In a special collaboration, Harlem Stage and Carnegie Hall co-present virtuosic saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin. Join us for this album release show celebrating Benjamin’s fourth studio album, Phoenix, out January 27, 2023 on Whirlwind Recordings. Produced by multi-GRAMMY Award-winning drummer and composer, Terri Lyne Carrington, Phoenix is a deeply personal and expansive album of mostly original compositions, and featuring a star-studded lineup of guests, including Dianne Reeves, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Thank you for joining us!
Lakecia Benjamin Saxophone
Ivan Taylor Bass
Zaccai Curtis Piano
E.J. Strickland Drums
Lead support for Carnegie Hall Citywide is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation.
This program is supported, in part, by, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Lakecia Benjamin is endorsed by Vandoren, Yanagisawa, Key Leaves, Sennheiser, and Conn & Selmer.
Voted Rising Star Alto Saxophonist by DownBeat Critics Poll in 2020 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. Benjamin’s electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with several legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and The Roots. 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 joined the renowned jazz program at New York’s New School University. However, even at that early stage, Benjamin was already playing with renowned jazz figures like Clark Terry and Reggie Workman, which introduced her to opportunities to play and tour with an array of artists such as Rashied Ali, Christian Mcbride,Gregory Porter, and James “Blood” Ulmer.
With her deep jazz roots, she was soon in demand as an arranger and horn section leader, landing stints with such acclaimed artists as Anita Baker. Lakecia Benjamin’s album Pursuance is an intergenerational masterpiece that takes one on a journey through the lineage of the music with the works of John and Alice Coltrane. Benjamin pays homage to those who have come before by featuring innovative bandleaders of her generation, such as Reggie Workman (Co-producer and playing), Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Dee Dee Bridegwater, Meshell Ndegeocello, Regina carter, Bertha Hope, Last poets, Greg Osby, Steve Wilson, John Benitez, Marc Cary, Marcus Gilmore, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Strickland, Brandee Younger, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Jazzmeia Horn. Phoenix, the latest and fourth studio album from virtuosic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, released on January 27, 2023 via Whirlwind Recordings.
The far-reaching new album finds the tour-de-force saxophonist in a poised and profoundly individual position alongside an all-star cast of musicians. Phoenix is the highly-anticipated, expansive new album in the musical evolution of alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin. The album was produced by the multi-Grammy-award winning Terri Lyne Carrington and features a star-studded line up of specially curated guests including Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis, and Wayne Shorter. The band is composed of trumpeter Josh Evans, Victor Gould on keys, Orange Rodriguez on synths, drummer Enoch (E.J.) Strickland, percussionist Nêgah Santos, and bassist Ivan Taylor. Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr, Rhodes, organist Anastassiya Petrova, and bassist Jahmal Nichols all join for one track each.
Zaccai Curtis moved to New York City in 2005 where he’s connected to and regularly performs with artists such as:
Lakecia Benjamin, Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, Cindy Blackman
Santana, Eddie Palmieri, Chico
Freeman, Brian Lynch, the Mambo Legends, Abraham Burton, Ralph Peterson, Ray Vega, and Avery Sharpe among others.
Currently Zaccai is a professor of music at the University of Hartford: Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division and University of Rhode Island. Besides being an educator Zaccai authored two books “Art of the Guajeo” and “Theory of the Common Voicing” which are meant to aid students in their Jazz and Latin Jazz education. Zaccai composes and arranges for his own quartet and trio as well as for artists such as Little Johnny Rivero, Steve Kroon, Sonido Solar and more. In 2007 Zaccai Curtis was awarded the ‘Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism’s Artist Fellowship’ for ‘original composition.’ In 2017 Curtis became a Chamber Music America: “New Jazz Works” grant recipient. In 2020 Zaccai was voted as the Rising Star in the Critics Poll for Downbeat Magazine. Most recently, Curtis has been invited to be the special guest director for 2023 CMEA Southern Regional High School Jazz Band.
Zaccai, along with his brother Luques, has developed the record label TRRcollective which has produced and released many recordings including the GRAMMY nominated ‘Entre Colegas’ by Andy González (2016). Zaccai has created the first ever music news app developed for record labels, artists and venues.
‘The Riff: Music News‘ available for free on iTunes and android.
Born in Southern, Illinois in 1984, Ivan Taylor has been playing the bass since he was nine years old. He had an illustrious high school career, playing with the Illinois All-State Jazz band, The Grammy Band, and Chicago Jazz masters
Von Freeman and Orbert Davis.
Ivan was a star performer at the 2002 Essentially Ellington competition where he met Wynton Marsalis. This meeting led him to enroll in the Juilliard School of Music.
He had a strong impact on the New York scene, performing with Rashid Ali, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, louis Hayes, Nicholas Payton, Curtis Fuller, Mike Philips, Kenny Garrett, Delfeayo Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Robert Glasper, Take 6, Rodney Jones, Russell Malone, Steve Nelson, Carmen Lundy, Hank Jones, Hal Weary, Cyrus Chestnut, Jonathan Baptiste, Maurice Brown, Diana Ross, KJ Rose, Marly Marl, Chris Madsen, Jennifer Sloan, Tia Fuller, Shamie Royston and many others. He has studied with Ben Wolfe and continues to study with Ron Carter. For seven years he was a member of Mulgrew Miller’s trio and sextet Wingspan touring internationally. Ivan’s Major influences are George Benson, Ray Brown, Israel Crosby, Stanley Clark, Gary Granger, Jaco Pastorius, John Patitucci, Ron Carter, and Christian McBride.
He has the ability to play both Upright and electric bass with equal agility. Ivan also plays the guitar at an exceptional level which he plans to feature on future albums.
Drummer E.J. Strickland (Enoch Jamal Strickland) was born in Gainesville and raised in Miami, Florida. His sound on the instrument has been described as “fields of cumulative energy, clouds of feather-touch and heavy-handed syncopations, latent with power like an oncoming storm” by Thomas Conrad of DownBeat Magazine. Some of his early influences include drummers like Elvin Jones, “Philly” Joe Jones, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, & Jeff “Tain” Watts. At age 11, he was taught the rudiments & drum set by his father Michael Strickland. He started playing drums & percussion in the middle school jazz band and concert band. He decided early on that he wanted to pursue a career in music, furthering his studies in Jazz & Classical music at New World School Of The Arts. He moved to New York in 1997 to attend the conservatory New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music. His first gigs were short stints on the New York scene with Wynton Marsalis, Vincent Herring, & Russell Malone. He had much longer stints with Ravi Coltrane, David Weiss, & Marcus Strickland (his twin brother saxophonist). Since his career started, he’s been fortunate to appear on occasion with Nneenna Freelon, David Sanchez, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright, and many others. He has recently toured with bands such as The Manuel Valera Trio and Reggie Washington’s Vintage New Acoustic. Since 2009, he has been touring & recording with his own projects such as The E.J. Strickland Quintet, Transient Beings, & Pads N Loops. When one hears E.J.’s music, you can hear simple lyrical melodies supported by complex figures from the rhythm section.
Over the course of the 2022/2023 season, Harlem Stage examines the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s to the 1970s, and its relationship to race, gender, sexuality, music, photography, film, poetry, theater, and dance, as well as its intersectionality with the larger Black Power Movement.
Learn more and buy tickets at harlemstage.org/black-arts-movement-examined
Photos by Kwame Brathwaite
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
Harlem Stage’s Programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Harlem Stage is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas.
For nearly 40 years our singular mission has been to perpetuate and celebrate the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. We provide opportunity, commissioning, and support for artists of color, make performances easily accessible to all audiences, and introduce children to the rich diversity, excitement, and inspiration of the performing arts.
We fulfill our mission through commissioning, incubating, and presenting innovative and vital work that responds to the historical and contemporary conditions that shape our lives and the communities we serve.
Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell, President
Jamie Cannon, Vice President
Michael Young, Secretary
Mark Thomas, Treasurer
Angela Glover Blackwell
Jenna Bond
Jamila Ponton Bragg
Staff
Patricia Cruz, Artistic Director & CEO
Eric Oberstein, Managing Director
Shamar Hill, Director of Development
Shanté Skyers, Associate Director of Development
Julianna Friedman, Development Manager
Carl Hancock Rux, Associate Artistic Director/Curator-in-Residence
Sarah McCaffery, Programming Manager and Associate Curator
Maurice Ivy, Programming Associate
Ashley Areche, Programming & Management Intern
Deirdre May, Senior Director of Digital Content and Marketing
Andre Padayhag, Marketing Manager and Graphic Designer
Ashabi Owagboriaye, Social Media Manager
Jordan Carter, Education & Community Engagement Manager
Eddy Perez, Box Office Manager
Amanda K. Ringger, Director of Production
Clarence Taylor, Lighting Operator
Orlando Alvarado, Audio Engineer
David Barrett, Julio Collado, Saul Ulerio, Deck, Lighting, and Audio Crew
JoAnn K. Chase
Patricia Cruz
Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes
Jenette Kahn
Rebecca Robertson
LaChanze Sapp-Gooding
Tamara Tunie
Rodney Bissessar, Director of Operations
Lamont Askins, Operations Associate
Acey Anderson Sr., Maintenance
NCheng LLC, Accountants/Advisors
Jake Lee, Partner
Aaron Lam, Supervising Senior Accountant
Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)
—Claudia Kaufman, Insurance
DAS Services, IT Consultant
Digital Video Services—BriGuel
Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants
Madison Consulting Group—Matt Laurence
Manchester Benefits—Greg Martin
Marc Millman Photography
Digital Video Services—Jess Medenbach
RL Stein Group—Robyn L. Stein
Snugg Studios—Derrick Saint Pierre
Development Consultant
The Whelan Group Incorporated
—Charles Whelan
Blake Zidell & Associates, Public Relations & Marketing
Nobar De leon, Toma Carthens, Julian Norales, Miriam Hernandez, Robert Gibbons. Andy Garcia