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Prodigious jazz ability, striking presence, and innate showmanship. American saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin has established herself as one of the most vibrant and revolutionary musicians on the contemporary jazz scene.
'Phoenix' is the long-awaited and expansive new album chronicling the musical evolution of alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin, due for release in early 2023.
The album was produced by multi-Grammy Award winner Terri Lyne Carrington and features an all-star cast of handpicked guests: Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis, and Wayne Shorter.

'Phoenix' is a double metaphor. Lakecia Benjamin refers to the New York City she grew up in and watched slowly die during the pandemic, then rise again. But it's also a personal reference to the death she miraculously escaped in the fall of 2021 after a serious car accident. This new work is also an opportunity to highlight her own compositions, as well as the creativity, talent, and commitment of the female artists around her. 'Phoenix' marks another stratospheric rise for an artist who knows exactly what she wants to say and how to say it, while honoring her mentors and the traditions that came before her.
The album's band consists of trumpeter Josh Evans, Victor Gould on keyboards, Orange Rodriguez on synthesizers, drummer Enoch (EJ) Strickland, percussionist Nêgah Santos, and bassist Ivan Taylor. Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., Rhodes organist Anastassiya Petrova, and bassist Jahmal Nichols join for one track each.
This album follows their critically acclaimed previous album, 'Pursuance: The Coltranes', a collection of 13 tracks originally composed by two of the most influential figures in jazz of the 20th and 21st centuries: Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane.