enjoy, and pay
homage to the endlessly creative and uniquely magisterial dimensions of MUSIC in all of its guises and expressive identities.
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Lakecia Benjamin (b. October 20, 1982): Outstanding, versatile, and innovative musician, composer, arranger, ensemble leader, producer, and teacher
Benjamin
was born in New York City and raised in Manhattan's predominantly
Dominican Washington Heights neighborhood. She played recorder in grade
school and junior high where she also began writing songs and lyrics.
She won admission to the Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the
Performing Arts. It was there she began playing saxophone in earnest.
She picked it up quickly and after graduating joined the renowned jazz
program at New York's New School University.
At New School she studied with jazz veterans including Billy Harper, Workman, Buster Williams, and Gary Bartz. Bartz
proved an important mentor. He introduced her to training technical
exercise techniques while facilitating her interest in the music of
jazz saxophonists including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Jackie McLean. She also played in and performed with Clark Terry's Young Titans of Jazz, and some of Workman's ensembles. While struggling to make ends meet, she won paying gigs with as Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys, widening her approach. These influences made their presence known on Benjamin's Motema leader debut, Retox in 2010. The unusual set included Benjamin's
Soul Squad band backing a number of singers and rappers in a host of
originals and covers; some of which didn't feature her horn at all. She
explained in interview that she didn't want to be heard as merely an
instrumentalist and soloist, but as an arranger and bandleader too. She
also won opportunities to play and tour with a wide array of artists
including former Coltrane drummer Rashied Ali, the David Murray Big Band, vocalist Vanessa Rubin, and guitarist James Blood Ulmer.
Her deep jazz roots and reputation for hard yet innovative work, made
her a first call , she arranger and horn section leader, and landed
touring gig with Anita Baker.
In 2018, Benjamin issued her Ropeadope debut album, Rise Up
leading a large ensemble in a savvy jazz-funk update for the 21st
century including not only players but singers and rappers. In the
aftermath, she played dates in and around New York, joined Porter's road band, worked with Carrington, and was a featured musician and arranger for comedy star Craig Robinson. In addition to performing, Benjamin also became an educator, teaching at Jazz at Lincoln Center and at Jazz House Kids.
Charismatic and dynamic
saxophonist/bandleader Lakecia Benjamin's electric stage presence and
fiery sax work, has shared stages with Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The
Roots, Macy Gray and many others, brings the soul and funk up to a fever
pitch in a show that's guaranteed to keep crowds dancing day or night.
Though her own music with her band Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad is
immersed in the vintage sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the
Family Stone and the Meters as well as classic jazz, Benjamin's
soaring, dance floor-friendly grooves take the classic vibe to a whole
new level. The constant throughout it all is Benjamin's summery, sultry
alto saxophone, adding something special on every cut - be it a
smoldering late-night ambience, an erudite, forceful jazz intensity or
the tight funk multi-horn harmony sections that pepper the proceedings
throughout.
A streetwise New York City native born and raised in
Washington Heights, Lakecia Benjamin has become one of the most highly
sought-after players in soul and funk music. She first picked up the
saxophone at Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts,
after which she joined the renowned jazz program at New York's New
School University. By that time, she was already playing with renowned
jazz figures like Clark Terry and Reggie Workman, which led to gigs and
tours with a wide array of artists such as Rashied Ali, the David Murray
Big Band, Vanessa Rubin 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 Stevie Wonder, Alicia
Keys, Macy Gray, the Roots, and Anita Baker.
Currently, Benjamin is a featured musician for Gregory Porter
as well as a featured musician and arranger for comedy star Craig
Robinson and the Nasty Delicious. (Robinson, best known for his work on
TV's The Office as well as such popular films as Pineapple Express and
Hot Tub Time Machine, tours regularly with the Nasty Delicious band
serving as the main foil in his popular comedy act). Benjamin has also
had the honor of performing at the White House at President Obama's
inaugural ball. She's performed on four continents and her extensive
recording credits include saxophone and arrangements for Santigold,
Maurice Brown, the Clark Terry Big Band, Krystle Warren and TalibKweli,
among others.
Over the years, there have been many recorded tributes to John Coltrane but saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin takes the concept farther by paying homage to the work of both John and his wife, Alice Coltrane.
Benjamin plays their compositions in a wide range of settings with a
large cast of musicians, including a couple who actually worked with one
or both of the Coltranes.
There are treatments here that hew
close to the spiritual and mystical force of the original versions, and
others that take some liberties and bring in more contemporary ideas.
For example "Syeeda's Song Flute" has a lush layer of electric piano by David Bryant underpinning the wails of Benjamin's alto and Keyon Harrold's trumpet while Ron Carter and Darrell Green
play combustible rhythms underneath. "Spiral" provides a twitchy salsa
backdrop to a hard-charging alto exchange by Benjamin and Steve Wilson.
The most radical revision comes on "Central Park West" which is turned
into a combination of smooth jazz and hip hop beats with organ, harp and
the scatted vocals of Jazzmeia Horn all adding to the potency of the lazy groove.
Besides
all the Coltrane works, two old hymns, "Walk With Me" and "Going Home"
are also performed as part of the homage to Alice Coltrane. Both are
filled with rolling gospel power. Regina Carter's violin is prominent on the first and the second is brought to full orchestral majesty with the aid of Brandee Younger on harp, Marcus Strickland
on bass clarinet and a full string section. As for Alice's actual
compositions, "Prema" is played with a string-laden Middle Eastern
rhythm and Gamiel Lyons vamping on flute besides the alto, while "Turiya and Ramakrishna" is done in a simple jazz combo format with Surya Botofasina's piano trembling underneath Benjamin's soulful blowing.
As for John's compositions, "Om Shanti" is the most purely devotional part of the album, with Georgia Anne Muldrow
chanting a prayer over rippling alto and electric piano, then singing
into a slow-building frenzy over a swirling chorus of voices and MeShell NdegeOcello's and Joe Blaxx's laidback r'n'b groove. "Alabama" gets a simple, dignified treatment with the pianos of Sharp Radway and Bertha Hope plus the basses of Reggie Workman and Lonnie Plaxico
all bubbling under Benjamin's eloquent lamentation. Two sections of "A
Love Supreme" get played; on "Acknowledgement" Abiodun Oyewole of the
Last Poets speaks about Coltrane in a raspy but authoritative voice,
then Dee Dee Bridgewater comes in chanting "A Love Supreme" and scatting wildly over Benjamin's powerful cry.
There
are a lot of musicians and a lot of different musical approaches on
this album but the powerful alto voice of Lakecia Benjamin holds it all
together. She plays with appropriate majesty whether moaning over
soulful beats or roaring in high energy duels with other alto players,
like Gary Bartz on "Liberia" and both Greg Osby and Bruce Williams on "Affinity." This is an amazing and ambitious tribute to the long-lasting influence of John and Alice Coltrane.
Track Listing
Liberia; Prema; Central Park West; Walk With Me; Going Home; Syreeta's Song Flute; Spiral; Om Shanti;
Alabama;
Acknowledgement; Turiya and Ramakrishna; Affinity.
Pursuance: The Coltranes Release date: March 27, 2020 Label: Ropeadope Records
A cohesive walk through the lineage
of the jazz artform, Benjamin’s third full-length release as a leader
pays homage to two of the greatest musical innovators of the 20th
century, John and Alice Coltrane. As Abiodun Oyewole iterates as part of Benjamin’s rendition of Coltrane’s classic “Acknowledgment” off of the groundbreaking album ‘A Love Supreme’,
“John Coltrane was a vessel, taking us to the house of god, he spoke to
god in the language god knew, in the language of sound.” With this
release, Benjamin opens herself up as such a vessel, speaking timeless
truths through her horn over the medium of Coltrane’s classic
compositions alongside elders of this artform who bore witness to the
conception of this material. Under the tutelage of jazz luminary and
co-producer Reggie Workman whose
supple bass lines underscored countless Alice and John Coltrane’s
recordings, Benjamin has assembled an astonishing cross-generational
ensemble of over 40 jazz heavyweights that includes Ron
Carter, Gary Bartz, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Meshell
Ndgecello, Steve Wilson, Marc Cary, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Strickland,
Brandee Younger and Jazzmeia Horn
-- Three generations of musical titans gathered to celebrate and
further the message of the great maestros of this improvisational
artform, John and Alice Coltrane.
There’s always been an undeniable mystical, enticing element to the music of the Coltranes and on Pursuance,
Benjamin is mindful of retaining the underlying spirituality of these
compositions - “they were writing songs to indian gods, to christian
gods, to muslim gods - their whole idealogy was that every religion is
one and we’re all one with god.” In this regard, Pursuance speaks
to the unifying nature of the jazz artform. Every member of this
cross-generational recording ensemble welcomed the opportunity to
collaborate and pay homage to each other. “Music is a reflection of our
times; a reflection of the spirit of our times,” Benjamin continues.
“In our current social and political climate, we need music to heal the
soul.” Just as the timeless compositions of the Coltranes connected
with audiences of yesteryear, Pursuance brings this material into 2020 with carefully conceived modern arrangements. Each of the thirteen tracks on Pursuance
are tunes that instantly resonated with Benjamin upon first listen -
seven of which originally composed by John, with six credited to Alice.
The selection includes “Liberia”, “Prema”, “Central Park West”, “Walk With Me”, “Going Home”, “Syeeda’s Song Flute”, “Spiral”, “Om Shanti”, “Alabama”, “Acknowledgement”, “Pursuance”, “Turiya and Ramakrishna” and “Affinity”.
On the album’s opening track, “Liberia”,
Benjamin conjures up every bit of intensity and fervor possible from
her stellar lineup of legends. A regal rubato gives way to a
bright-tempoed swing, over which both bandleader Benjamin and consummate
saxophonist Gary Bartz take flight. Acclaimed vocalist Jazzmeia Horn
shines on Benjamin’s stunning R&B-tinged rendition of John
Coltrane’s classic “Central Park West”.
Horn’s beautiful performance of Benjamin’s original lyrics paired with
Chris Rob’s organ playing delivers a soulful take on this ballad.
Benjamin goes on to deliver an incendiary performances of “Syeeda’s Song Flute” and “Spiral” off of John Coltrane’s groundbreaking 1959 album Giant Steps. The bandleader is joined on “Syeeda’s Songflute” by bass legend Ron Carter.
Carter is one of the only members of this lineup to have performed with
both Alice and John Coltrane. To Benjamin, these particular musicians
and their unique experiences contributed hugely to the articulation and
delivery of this project - “the best part of creating this record was
embracing this first-hand knowledge that these jazz heavyweights brought
to the studio - they know the chords, the spirituality of the music,
the mindset they were in when they first performed some of these tunes.”
Benjamin then moves on to pay tribute to Coltrane’s classic A Love Supremewith her performance of “Acknowledgment” and “Pursuance”. Alongside
the bandleader, several generations of musicians, all of whom moved by
Coltrane’s masterwork, paying homage to the great master. Dee Dee
Bridgewater sings lyrics she wrote to Coltrane’s “Acknowledgement”, adding her signature effortless elegance to the track. “Pursuance” features pianist Marc Cary who channels McCoy Tyner on this classic track. The final track on the album, “Affinity”
was composed by Alice Coltrane and features special guests Reggie
Workman and Greg Osby. This track’s passion and force ends the album on
a high, displaying the stunning facility of each of the improvisers and
the enduring power of these timeless compositions.
With a final reflection on this
project, the saxophonist and bandleader brings light to her utmost
admiration for the Coltranes and their collaboration that, musically,
spiritually and emotionally culminated in one, whole, complete unit -
“as an artist, it’s difficult to balance your personal life and career.
This is a perfect example of a couple who had the best of both worlds -
they took care of themselves, took care of the music, worked together,
played together and they exemplified a completely functional, amazing
relationship. You don’t need to sacrifice your art or your love - you
can be one complete whole individual.”
Derived from liner notes by John Murph.
More about Lakecia Benjamin
Endorsed by Vandoren, Yanagisawa, Key Leaves, and Conn & Selmer, Lakecia Benjamin’s electric stage presence and fiery sax work has appeared on the work of Gregory Porter, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, the Clark Terry Big Band, Reggie Workman, The Roots, Macy Gray, Talib Kweli, Anita Baker, Rashied Ali, the David Murray Big Band, Vanessa Rubin, James "Blood" Ulmer and Craig Robinson and the Nasty Delicious. Benjamin’s usual set up with her band, Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad, presents music that is immersed in the vintage sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the Family Stone and theMeters, as well as classic jazz.
Press for Pursuance: The Coltranes
NATE CHINEN NPR "An
Alice Coltrane chant turned Afrofuturist soul jam, with Benjamin's
saxophone and Meshell Ndegeocello's bass backing Georgia Anne Muldrow's
authoritative vocal. Peace, meet Power. Playlist here.
ARI SHAPIRO NPR "Ari
Shapiro talked to her at length about the record, which reinterprets
the work of John and Alice Coltrane with the help of a staggering
ensemble cast, and about an artist she is grateful for: James Blake."
Read the full feature here.
BRIANA YOUNGER THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE "The
alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin plays jazz that is sprinkled with the
rich flavors of funk and soul—she’s a crafty traditionalist who remains
in step with the rhythms of the young generation." Feature here.
DAVE SUMNER BANDCAMP DAILY "The
saxophonist infuses a spirituality into the foundation of these
renditions, and this quality, in addition to an appealing propulsion and
unerring melodicism, makes this a pretty easy recommendation to make to
fans of the Coltrane songbook." Read the full review here.
JEROME WILSON ALL ABOUT JAZZ "There
are a lot of musicians and a lot of different musical approaches on
this album but the powerful alto voice of Lakecia Benjamin holds it all
together. She plays with appropriate majesty whether moaning over
soulful beats or roaring in high energy duels with other alto players,
like Gary Bartz on "Liberia" and both Greg Osby and Bruce Williams
on "Affinity." This is an amazing and ambitious tribute to the
long-lasting influence of John and Alice Coltrane."Read the full feature
here.
PIOTR ORLOV AFROPUNK "And
with Muldrow’s growling voice and Ndgeocello’s bass mixing Benjamin’s
alto, it is both purposefully uplifting and fiercely defiant. Yet now,
today, it somehow feels even more pertinent." Full premiere of "Om
Shanti" here.
WILL LAYMAN POPMATTERS "All that said, when the spotlight is firmly on Benjamin—as on a straight quartet performance of "Pursuance" from A Love Supreme featuring pianist Marc Cary, the results are only lukewarm. Still, it's a heady blend of sounds." Read the full review here.
KEANNA FAIRCLOTH WBGO "Their presence is mere proof that she is on the pulse of what's next: the future of jazz. Lakecia embodies the spirit of Sankofa
in her creative approach. Her genre-blending style acknowledges the
spirit of those who came before her, while infusing the flavor of her
generation." Listen to the full interview here.
THOMAS REES JAZZWISE Lakecia Benjamin Interview: Our Job is to Heal and Spread Joy Throughout the Planet.That's the Reason I Play Music. Read full feature piece here.
MORGAN ENOS JAZZTIMES "On alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin’s new themed album of John and Alice Coltrane covers, Pursuance: The Coltranes,
she doesn’t just pay homage to jazz’s most intimidating power couple.
Benjamin also enlisted a dizzying assemblage of guests, from the
Coltranes’ colleagues to rising players to genre-blurring innovators."
Read the full feature here.
.
MIKE HOBART FINANCIAL TIMES ★★★★☆ "The
album also showcases Benjamin’s jazz roots. Her previous album Rise Up
delivered pithy phrases and grooves influenced by Prince, but here she
stretches out with jazz heavyweights playing their heart out just for
the joy." Read the full review here.
ANNA M. NELSON BLACK GROOVES "Pursuance: The Coltranes showcases
Lakecia Benjamin’s command of the jazz idiom while highlighting the
music of two of the late and great jazz luminaries, Alice and John
Coltrane. Benjamin’s spirited commemoration surely does her icons
justice while putting the music world on high alert for what’s to come
next from this talented young artist." Review here.
Benjamin was born and raised in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in New York City. In grade school, she studied recorder.
She attended Eleanor Roosevelt Junior High School in New York City. She
has been writing songs and lyrics since the age of 13. She began
playing the saxophone in elementary school. Later while attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts she became interested in jazz. After high school she attended The New School in New York City.
Her beginnings in music were Latin dance music. She played salsa and merengue.[5]
Career
Saxophonist
Gary Bartz was an early mentor who introduced her to training
technical exercise techniques such as Hyacinthe Klosé’s 25 Daily Etudes.
He introduced her to the music of jazz saxophonists Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Jackie McLean. While at the New School University, she studied under Billy Harper, Reggie Workman, Buster Williams, Joe Chambers, Gary Bartz .[6]
Benjamin's band tours performing music from her debut album, Retox. The album includes Krystle Warren, Amp Fiddler, Maya Azucena, Melanie Charles, ChinahBlac, and Mavis Swann Poole. The album was co-produced by Ben Kane.[9][10]
Order here You can purchase the physical CDs by clicking the band camp link within.
CD release: March 27, 2020
In March 2020, the indisputably dynamic, charismatic
and virtuosic saxophonist/bandleader, Lakecia Benjamin will release a
13-track collection of tunes originally penned by two of the most
influential jazz figures of the 20th and 21st century: Alice and John
Coltrane. With the highly-anticipated release of Pursuance, the New York
City-native is not only honored to pay homage to this tour-de-force
pair, but is thrilled to do it in the company of what can only be
described as sheer jazz elite: Reggie Workman, 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.
Charismatic and dynamic saxophonist/bandleader Lakecia
Benjamin's electric stage presence and fiery sax work, has shared stages
with Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Macy Gray and many others,
brings the soul and funk up to a fever pitch in a show that's guaranteed
to keep crowds dancing day or night.
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, The Roots, and Macy Gray. As the
bandleader of Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad, she melds the vintage
sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the Family Stone, and the
Meters with soaring, dance-floor worthy rhythms. Benjamin’s grooves take
the classic vibe to a whole new level with sultry alto saxophone
creating something special on every cut – be it a smoldering late-night
ambiance, or a forceful jazz intensity, or even the tight funk
multi-horn harmony sections.
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, the David Murray Big Band, Vanessa Rubin 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.
Currently Lakecia Benjamin’s latest 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 (Coproducer 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.
PHOTO: Lakecia Benjamin’s new album is titled RiseUp. (Photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
Because of the music’s sheer ebullience, it’s sometimes
hard to comprehend the somber inspiration that fuels alto saxophonist
Lakecia Benjamin’s long-awaited new album, Rise Up (Ropedope).
Tunes like “Juicy,” which initially bounces to a bass line groove
similar to The Time’s 1981 hit, “Cool”; the zesty “On The One,” which
resembles a Maceo Parker jam; and the head-banging “Takeback” sound
unabashedly festive. Those bubbly songs pretty much characterize the
vibe of the entire disc. But its impetus was far from a party.
In March 2013, the year after the release of Benjamin’s album Retox
(Motéma), she endured a tragedy when her younger sister, Jenee, died at
age 22. “Losing her put me in a pretty dark place. It forced me to
really find out who I was and what I wanted in life,” Benjamin
explained.
The New York native found the strength to keep making music and
create a new album. “I’m just a super energetic person, and I have
different ways of expressing that,” Benjamin said.
Anyone who has seen Benjamin perform—either with her rugged Soul
Squad or with Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band, Ulysses Owens Jr. & The
New Century Big Band, Terri Lyne Carrington, Theo Croker or Gregory
Porter—has experienced her cyclonic energy. Benjamin possesses a steely
tone on saxophone with which she unleashes thrashing improvisations that
sound like someone trying to convey enormous crucial information in a
short amount of time.
Mark Ruffin, who worked with Benjamin when he produced singer Charenée Wade’s album Offering: The Music Of Gil Scott-Heron And Brian Jackson
(Motéma), recently compared Benjamin’s saxophone playing to Johnny
Griffin’s. “They called him the ‘Little Giant’ because of his huge
sound. That’s Lakecia,” Ruffin said. “She may be of a slight build but
she has an incredibly large, hot, in-your-face sound. She spits fire in
every solo I’ve heard her do.”
As evidenced by her oeuvre, Benjamin’s musicality stretches beyond
jazz. She’s also rocked the stage with hip-hop architects such as Pete
Rock, DJ Premiere and Missy Elliott, as well as r&b icons Stevie
Wonder and Alicia Keys.
Carrington praised Benjamin’s versatility: “Lakecia captures the
essence of traditional jazz, blues and r&b, never forsaking the
importance and essential characters of the genres, while at the same
time embracing the evolution of them all—while speaking to what’s
relevant today. Her sound is clear, urgent and soulful.”
Benjamin is also an educator who teaches in Jazz at Lincoln
Center’s “Jazz for Young People” program and at Brooklyn’s KIPP AMP
Middle School. A poignant exchange with the one of the students at the
latter program informed the Afrobeat-driven “Little Children.” One of
her aspiring music students was concerned about walking home from school
with a saxophone case; he was afraid that police officers might mistake
it for a gun. Benjamin soon learned that many of the music students
shared the same fear. “So, I wanted to have a message to all these kids
out there worried about getting shot and dying. Surviving is not
thriving,” Benjamin said. “I thought that there needs to be a message to
them on how to be positive and be themselves within this climate.”
For all the positivity in spite of circumstances that course through Rise Up, some jazz purists will probably scoff as they did with Retox
about how Benjamin’s electrifying saxophone improvisations often take
the backseat to vocalists. “Sometimes the message and the impact isn’t
about me playing a lot of saxophone,” she explained. “Don’t get me
wrong; I love to solo. But I got to do what I feel is best for the
music.” DB
Lakecia Benjamin, Pursuance: The Coltranes, Ropeadope
The
problem with Traneology: You expect the moon and the stars. These are
not available!
Out in late-March from New York alto saxophonist/bandleader Lakecia
Benjamin the album as discussed back in January features plenty of big
name guests including …
Published: 19 Feb 2020.Updated: 2 years.
The problem with Traneology: You expect the moon and the stars. These are not available!
Out in late-March from New York alto saxophonist/bandleader Lakecia Benjamin the album as discussed back in January features plenty of big name guests including the ever inspiring Ron Carter and Gary Bartz, and more to the point a great opportunity to hear Benjamin under the microscope on classic material paying homage to Alice and John Coltrane.
Listening to it through a few times this week I just want to go back
and listen to John Coltrane records all day long instead. After all the
music of John Coltrane is the greatest. Coupling two very different approaches, Alice's and John's, into one tribute is not ideal. It is not gestalt, alas, or even close as it turns out.
Benjamin has been around a while picking up a lot of acclaim along
the way. Do not get me wrong she is an excellent instrumentalist and I'd
rate her higher than Cassie Kinoshi who I also admire and whose
approach is not dissimilar.
This is Lakecia's third album. She might have waited for a decade or
two to make this record. To be released on the Ropeadope label,
'Liberia,' 'Prema,' 'Central Park West' featuring Jazzmeia Horn,
'Walk With Me,' 'Going Home,' 'Syeeda’s Song Flute,' featuring Second
Great Miles Davis Quintet bassist the aforementioned Ron Carter,
'Spiral,' 'Om Shanti,' 'Alabama,' 'Acknowledgement,' featuring the great
Dee Dee Bridgewater who sings her own lyrics, 'Pursuance,' 'Turiya and Ramakrishna,' plus 'Affinity' featuring Coltrane bassist Reggie Workman and MBASE era alto sax master Greg Osby on this Alice Coltrane composition all make the cut. There are riches here, just do not expect transcendentalism or revelation.
Sincere? Yes. Exceptionally well played and respectful? Yes. Moves me? Not at all. SG
Lakecia Benjamin interview: “Our job is to heal and spread joy throughout the planet. That’s the reason I play music.”
by Thomas Rees
April 22, 2020
JazzWise
Fast-rising altoist Lakecia Benjamin talks to Thomas
Rees about the healing power of music and the story behind Pursuance,
her star-studded, intergenerational tribute to those twin powerhouses of
spiritual jazz, Alice and John Coltrane
Lakecia Benjamin (Photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
In the summer of 2019, Lakecia Benjamin played a John Coltrane
tribute concert at Jazz at Lincoln Centre in Manhattan. She’d always
loved the music of Alice Coltrane and hit upon the idea of a new
project, celebrating both musicians together. At first it was going to
be another concert, then an album, perhaps with one or two guests.
“And then it just started spiralling,” says Benjamin. She called her
friend and mentor, bassist Reggie Workman, and within a few weeks she’d
assembled a formidable line-up of musicians from across the generations.
She couldn’t believe all the ‘yeses’ she was getting: Ron Carter, Dee
Dee Bridgewater, Gary Bartz and Meshell Ndegeocello to name just a few.
“Regina Carter!” Benjamin says, with a laugh of disbelief. “I
learned her solos every day as a kid.” Even more miraculously, everyone
was available to record on the same two days in August, right in the
middle of the touring season.
“It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had in my
life," says Benjamin, remembering the sessions for Pursuance: The
Coltranes, as the album came to be known. "At the time I didn’t have any
management so it was like a huge jazz party in the studio. There were
no business people to keep us in line!”
Lakecia Benjamin (photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
Together they recorded Benjamin’s arrangements of 13 Coltrane tunes
(seven by John, six by Alice) that grabbed her the first time she heard
them. She tried to be true to the originals, but also to give them a
contemporary edge, drawing on her love for funk, hip hop and R&B.
“Each song is so legendary,” she says. “You can’t top them so what could you do to express it a different way?”
That’s partly why she wanted to feature a mix of generations on
Pursuance. She champions the ability of her peers (among them trumpeter
Keyon Harrold and harpist Brandee Younger) to play in any style. But she
also wanted a connection to the music’s history and to pay homage to
previous generations, which is where Ron Carter and Reggie Workman come
in.
She calls Workman her 'godfather'. He was on her audition panel for
The New School and they’ve been friends ever since. “I needed somebody
to keep the integrity of the music,” Benjamin explains. “I wanted
someone that was actually there. They knew why John Coltrane made A Love
Supreme, they knew Naima. Some of the songs we play, [Reggie’s] on the
record. I thought that was the best way to keep me in the spirit of the
music, no matter what arrangements I did.”
Benjamin was born in New York City. Her parents had her when they
were young, and she grew up in a brownstone which they shared with her
grandmother and great grandmother. Though none of her family were
musicians, there was always music in the house. “Depending on which
floor I went to, there was a different style and period of music
playing,” she remembers. “If I wanted to hear something from the 1920s
or 30s my great grandmother was playing stuff for me.” Her grandmother
was big on Jackie Wilson and Stevie Wonder, while her mom mostly
listened to contemporary hip hop: Biggie, Tupac and Snoop.
Benjamin discovered jazz as a student at LaGuardia High School Of
Music & Art, where Greg Osby, Sam Rivers and Nicholas Payton gave
regular masterclasses. She first heard Alice Coltrane’s music around the
age of 13 and was immediately drawn to it. “It was really powerful,
really spiritual,” she remembers. “It touched me. Other stuff kind of
goes to the brain first. This went straight to the heart.”
Through Alice she eventually came to John. “One day I saw in the
liner notes a song for John Coltrane and I was like: ‘Oh, she must have a
brother,’” she laughs. Before long though she’d worked her way through
his entire back catalogue from start to finish. She heard a strong
connection between John and Alice’s music. “It was like a different side
of the same person,” she explains, “like somebody paraphrasing.” She
also loved the energy in John’s playing, which you can hear reflected in
her own powerful, deeply soulful sound. “I’m a fan of anybody that goes
all the way,” she says. “I believe every time you play you should play
like it’s your last time.”
In April, Benjamin will be appearing at Ronnie Scott’s as a special
guest of Giacomo Smith and Guy Barker, as part of their week-long
residency. Barker has been looking for an excuse to work with her again
ever since they met on Kurt Elling’s noire musical, The Big Blind.
“She’s an incredibly creative spirit,” he tells me. “I’m going to try
and get her in the band before she becomes a superstar.”
Lakecia Benjamin (photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
The day we speak she’s getting ready to fly to Chicago to perform at
the NBA All-Star Weekend and to play for Dave Chappelle with her funk
fusion project, Soul Squad. As well as working with numerous jazz
greats, including Clark Terry (who gave Benjamin her first big band
gig), she’s already played with Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and The
Roots, who she met after sneaking into their VIP jam session in New
York.
When I ask her about the legacy of the Coltranes, she tells me that, for her, they represent excellence.
“They both worked and practised so many hours a day just to be the
best they could be and they were always playing spiritually, to change
people’s lives. I’ve always been taught that, as musicians, our job is
to heal and spread joy throughout the planet,” she concludes. “That’s
the reason I play music.”
This article originally appeared in the April 2020 issue of Jazzwise.
Lakecia Benjamin’s latest album features compositions by Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane. (Photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
When saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin finished the fourth
song of her set, “Pursuance,” at Le Poisson Rouge in Manhattan on Jan.
11, a techie gave her a time warning. The amped-up crowd expressed
dismay. “Don’t tempt me,” she quipped into the mic. “Any woman who made a
Coltrane album will play all night.” The notion seemed credible. That
evening, the seemingly indefatigable Benjamin
played with ferocious joy, keeping time in her silver high-tops,
chatting up the audience, even throwing her shiny jacket on the stage in
mock surrender during a particularly blistering tenor saxophone solo by
guest artist Marcus Strickland. In all aspects of her craft, the young
alto player seemed to be testing established boundaries as much as she
was lionizing the artistry of her musical forebears.
The performance, part of Winter JazzFest, was something of a preview for Benjamin’s latest undertaking, the self-produced Pursuance: The Coltranes (Ropeadope),
out March 27. Several of the prominent players from the album joined
Benjamin on the LPR stage: In addition to Strickland, they included
bassist Reggie Workman, saxophonist Greg Osby and violinist Regina
Carter. These talents represent only a smattering of the musicians who
contributed to the recording. But with more than 40 artists on the new
release, Benjamin would have been hard pressed to fit its entire
personnel on stage, even if all the musicians had been available.
“One problem I’ve always had in life is dreaming really big,” Benjamin
said during an interview at a Lincoln Center café the day before the LPR
show. Off stage, with her gleaming horn tucked away in its case,
Benjamin revealed a different side of her musical persona: the
conscientious student of jazz history, smitten with the innovators who
first charted the artistic path that she now treads, albeit in silver
high-tops.
Benjamin doesn’t exaggerate when she talks about dreaming big. To
date she’s released two albums under her own name, both with casts of
more than 20 musicians: Retox (Motéma) in 2012 and Rise Up
(Ropeadope) in 2018. With those—devoted as much to funk and soul as
jazz—Benjamin began to develop a feel for bandleading, a skill that
separates forward-looking jazz innovators from the merely talented.
“In every [past] generation, you had to be a bandleader, somebody
who decided to take the steps to change things,” she said. “If you’re
playing with people, it feels great, but bandleaders have a way harder
job.”
Benjamin likely came to this realization during her years of
experience as a side player to a host of in-demand pop, soul, funk and
jazz acts—Gregory Porter, David Murray, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The
Roots, Macy Gray, Missy Elliot, Talib Kweli and Anita Baker among them.
These gigs started pouring in soon after Benjamin graduated from the
jazz program at The New School in her hometown of New York.
Pursuance is Benjamin’s most ambitious project so far, not
only for its eye-popping lineup, but for the magnitude of its subject
matter: the compositions of Alice Coltrane (1937–2007)
and John Coltrane (1926–’67). The meaningful twist here is the equal
weight that Benjamin gives to Alice’s work, intentionally dividing the
album’s 13 tracks about equally between the two musicians.
For Benjamin, this balanced approach is only natural: Growing up,
she was transfixed by Alice’s otherworldly compositions before she even
knew that John existed.
“A friend of mine had turned me on to Alice. She was friends with
[Alice’s] family,” Benjamin recalled. “We would play her music all the
time, and it really inspired me to start writing and creating. Then, out
of the blue, I opened the booklet [to one of Alice’s CDs] and I saw the
name John Coltrane. I asked, ‘Who’s John Coltrane? Does Alice have a
brother?’”
Intrigued, Benjamin dug into John Coltrane’s
discography, starting with his earliest work, through to his last. “By
the end, I had a full picture of him,” she said. “I’m glad I came at it
that way, versus somebody playing ‘Giant Steps’ for me, which maybe I
wouldn’t have understood.”
Workman—a New School faculty member who has known Benjamin since
her days as a student there—is the rare living musician who has worked
with both of the Coltranes, first in John’s 1960s quartet and then on
Alice’s 1978 concert album, Transfiguration. “I thought he could
give me some insight since he played with both of them,” Benjamin said
about the bassist, who contributed to her latest work.
Around the time Benjamin got in touch with Workman, the National
Endowment of the Arts announced that he would be a recipient of a 2020
Jazz Masters Fellowship. This development set Benjamin to pondering the
role that the Coltrane-era musicians had played in her own growth as an
artist.
“I was glad that Reggie got some credit, not just the NEA Award,
but also tenure at The New School,” Benjamin said. “And I was thinking
that people of his generation don’t get enough props, especially from my
generation. We say that we honor these guys, but we don’t make a public
statement about it in our work.
“So, I thought, ‘There are a few guys alive who played with the
Coltranes. Maybe [the album] would be a good way for us to pay tribute
to all the work they’ve done. To let them know that it’s meant a lot to
my generation.’”
Besides Workman, Benjamin had her eye on bassist Ron Carter, who’d played on Alice Coltrane’s third album, Ptah, The El Daoud,
and saxophonist Gary Bartz, who, like Carter, had worked closely with
McCoy Tyner, a longtime pianist with the John Coltrane Quartet. She
wasn’t sure either would agree to record with her, but she reached out
anyway.
Carter and Bartz agreed, with Workman signing on as co-producer.
“Then the project started spiraling,” Benjamin said. She started
thinking about all of the other great musicians whose work had
influenced her. Didn’t they deserve recognition, too? With this question
in mind, she thought to invite some of her mentors, like saxophonist
Steve Wilson and singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, and fellow rising stars,
like trumpeter Keyon Harrold and drummer Marcus Gilmore. Then she
started making phone calls to see who would be available for two all-day
recording sessions.
The two marathon recording sessions were “like a reunion,” recalled
harpist Brandee Younger. “Everyone was there, and it was really
special.” Long a devotee of Alice Coltrane, who pioneered the jazz harp,
Younger first met Benjamin about 11 years ago, around the time they
both worked for drummer Rashied Ali (1933–2009), another musician who
played with both of the Coltranes.
“Lakecia was absolutely thoughtful in her instrumentation and the
selection of the players,” Younger said. But what stuck out the most,
she added, was that “Lakecia always brings an element of soul to
whatever she’s playing. When we recorded ‘Going Home,’ it was a
beautiful, spiritual moment in the studio because of the soul she
brought to it.”
Alice released the original “Going Home” on her 1973 album, Lord Of Lords
(which was reissued in 2018 by the Superior Viaduct label). By this
stage in her music career, Alice had begun experimenting with soothing,
ethereal orchestrations, writing them herself, hinting at her growing
interest in devotional music. In 1976, she established the Vedantic
Center in California, which later relocated to a site near Malibu and
was renamed the Sai Anantam Ashram. (The site later was destroyed in the
2018 Woolsey Fire.)
Alice’s final studio album, Translinear Light, came in 2004
and featured contributions from her sons Ravi and Oran, both
saxophonists. In Benjamin’s arrangement of the traditional gospel blues
“Walk With Me,” more than a step removed from the Translinear
version, violinist Carter’s free sections act as bookends for the
bandleader’s solo work, the mournful stirring of the strings contrasting
with jubilant saxophone tones.
Alice didn’t release any new music after this album, though several
archival recordings would surface after her death. In 2017, the Luaka
Bop label released the compilation World Spiritual Classics I: The Ecstatic Music Of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda.
Among its tracks is “Om Shanti”—a call for peace—originally released on
cassette for the ashram’s followers. Benjamin’s take on the
composition, a mash-up of spoken word, sung chants and soaring
saxophone, featuring vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow and bass from
Meshell Ndegecello, retains all of Alice’s fervor, even as it speaks of
modern pain.
Benjamin’s use of spoken word—just one of her stylistic allusions
to hip-hop—on tunes like “Om Shanti” highlights both her comfort and her
expertise with idioms outside of jazz. For instance, on
“Acknowledgement,” from John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, Benjamin
opens with a poetic riff by Abiodun Oyewole, founder of the iconoclastic
spoken-word group The Last Poets: “John Coltrane was a vessel/ Taking
us to the house of God/ He spoke to God in the language God knew/ In the
language of sound.” With this intro she uses sound in a way that
Coltrane didn’t—but there’s nothing amiss here. Imitation is not her way
of paying respect.
According to Benjamin, the decision to incorporate spoken word was
an essential artistic choice. “Words can press through sometimes when
the music can’t,” she observed.
Lakecia Benjamin’s latest album features compositions by Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane. (Photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
However, aside from the sung prayers and spoken-word
sections, the album doesn’t contain any text. This was not Benjamin’s
first idea, which was to include original lyrics by powerhouse vocalist
Bridgewater on “Acknowledgement.” She and Benjamin even recorded the
track with lyrics, before doubling back to re-record it with a vocalese
segment.
“We found out that the estate doesn’t allow any lyrics to
Coltrane’s music at all,” explained Bridgewater in a phone conversation
from her home in New Orleans.
But no harm: Bridgewater’s skilled improvisation on the tune only
magnified its timeless musicality. And, luckily, Benjamin has some of
the best vocal improvisers around on her first-call list. Jazzmeia Horn
scatted effortlessly on John Coltrane’s “Central Park West” for the
album, and Charenée Wade stepped up to do the same at the LPR concert.
As Benjamin learned, toeing the line between creative
interpretation and copyright violation is just one of the risks that
performing artists face in their efforts to honor the masters of their
craft. Another is the threat of comparison with those same masters.
Workman issued a word of caution, however, about any such comparisons
between Benjamin and the Coltranes.
“This music is in her blood, and [through the Coltrane material]
she’s finding a way to tell a similar story. John Coltrane would be
upset if we did his work the same way that he did 65 years ago,” Workman
remarked, going on to point out Benjamin’s smarts when it comes to
contemporary music. “Her ears are open, and her roots are firmly
planted. This album is her way of saying where her roots are. Firmly
planted and waiting to grow.”
Like Workman, Bridgewater also sees signs of Benjamin’s tremendous
possibilities, not just for artistic growth, but for success in the
music industry. “The word for Lakecia is ‘fierce.’ She’s really, really
powerful as a player,” she said. “I think the sky’s the limit for her.”
For the time being, though, whatever successes might lie ahead,
Benjamin finds in the work of the Coltranes a template for how she’d
like her life to be, both artistically and personally. “I was looking to
get closer not just to their music, but to what they meant when they
talked about a spiritual life,” she said. “I strive to be in a place
where I can be whole within myself, where every note I play is touching
somebody on a deeper level. So, the album is called Pursuance because I’m still striving to get to that place. Aesthetically, I’m trying to get to heaven every time I play.”
After she launches Pursuance at Jazz at Lincoln Center on
March 11–12, Benjamin will spend some of the spring touring Europe and
the States. But when asked about her upcoming plans, she mentions only
one: a meeting with bebop vocal legend Sheila Jordan, 91.
“She knew Charlie Parker,” Benjamin said, excitedly. She’s looking
forward to hearing all about him from someone who was there. DB
Lakecia Benjamin
is a saxophonist impossible to categorize. Though best known for her
work in jazz, she has performed with hip-hop musicians such as DJ
Premier and Missy Elliott as well as soul stars Stevie Wonder and Alicia
Keys. A Manhattanite out of Washington Heights, Benjamin’s latest CD,
released on March 27 of this year, is a tribute to Alice and John
Coltrane, the most remarkable married couple in the history of jazz.
While Benjamin’s 2020 touring plans were knocked out by the pandemic,
she is keeping busy and planning ahead. Resiliency is a hallmark of her
music and serves to inspire those listening in. The Banner caught up
with her from her place in New Rochelle, New York.
Your latest CD is called “Pursuance: The
Coltranes.” You’ve spoken about pursuance as “a striving to get to that
place of spirituality epitomized by the work of the Coltranes — trying
to get to heaven every time I play.” Can you say a little bit about how
that striving takes place in your work?
I think that there are a couple of ways
to look at this. Both Coltranes practiced 12 to 15 hours a day. So
taking that as a start: Practice as much as you need so that you can
play what’s in your head. Then, too, find yourself: You can only play
who you are. If you’re only technically proficient, you’re leaving out
the exploration and the feeling of who you are as a person. You can’t
play anything you haven’t lived.
Bassist Reggie Workman helped produce the CD. At
age 83, having worked with the Coltranes, he’s more or less heard
everything. How lucky to have him as a mentor. Did he try to steer you
in any directions?
He did not. My major goal in recruiting
him for the record was because he knew the Coltranes as individuals. He
would have dinner with John Coltrane, he knew him as a person. So he
could ask him questions like, “Why did you write ‘A Love Supreme?’” I
think Reggie enjoyed the concept of what I was doing, too — he
appreciated that Alice’s music was included. My goal was to honor elders
on this project.
You grew up in Washington Heights and speak of the
music of the Dominican Republic as an early influence, which adds to
the unpredictability, the uncharacterized nature of your music. Then as a
teen, turning to Duke Ellington. What are you listening to these days
for inspiration?
These days I’m not listening to music for inspiration,
what with being locked down due to the pandemic. I am listening to music
to lift myself up. Like, “I Don’t Want Nobody,” by Eddie Harris. And
James Blake and Sam Rivers. Then, too, “The Black Saint and the Sinner
Lady,” an album by Charles Mingus.
There are so many references to you in media as “streetwise.” What’s that even mean?
Streetwise. Yes, I see that I’ve been described that way. I have no idea why people say that!
What has been your experience as a woman in jazz?
I’ve spoken to Terri Lyne Carrington and Dee Dee Bridgewater about that.
Any thoughts?
Whatever they told you, I feel the same way! One thing I
would say to young women starting out in a career in music: You have got
to get a mentor who’s a woman. Now. Right away. It’s crucial. There are
women who miss out on going to gigs because they happen between
midnight and 4 a.m. and they don’t want to go alone. You can become
isolated. A mentor can go with you.
A lot of articles appeared this summer on social
activism and jazz. What are your observations both in terms of your
goals and looking at the work of other musicians?
You can’t separate music from the
culture. The music is the culture. Yes, there’s a lot of talk about
social activism and jazz, but the music is a reflection of the culture
that the musician is experiencing.
I saw that you participated in a virtual seminar
at UMass Amherst on July 24 with bassist Avery Sharpe and pianist
Christian Sands. Any future Boston area plans?
It’s hard to say, with all that’s going
on, but usually I have something happening at Berklee or with Terri Lyne
Carrington or at Scullers Jazz Club. Typically, too, I perform the last
two weeks of August on the Vineyard. These weren’t options this year.
It wasn’t safe. And I enjoy Cape Cod, it’s so pleasant.
What’s next for you in 2021?
I got some positive news from a friend in
China who sent me photos recently of performing in a jam-packed club
there. That’s a hopeful sign. I’m optimistic: My fall tour of 2020 was
moved to Spring 2021. I’m hoping it will be possible to attend summer
festivals in Spain and Germany. There will be virtual shows in North
Carolina, Berlin and New York City. The only trouble is that all of my
2020 work is moved to 2021, and by then I’ll be working on new music.
Pursuance: The Coltranes is the latest project from the charismatic New York-based saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. For the record, Lakecia surrounded herself with a collection of jazz masters and jazz nobility, such as Ron Carter, Gary Bartz and Dee Bridgewater (to name a few), and united them under the mystical music of Alice and John Coltrane.
Titans within jazz, Alice and John Coltrane have had a seismic impact on the music world. The pair’s lure on Lakecia from a young age, who has played with figures like Stevie Wonder to Gregory Porter, is clear.
“A friend of mine had played me an Alice Coltrane record, a long time ago… I was immediately taken and drawn to it.”
This curiosity would lead Lakecia to a deep exploration to find out who this figure was. As Alice as her starting point (and discovering that John was her husband), Lakecia went on, almost fanatically, to find out more the saxophonist’s music.
“I got all the albums I could get and put them in chronological order. So, then I started listening to them one CD at a time, and I spent a week or two with one CD and then kept moving. By the time I got to the end, it’s kind of like, a crazy experience – experiencing ten years of Coltrane – from post-Bebop until his freer period. It became almost like obsessive, seeing someone grow that way. At the time… I wasn’t even aware of what “Bebop” is, or “Swing” is, the genres and the periods.”
“So luckily when I heard it, it was the sound the vibes and the vibrations are what caught me at first. If I listened to it five years ago, I’d be able to tell you whether it was minor or modal, but all I had then was how it made me feel inside. So, this was a key thing of getting me to dig deeper into my musical education you know? To find a name for what I was hearing.”
“It really made me appreciate their music more. It made me research who they were, where they lived, I had to go find out who the artists were because I wasn’t tied into like, ‘oh this was jazz’. I had no idea, I thought this is just music.”
Talking to Lakecia, you realise that her passion for and dedication to the Coltranes was the starting point for Pursuance. Yet, it goes so much deeper than that – the record is also her way of expressing her own appreciation for the wider jazz community, the art form itself, but also a yearning to draw others to it.
“I thought of the idea in June [2019]… and I went to talk to Reggie Workman. He’d just won an NEA award… He started talking to me about how happy he was about this award, and I thought to myself ‘Wow this guy is 83, and he’s just getting an award for being the legend that he is.'”
“As we’re losing so many jazz legends, I wanted to pay tribute to them whilst they’re here. My ultimate goal in the album was, of course, for people to check out who Alice and John Coltrane were, [to draw them to] read and listen to their music. But also, individually, listen to Ron Carter’s music, listen to Dee Dee Bridgewater’s music,listen to all these people, and bring them closer into the jazz family.”
Making such an expansive piece of work is difficult to, which unites generations and styles in such a way, is an incredibly difficult thing to do. But she assured me, that the unifying element begins with jazz as an art form.
“I think in terms of like the history of music, the history of jazz, the history of black music, jazz is the roots of things. The spirituals, the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, they evolved from each other, but their roots are always in the spirituals, blues and jazz.”
Within moments of talking to Lakecia, her strength, determination and vision are blindingly clear.
“For the album, I didn’t have anybody to plan, organise and budget. I came up with the idea, and I didn’t tell anybody because; one, I was scared if I could get this together; and two, I didn’t want anyone to put it on the internet or blab that I was working on this. So, I didn’t enlist help from anybody on this, I just showed up and told people this was going to happen.”
Clearly, to be able to succeed in a project like this, you need to be resilient. It's unquestionable that Lakecia is.
“I guess I’ve always been a resilient person, someone who aims for the highest, and if you hit it in the middle, you’re still better off than if you’d aimed for the bottom. But I think what I learnt from that, is that as much as I’ve been adventurous and always trying to seek my dreams, I should always go a little higher. Because if I can achieve all of that, with no team or anything, I wonder, ‘what can I do next?’”
“Put your money on yourself. Always bet on yourself.”
This sense of self-assurance and poise helps to explain how the saxophonist was able to accrue a star-studded line-up for the album, one which spanned generations.
“It feels amazing. During the process, there are so many different emotions you know? I started beginning from having no one. I just had a blackboard in my house and a list of people I was going to contact.”
“The best part of it, was when we got to the studio… that is full of all these people… and they’re hanging out because they’re seeing their friends and talking about these times when in 1965 they were doing this, and the 1970s they were doing this… It became this huge party.”
“I remember at one point in the session, just sitting back and watching everybody talk and laughing… and I just thought ‘Wow… Here’s Reggie Workman, Ron Carter, Gary Bartz. This is so amazing to just see them and they’re so excited and honoured to be playing with each other’. It was really special to me.”
What is also amazing to consider and appreciate with this project, is not just the calibre of the musicians Lakecia was able to congregate, but also the relationship which these musicians had with one another.
“All of the alto players on the CD, except for Greg Osby, have been my saxophone teachers. It was important to me, to show that even within the CD itself, there are generations of musicians which have developed from each other.”
“Regina Carter was telling about her experiences with Ron Carter helping her out and bringing her into the music. Each generation, no matter which age group you were in, someone had mentored you that was on the project…"
"They were all connected to Coltrane, but also connected to each other.”
Focussing on the Coltranes, it is impossible to avoid thinking about the spirituality which lay at the core of their music and what they stood for. Legendary saxophonist Gary Bartz, who epitomises the spiritual jazz movement and is featured on the record, recently told Lakecia that he’s taking the COVID-19 isolation period in his stride, claiming “I’m in heaven”...
“The great musicians, this is where they are. Their brains aren’t on Earth. They’re just so absorbed with the music. You can use this time to focus on your playing, so when you play with other people, you are at a different level.”
“[Gary] mentioned to me that he saw John Coltrane do a gig, and the cops came and shut the gig down at 4am, he said that John Coltrane and Elvin Jones went to the basement, to finish the rest of the song. Because it’s not about the gig or the money, but it’s because the song was not finished – so that’s where he is coming from”
Undoubtedly, this sense of spirituality is something which is wholly important for Lakecia, particularly with the COVID-19 outbreak.
“How the Coltranes lived their lives, is something I aspire to be… I’ve always felt that if you’re playing jazz, or whatever the music,"
"it’s to heal people and bring some kind of joy or comfort going through something.”
“I feel like right now it’s going on because the world’s slowly been entering a crisis. Now, it’s kind of like crashed.”
“I had a choice to pull the album...I thought to myself, ‘Isn’t the music supposed to be for a crisis?’ It’s weird to go backwards. So, I decided to let it go and see what happened…There’s nowhere you can go to avoid where humanity is right now. Hopefully, it brings us out stronger, but it’s definitely shown some weaknesses in every place’s particular system.”
Tolling over the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak which continues to adversely affect the creative industries, Lakecia pensively reflected on the way which the music community and fans have rallied round to support one another.
“As the months go by, and people’s incomes are getting lower and lower. Before, I used to be really against services like Spotify or Youtube… But it’s important to share artists’ work, because really what makes artists known is people talking about them and sharing their pages, videos and telling a friend about them. You don’t really get famous because someone puts you in JazzTimes. People find out because people are talking about it. So, I think that’s a way of helping. Share the music, share the message, spread the word."
“After this, we’ll all be on the same page in appreciating people…Once we all get on the same page and get passed this, I think the arts will really flourish because that’s a staple which has been implemented.”
“I really feel like the music community, is supporting each other… Everyone is sticking together to really make sure that when we come back, everyone in the whole community is together.”
Featured guests on Pursuance include: Gary Bartz, Jazzemia Horn, Regina Carter, Brandee Younger, Marcus Strickland, Ron Carter, Keyon Harrold, Steve Wilson, Marcus Gilmore, Georgie Anne Muldrow, Meshell Ndegecello, Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Last Poets, Marc Cary, Greg Osby and Reggie Workman.
Aided
by an ensemble cast of jazz musicians new and old, Lakecia Benjamin
recorded the entirety of her new album 'Pursuance: The Coltranes' in two
days. (Elizabeth Leitzell/Courtesy of the artist)
Last time on Play It Forward, our musical chain of gratitude, R&B singer and producer Georgia Anne Muldrow raved about the saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin.
They share a few things in common: Both studied together at The New
School's School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, both tap a similar
spiritual vein in their music and as Muldrow sees it, both are "sangin' "
even if it's through different mediums. Benjamin extends the connection
in this episode, sharing a song they recorded together off her new
album Pursuance: The Coltranes. Ari Shapiro talked to her at
length about the record, which reinterprets the work of John and Alice
Coltrane with the help of a staggering ensemble cast, and about an
artist she is grateful for: James Blake. Listen in the audio player
above and read on for highlights from the interview.
Interview Highlights
On her new album Pursuance: The Coltranes
The whole project was a long-coming thing, but long story short, I really have always admired John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane.
I always felt they were the perfect dynamic of what a complete musician
should be in terms of technically proficient, spiritually proficient,
good human beings out here trying to heal and help people. For me, they
were the highest level, especially in jazz, that you could achieve as a
musician so I wanted to do a project that could somehow pay honor to
what they've done for the whole music and art form and just also
remember the legends that are still living now and pay homage to them
before they pass on.
When I say long
time coming, I mean I've always had that affinity for them two. But in
terms of the logistics, I got the idea to start reaching out some of my
peers and also people that I didn't know that were legends that I
possibly wanted to work with. I wasn't sure if they'd work with me or
not. Bottom line is no one really knew who I was, so I was just calling
them cold turkey, finding their numbers on the Internet. I did that top
of July [2019].
Meshell Ndegeocello
I didn't know at all. She's on the track with Georgia [Anne Muldrow],
"Om Shanti." So Meshell's playing bass. That person actually speaking,
that's a recording of Alice Coltrane talking. We wanted to have Alice
Coltrane on the track with us in some way.
Looking back at those busy recording sessions amid the pandemic
I
think in the music world at least, things are very grim. None of us
know what our future is: Are we gonna play again, are we gonna
congregate again? Some people are sad about it, some people [have] a
little bit of hopelessness. So for me, I can kind of hold onto the fact
that my last major recording and memory was a whole dream project that I
did.
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On her choice for Play It Forward: James Blake
The first time I heard James Blake, I felt like somebody jumped inside of my body and hugged my soul, and I just knew it was gonna be OK after that.
He
has such a haunting quality. It's rare that you find an artist that
their musicianship and caliber are so high on so many different
instruments: producing, singing, piano playing. And he's not afraid to
embrace the darkness, either. I feel like sometimes when things go
mainstream, we feel like they have to be really exciting and poppy and
sugarcoated, and he's not afraid to bare his soul to the world and let
you see that there's beauty on the other side as well.
On seeing James Blake live
I've
only actually seen him one time in person. I was in Tennessee playing
at Bonnaroo, and someone came and ran to me and said, "James Blake is
playing!" I was on stage packing up. I just left my sax there and ran
over to where he was. I'll never forget that show. Because I was an
artist performing there, I had the VIP pass. I could be backstage, so I
kinda ran past everybody. It was probably like 10,000 people [in the]
crowd. It was so thick. This festival was out in the woods, like rural,
mud. And I kinda ran past everybody, showed my badge, jumped the gate
and I went straight to the stage right in front of him. He had a drummer
and a guitar player and him, and he was just kind of sitting there
playing little things on the keys. It was not that much sound going,
like a sample was happening. And next thing you know he dropped the
beat, and I just fell to my knees, I was like "Yes! I've made it!" I
stayed there in that place for probably the whole hour and a half or
whatever it was.
Parting words for Blake
James
Blake, thank you so much for all you do for the community, for music.
Thank you for being born, brother. Thank you for embracing the darkness,
thank you for embracing the light and thank you for inspiring me and so
many other people to do what we do. Keep striving to be the best self
you can be.
It's time for Play It Forward, our musical chain of gratitude where we
talk to artists about their music and the musicians they're thankful
for. Last time, we spoke with Georgia Anne Muldrow. As a singer and
producer, she's made more than a dozen albums of jazz, blues and R&B
music, and she told me that she's grateful for Lakecia Benjamin, a
saxophone player from New York. I asked Muldrow what she'd like to say
to Benjamin.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
GEORGIA
ANNE MULDROW: Lakecia Benjamin, I want to thank you for your courageous
attitude, for not giving up and rising above and into all that you must
be to find your peace. And I just wanted to say just keep on blooming
and growing into your angel self because you're wonderful, and this
whole world going to know exactly what it is with you and this music.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAKECIA BENJAMIN'S "PREMA")
SHAPIRO: And Lakecia Benjamin joins us now from New York City.
Welcome to Play It Forward.
LAKECIA BENJAMIN: Hi. Thanks.
SHAPIRO: So first, I'd just love to hear your response to what Georgia Anne Muldrow just said.
BENJAMIN:
I mean, I think that was the most moving statement I've ever heard
about me or my music, so I guess I'm just honored and so excited and
glad that I've touched another soul that way.
SHAPIRO:
Let's talk about your latest album. It's called "Pursuance: The
Coltranes," and it is a celebration of John and Alice Coltrane. A bunch
of your jazz heroes play on this album. Can you just tell us about the
project?
BENJAMIN: Well, the whole project was a
long-coming thing, but I - long story short, I really have always,
always admired John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane. I always felt they were
the perfect dynamic of what a complete musician should be in terms of
technically proficient, spiritually proficient, good human beings out
here trying to heal and help people. So I felt that for me, they were
the highest level, especially in jazz, that you could achieve.
SHAPIRO:
You say this project was a long time coming, but I understand you
recorded it all in two days with, like, dozens of musicians all in the
room together. Is that right?
BENJAMIN: Yeah. When I say long time coming, I mean I've always had that affinity for them two. But...
SHAPIRO: Yeah.
BENJAMIN:
In terms of the - you know, the logistics, I got the idea to maybe
start reaching out to some of my peers and also people that I didn't
know that were legends that I possibly wanted to work with. I wasn't
sure if they'd work with me or not, you know, because bottom line is no
one really knew who I was. So I was just calling them kind of cold
turkey.
SHAPIRO: Who was the biggest person you cold called?
BENJAMIN: Meshell Ndegeocello I didn't know at all.
SHAPIRO: Wow. And which track is she on?
BENJAMIN: She's on the track with Georgia. She's on "Om Shanti."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OM SHANTI")
MULDROW: (Singing in non-English language).
ALICE
COLTRANE: Om shanti. I pray all of those present who seek the truth
that is God - that they will not be held under the influence of
(unintelligible), ignorance and misunderstanding and their desires
(unintelligible) anger the righteous but that they will strive daily,
seeking the truth that is God; that they will sincerely
(unintelligible).
BENJAMIN: So Meshell's playing bass. That person actually speaking, that's a recording of Alice Coltrane talking.
SHAPIRO: Wow.
BENJAMIN: So we wanted to have Alice Coltrane on the track with us in some way.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAKECIA BENJAMIN SONG, "OM SHANTI")
SHAPIRO:
Does thinking about those gatherings take on a different tone now when
it's so hard for everyone to physically be together?
BENJAMIN:
It really does because I think in the music world, at least, things are
very grim in terms of - none of us knows what our future is. Are we
going to play again? Are we going to congregate again? And it's - some
people are sad about it. Some people are a little bit of hopelessness.
So for me, I can kind of hold onto the fact that my last major recording
in memory was a whole dream project that I did.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OM SHANTI")
MULDROW: (Singing in Indian).
SHAPIRO:
Well, Lakecia Benjamin, it is your turn to move this train forward and
tell us about somebody who you're thankful for, somebody whose music
inspires you. Who would you like to tell us about?
BENJAMIN: I'd like to tell you about James Blake.
SHAPIRO: Oh, he's fantastic. Yes.
BENJAMIN: Phenomenal.
SHAPIRO: What does he do for you?
BENJAMIN:
I think the first time I heard James Blake, I felt like someone jumped
inside of my body and hugged my soul. And I just knew it was going to be
OK after that.
SHAPIRO: That's beautiful. For people who aren't familiar with his music, is there a track of his we could play?
BENJAMIN: Yes. I think you should play "Retrograde."
SHAPIRO: All right. Let's listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RETROGRADE")
JAMES
BLAKE: (Singing) You're on your own. In a world you've grown - few more
years to go. Don't let the hurdle fall. So be the girl you loved. Be
the girl you loved. I'll wait.
SHAPIRO: Tell us what you're feeling as you hear this.
BENJAMIN:
I mean, he's had - he has such a haunting quality. It's rare that you
find an artist that the musicianship and caliber are so high on so many
different instruments - producing, production, singing, piano playing.
It's just - and he's not afraid to embrace the darkness, either. I feel
like sometimes we kind of - when things go mainstream, we feel like they
have to be really exciting and poppy and sugar-coated. And he's not
afraid to, like, bare his soul to the world and let you see that there's
beauty on the other side as well.
SHAPIRO: Have you two ever met or spoken?
BENJAMIN:
I have not met - I've only actually seen him one time in person. I was
in Tennessee playing at Bonnaroo, and someone came and ran to me and
said, James Blake is playing. And I was onstage, packing up. I just left
my sax there and ran over to where he was.
SHAPIRO: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'LL COME TOO")
BLAKE: (Singing) I'm going to say what I need if it's the last thing I do, I do, I do, I do. I'm in that kind of mood.
BENJAMIN:
I mean, I'd never forget that show. I mean, because I was an artist
performing there, I had, you know, the VIP passes. I could be backstage.
So I kind of ran past everybody. It probably was, like - kind of want
to say 10,000 people crowd. It was so thick. This festival was out in
the woods - like, rural mud. And I kind of ran past everybody, showed my
badge, jumped the gate. And I went straight to the stage right in front
of him. They had a drummer and a guitar player and him, and he was just
kind of sitting there, playing little things on the keys. It was not
that much sound going. Like, a sample was happening. And next thing you
know, he dropped the beat, and I just fell to my knees. I was like, yes.
SHAPIRO: (Laughter).
BENJAMIN: I made it. I stayed there in that place probably for the whole hour and a half or whatever it was.
SHAPIRO: That's such a perfect music moment.
BENJAMIN: It was great.
SHAPIRO: Well, we're going to James Blake next. What would you like to say to him?
BENJAMIN:
I guess, James Blake, thank you so much for all you do for the
community, for music. Thank you for being born, brother. Thank you for
embracing the darkness. Thank you for embracing the light. And thank you
for inspiring me and so many other people to do what we do, and keep
striving to be the best self you can be.
SHAPIRO: Lakecia Benjamin - her latest album is "Pursuance: The Coltranes."
It's been wonderful talking with you. Thank you.
BENJAMIN: Oh, you, too. Thank you so much.
SHAPIRO: And we'll talk with James Blake in the next episode of Play It Forward.
How did you first become interested in these genres of music?
I
actually started off playing Latin music, I was from a predominantly
Dominican neighborhood. I grew up in the 90’s, so R&B, funk, and
soul was playing on the radio nonstop. After Latin music I started
playing jazz, but I always feel like I was engulfed in all different
types of styles even though my neighborhood was playing a lot
of Latin music and that’s how I was predominantly gigging. My parents
listened to nothing but rap and hip hop. My aunt, who lived with us,
listened to nothing but James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and that kind of
thing. Everybody listened to stuff from “their era." I grew up with all
the eras (chuckles).
The soul and funk came
later on, I think it was after I was doing a lot of Latin stuff, I was
doing a lot of jazz and I had experimented with a lot of free jazz and
other stuff. It became clear to me that I liked all the styles of music,
but I think that soul and funk music had a very special attraction. I
was drawn to the fact that it’s kind of like, I don’t want to say that
it’s party music, but it’s more like uplifting music. It takes more
entertainment and more show style, so it drew me in a little bit more in
being able to present it and being able to feel it along with how
people respond to it.
Who are some major influences that caused you to pursue a music career?
Oh
those are the basics! John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Eddie Harris,
Dexter Gordon, Maceo Parker. I was a big Monk fan too, as well as a
Charlie Rouse fan. He was also kind of like a hip hop jazz artist, the
way he plays is very in the pocket. They all had something different,
like John Coltrane; of course, his technical facility and I was really
drawn to his spirituality and how he was drawn to always growing on his
instrument and practicing so much. I was actually good friends with
Alice Coltrane too so I felt like it was bigger than the saxophone with
him.
Could you tell us a little bit more about Lakecia Benjamin & Soul Squad?
How was it created?
I guess I just put it together. Before that, I had a group called… I don’t even know what we called each other anymore (chuckles).
What changed me in going from all the way, straight ahead jazz, to more
funk and soul music was that I write all my music on piano and I
started writing all of these songs and they were somehow just “coming
out” in this genre. So I was like, “I guess it’s going to be more of a
soul and funk type of situation!” The thing I enjoy when I go to parties
and dance is that everyone’s, kind of, doing the same dance steps
together. It’s that collective energy that creates this big rush, so I
thought, “What if I got a whole bunch of musicians that were like a soul
army?” We’re on stage doing the same dances, the same rhythms, and
having a party to match what’s going on out in the audience.
What is your goal for the group?
I’m
trying to affect people in whatever way I can. Of course, I would
rather it be positive, but I’m trying to do something that can alter
your state. If I can play something for you that can uplift you and make
you feel better, then that’s what I want to do. If you’re not having a
good day or if you’re having a great day, whatever kind of day you’re
having; if you can come to my show and know that you’re going to be
inspired and leave motivated and feeling good, that’s what I’m trying to
do. Honestly, I feel like that’s the point of music in general.
Musicians are out here kind of like the healers, and besides crafting
your art, you’re crafting it for a reason.
You’ve recently finished up a European tour, what was that like?
(As
of 4/7/2017) We finished maybe four or five days ago, it was pretty
awesome actually! How much better does it get? You’re traveling the
world, doing what you love, you’re playing for different audiences and
they’re listening to your original music and enjoying it. It’s like
everything you’d want, in a little box! It’s crazy how different people
from different cultures experience it. This tour was about two weeks and
I think we played about nine shows. There was a show that we played in
the Czech Republic, in this place called Plzen, and there was only maybe
300 people there, but it was amazing. Out of all the crowds I played
for, this one I went out there with them, they danced with me and they
sang along with me. From the moment I came out, they were completely
ready to have the time of their lives. They had so many kids that played
saxophone and were students there, they were really young and they had
these toy saxophones and they were fingering along while I was playing!
It’s pretty awesome to see a whole upcoming generation of people that
are embracing a whole different culture and are so excited. I mean, these people were on 25,000 at all times!
What
do you think of Europeans as listeners and members of the audience?
Specifically, how they’re very involved in a concert and accepting of
different genres of music.
I asked them once, “Why is it that are
you guys able to do this?” Someone told me once that the way you’re
raised over there, is that you don’t even think of it as different
music. You don’t think of it as, “Okay, this is free jazz, this is
funk.” You think of it as someone’s culture. So how can you understand
each culture? So it’s like, wow that’s why they’re going in there (a
show) and appreciating it. They don’t feel like they’re taking a chance
on you they feel like they’re taking a chance on your “whole thing."
How can those aspiring to get into soul and funk music get started?
I
think it’s the same as any other genre; master your instrument! Work on
your composing skills, work on your people skills, and try to get as
many allies as possible because there’s a difference between being a
saxophone player and being a leader. There’s a whole different skill set
in there so I would say, for the playing part; really deal with your
instrument, learn as many of other people’s solos (that you look up to)
as possible.
In what direction do you see the world of soul and funk heading?
That
I’m not sure. I think it’s one of those genres that’s, right now, wide
open. The smooth jazz genre has kind of gone away, there’s no more
smooth jazz radio. The funk world itself is kind of diminished. There’s
still the legends like P-Funk, Bootee, and there was Prince, but it’s
all combined now. Soul and funk are one big category of urban now. Hip
hop, R&B, pop; they all go together now! It’s interesting how all
these groups are coming out, like Bruno Mars, who has funk and pop
influences, they have all of these characteristics together.
It’s really whatever you want to do with it, it’s the one genre where
it’s open minded towards whatever you have to give. It’s very much like
fusion right now, like Bruno Mars is completely a funk artist, but there
are pop influences in there - how you present yourself, what you choose
to wear, how you entertain, all of those things kind of decide your
genre, not just what the music actually is.
What project(s) are you currently working on?
The
next thing we’re doing in the studio is this single for one of my
songs, which is in the soul and funk world, but it has a lot of trap
influence. We also are finishing up doing our second album in the
studio, so those are the things on the horizon for me.
THE
MUSIC OF LAKECIA BENJAMIN: AN EXTENSIVE VIDEO OVERVIEW, A CROSS SECTION
OF RECORDINGS, MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY, PLUS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS
WITH LAKECIA BENJAMIN:
Kofi Natambu, editor of and contributor to Sound Projections, is a writer, poet, cultural critic, and political journalist whose poetry, essays, criticism, reviews, and journalism have appeared in many literary magazines, journals, newspapers, and anthologies. He has written extensively about music as a critic and historian for many publications, including the Black Scholar, Downbeat, Solid Ground: A New World Journal, Detroit Metro Times, KONCH, the Panopticon Review,Black Renaissance Noire, the Village Voice, the City Sun (NYC), the Poetry Project Newsletter (NYC), and the African American Review. He is the author of a biography Malcolm X: His Life & Work (Alpha Books) and two books of poetry: The Melody Never Stops (Past Tents Press) and Intervals (Post Aesthetic Press). He was the founder and editor of Solid Ground: A New World Journal, a national quarterly magazine of the arts, culture, and politics and the editor of a literary anthology Nostalgia for the Present (Post Aesthetic Press). Natambu has read his work throughout the country and given many lectures and workshops at academic and arts institutions. He has taught American literature, literary theory and criticism, cultural history and criticism, film studies, political science, creative writing, philosophy, critical theory, and music history and criticism (Jazz, Blues, R&B, Hip Hop) at many universities and colleges. He was also a curator in the Education Department of Detroit’s Museum of African American History. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Natambu currently lives in Berkeley, California with his wife Chuleenan.
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