Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 12:30 pm
To witness a live performance by the alto saxophonist, emcee, and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is to never forget it. The success of her most recent releases has positioned Benjamin among jazz music’s most celebrated recording artists. In addition to absolute raves in outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian and DownBeat, she received three Grammy nominations for Phoenix, as well as an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album. Earlier this year, she was named Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. And yet the ever-rising star from Washington Heights remains, at her core, an improviser best experienced in her soul-stirring concerts. Each and every time she hits the bandstand, she takes her repertoire and her wide-ranging audience to sublime new planes. And her message of spiritual uplift, and social and political liberation soars higher still.
