Lakecia Benjamin

Voted the winner of the 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, hip-hop, and soul. Her electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, and Macy Gray. Benjamin’s album Pursuance is an intergenerational masterpiece that pays homage to two of the greatest musical innovators of the 20th century, John and Alice Coltrane. Her new album, Phoenix, out in late January 2023, features Patrice Rushen, Dianne Reeves, Angela Davis, and Wayne Shorter and was produced by Terri Lyne Carrington. Benjamin has performed at MJF twice since 2016.