{"id":8686,"date":"2024-06-29T22:19:34","date_gmt":"2024-06-30T03:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=8686"},"modified":"2024-06-30T13:27:14","modified_gmt":"2024-06-30T18:27:14","slug":"engagement-lakecia-benjamin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/engagement-lakecia-benjamin\/","title":{"rendered":"Engagement: A Conversation with Lakecia Benjamin on ‘Phoenix Reimagined (Live)’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is something special about a live recording compared to one edited in the studio. An increased openness to risk and chance creates a palpable energy that is difficult to recreate in a more controlled setting. This is particularly true for improvised music, where art is crafted in a fleeting moment. A great example can be found in comparing Lakecia Benjamin\u2019s first live album, Phoenix Reimagined (Live) <\/em>(Ropeadope, 2024), to her prior recordings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last several years, Benjamin has established herself as a saxophonist to watch. Whether her heartfelt tribute to John and Alice Coltrane<\/a> (Pursuance: The Coltranes <\/em>(Ropeadope, 2020) or the empowering Grammy-nominated Phoenix<\/em> (Whirlwind, 2023), she has shown a penchant for creating music that can resonate deeply with the listener. Benjamin puts her heart into her music but does so in a way that does not turn it esoteric or demand of its audience a thorough understanding of her compositional theories. While this substantive approachability is evident in her studio output, there is an element that one cannot fully appreciate until seeing her perform in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live, Benjamin yells from the stage with elation. She moves frequently, going wherever the music directs her. Her love of her work becomes obvious to even a casual observer. By connecting with the listener this way, she pulls them further into her sonic word, giving it an increased richness. In part, this added vibrancy of her live performances seems to come from the saxophonist’s sheer joy in simply being alive. In September 2021, she was involved in a near-fatal car accident. Lucky to survive, a broken jaw nevertheless hindered her ability to perform. She still persevered and pushed through it. Even excruciating pain could not pull her away from her love of making music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recorded live-in-studio at the Bunker in Brooklyn, Benjamin’s newest release finds her seemingly in front of a smaller group than one finds in a concert performance. The decreased crowd in no way hinders her enthusiasm. Benjamin’s love, excitement, and uplifting respect for music permeate Phoenix Reimagined (Live)<\/em>. In a world where there is seemingly unrelenting chaos, whether geopolitical instability or concerns closer to home, an opportunity to share those virtues could not be more vital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PostGenre: Before we get into your new album, your performance at Newport last summer <\/a>seemingly blew away everyone who heard it. What was your experience like playing there? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lakecia Benjamin: I had a great time. I remember being a little\u2026 I wouldn’t say nervous, \u2018cause I’m always a little nervous. But it was surreal to actually be there on that stage. It was a life moment that I won’t forget. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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PG: Did you have a special appreciation for it because you know so much about John and Alice Coltrane, and both, especially John, had a rich history with the festival?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LB: Yeah, hell yeah. That was the whole thing. So many people have made their way through there. And so many iconic albums have been made there. It is definitely a special place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time I reached Newport in August of last year, I was pretty exhausted from touring already. So, I didn’t start the day thinking it would be super exciting. But as soon as I set foot on the ground, I was like, \u201cOh yeah, it’s going to be a great day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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PG: Anyone seeing your performance likely noted how physical you are as a player, which isn\u2019t necessarily caught by listening to studio albums. Where do you see the relationship between your physical movement and artistic expression through music? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LB: Oh, believe it or not, I’ve slowed down a little these days. At Newport, and even more so with my funk band, I was way more active than I am now. I’m not doing it intentionally, but sometimes I put my all into the music in every way. It\u2019s not that music is some athletic sport or something, but I take the discipline needed to do sports as similar to that required to make music. It does feel like my whole body is engaged. My whole personality is engaged. My whole being is engaged in the performance. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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PG: Where do you think that that energy comes from? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LB: Oh, that’s just energy I have. I’m pretty sure that’s just how I was built. Since I do feel that music is part of my purpose, it is a spiritual thing for me, as well. I think it all just combines. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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