Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix

About:  

3x Grammy® Nominated and Voted by 2020 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Alto Saxophonist and Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association, charismatic and dynamic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin fuses traditional conceptions of Jazz, HipHop, and Soul.

In addition to touring with her own band both domestically and internationally in 2023, Lakecia performed in more than 20 cities with the Monterey Jazz Festival All Stars, sharing the front line with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling and the Christian Sands Trio. She served as the Guest Artistic Director for the Burlington Jazz Festival, presiding over one of the largest audiences in their history. She served as Artistic Director for the John and Alice Coltrane Jazz Festival in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania and was named Artist in Residence at the 66th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival. Recently she was named “Jazz Scholar” by the Library of Congress for 2023.

Lakecia’s latest CD “Phoenix” produced by Terri Lyne Carrington, garnered 7 magazine covers and a New York Times cover of the Arts and Leisure Section. The album features Dianne Reeves, Angela Davis, Sonia Sanchez, Patrice Rushen, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Wayne Shorter. A streetwise New York City native born and raised in Washington Heights; Lakecia Benjamin first picked up the saxophone at Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. From there she graduated from the renowned jazz program at New York’s New School University.

Contact Information:

Summer of the Arts Festivals:  

• 2024 Iowa City Jazz Festival