27th January 2023: RELEASE DAY Lakecia Benjamin’s ‘Phoenix’ is out now
Phoenix by Lakecia Benjamin is out now
Saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin‘s new album is released today, already receiving huge critical acclaim. Listen to Phoenix here.
Phoenix is the highly-anticipated, expansive new album in the musical evolution of alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin. The album was produced by the multi-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. The band is composed of trumpeter Josh Evans, Victor Gould on keys, Orange Rodriguez on synths, drummer Enoch (EJ) Strickland, percussionist Nêgah Santos and bassist Ivan Taylor. Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr, Rhodes organist Anastassiya Petrova and bassist Jahmal Nichols all join for one track each.
“When we came out from the pandemic we weren’t allowed to be broken,” Lakecia shares while describing the deeply personal outing Phoenix became for her. The record presents mostly original compositions written throughout the seasons: “we had to be these beautiful absorbent birds and get to work. I wanted to highlight each month of that.” By design, the compositions on ‘Phoenix’ are written around the skillsets of her triumphant guests, a handful of women in jazz who have had prominent influences on Lakecia.
PERSONNEL
Lakecia Benjamin – saxophone/vocals/synths/sound design
Victor Gould – piano, organ, rhodes
EJ Strickland – drums
Ivan Taylor – double bass, electric bass
Josh Evans – trumpet (1, 2, 3, 8, 12, 13)
Wallace Roney Jr – trumpet (7)
Anastassiya Petrova – rhodes, organ (5)
Orange Rodriguez – synths (1, 3)
Nêgah Santos – percussion (5)
Jahmal Nichols – double bass (2)
Josée Klein, Laura Epling – violin (4)
Nicole Neely – viola (4)
Cremaine Booker – cello (4)
With special guests:
Georgia Anne Muldrow – vocals/synths (3)
Patrice Rushen – piano (5)
Dianne Reeves – vocals (4)
Sonia Sanchez – poet (6, 7)
Angela Davis – spoken word (1, 13)
Wayne Shorter- spoken word (11)