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Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin Quickens The Pulse, with Talk of 'Pursuance: The Coltranes'

Elizabeth Leitzell

Lakecia Benjamin stepped out on faith to produce her latest work. So much so that she exhausted her savings to bring it to fruition.

A saxophonist whose sound and presence have brought her onstage with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys, she is also a dynamic bandleader: her group Soul Squad brings a classic jazz sound into contact with the funk and grease of James Brown, The Meters and Sly and the Family Stone. 

That new album, Pursuance: The Coltranes, not only pays tribute to John and Alice Coltrane, but also stands as a testament to her relentless nature. She literally pursued each and every jazz great that graces her album — from bassists Reggie Workman and Ron Carter, to alto saxophonists Gary Bartz and Greg Osby, to vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets.

Their presence is mere proof that she is on the pulse of what's next: the future of jazz. Lakecia embodies the spirit of Sankofa in her creative approach. Her genre-blending style acknowledges the spirit of those who came before her, while infusing the flavor of her generation. 

Pursuance: The Coltranes will be released on March 27 on Ropeadope. Grab an early copy at her release shows, March 11 and 12 at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola

For more information about Lakecia Benjamin, visit her website.

Keanna Faircloth is a Washington, DC native and comes to WBGO getting her start on-air at WPFW 89.3 FM in 2003, most recently as the host of Late Night Jazz: The Continuum Experience. She is a graduate of Howard University having majored in Music History with a minor in Classical Piano. Keanna has written for NPR Music, and worked for Radio One as an on-air personality, producer and voice-over talent. She is also the creator and host of Artimacy Podcast, where she has interviewed artists like Wynton Marsalis, Matthew Whitaker, Jonathan Butler, and Dionne Warwick. As a result, she was recognized by Radio Ink Magazine as a 2019 African American leader in radio.