Lakecia Benjamin – Phoenix Reimagined – Ropeadope
First announced on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, 3x GRAMMY nominated alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin releases her first LIVE studio album, Phoenix Reimagined (Live) via Ropeadope. This transcendent performance boasts three new songs, including the title track featuring John Scofield, Randy Brecker and Jeff “Tain” Watts. The success of her most recent releases, 2023’s Phoenix and 2020’s Pursuance: The Coltranes, positioned Benjamin among jazz’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. 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, of social and political liberation — soars higher still.