Interview: Jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin comes to Indy Jazz Fest

2024 has been a breakout year for jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. She was nominated for three Grammy awards, and made high profile appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

WFYI’s Kyle Long spoke with Benjamin ahead of her upcoming appearance at Indy Jazz Fest.

This interview transcript has been edited for clarity and style.

Kyle Long: Lakecia Benjamin's rise to prominence in the jazz world has been fueled by her critically acclaimed 2023 album Phoenix. That record features a fiery set of original compositions, along with Notable guest collaborators, including musicians Patrice Rushen, Dianne Reeves and Wayne Shorter, plus features from poet Sonia Sanchez and activist Angela Davis. I asked Lakecia about the role these guest artists played in the creation of Phoenix.

Lakecia Benjamin: I wanted people that were inspiring and legendary in multiple genres. Each of my guests, I personally asked them if would they like to be a part of the vision and the project that I had going. So on the last couple of projects, I've been focused on making my art within the context of having a lot of collaborative guests that also instill the same vision.

Long: Lakecia was born and raised in New York City, but Indiana has played a subtle role in the development of her sound. She was featured on a 2016 album by the Bloomington jazz pianist Monika Herzig and she performed with Herzig in Indiana in 2020.

Benjamin: Monika, she's always invited me to be a special guest. It's always an honor to play with someone that you respect, but also invites you to do what you do on their project. There's an equal respect there. I remember those shows. Indiana had such great audiences and great energy.

Long: She has also studied with two important Indianapolis jazz masters, bassist Larry Ridley and saxophonist James Spaulding.

Benjamin: Yeah, Larry Ridley was an instructor of mine. He did a Clifford Brown kind of youth camp up in New York, and I was a member of that camp, and James Spaulding was a sax teacher of mine. It's really good to know that I have some kind of connection, and Indiana has some kind of role in shaping my upbringing.

Long: Lakecia’s sound on the saxophone has been deeply influenced by the jazz icon John Coltrane. In 2020 she recorded a tribute to John and his wife Alice, titled Pursuance: The Coltranes. I asked Lakecia about the influence of the Coltranes on her work.

Benjamin: Their virtuosity on their instruments, their veracity and constantly trying to learn and grow, and never being satisfied with their music and satisfied with the calling they have in life, spiritually, their unwavering love for humanity and healing. I like and respect the balance that they have between all of those things.

Long: Lakecia’s music covers a lot of ground stylistically, from traditional jazz to soul and funk. She's also ventured into more avant garde territory, performing with free jazz musicians, including the Sun Ra Arkestra and Rashied Ali. She told me that her musical flexibility increases her communication skills as an artist.

Benjamin: My experience in that realm, you know, I played with Rashied for years before he died. You know, just having the capacity to play multiple styles and express yourself in a freer way does allow you to move through genres and to touch multiple types of people. It's almost like being bilingual. You can speak multiple languages to someone and give them a chance to hear your message.

Long: Lakecia is a charismatic live performer. Her concerts radiate with a pulsating energy. I asked her if it was difficult maintaining that spirit every night on the road.

Benjamin: Oh no, I was born a woman, I have high energy. I have yet to reach the phase of my life where that dies down. So fortunately, audiences recharge me. I do music for the audience and for that kind of congregational experience. So when I get on the stage, that's when I feel the energy.

Long: Lakecia Benjamin's performance for Indy Jazz Fest will take place at the Jazz Kitchen. While local music fans may take the club for granted, Lakecia says it's a legendary spot among New York musicians.

Benjamin: Whether you know it or not, the Jazz Kitchen is legendary. So I'm looking forward to playing at a place that other jazz legends have embraced and having a good time with everybody

Long: For WFYI, I'm Kyle Long.

This interview originally aired on WFYI's Cultural Manifesto.