Lakecia Benjamin & Phoenix program

Meridian Arts Centre

George Weston Recital Hall

Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix September 29, 2023

TO Live would like to acknowledge Tkaronto, which is a Mohawk word meaning the place in the water where the trees are standing.

We live and work on the traditional territory of Haudenosaunee-speaking nations, including the Huron-Wendat, Seneca, and Mohawk. Haudenosauneespeaking nations have been here since time immemorial, and were more recently joined by the Mississaugas of the Credit.

This place has many Indigenous ports, including where the Humber and Rouge rivers meet other waterways such as Lake Ontario. Ancient longhouses— typical Haudenosaunee housing structures—have been found along both these rivers and in the north of Toronto near modern-day York University. This territory is covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Confederacy and the Anishnaabe (Ojibwe) and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the lands and the relationships around the Great Lakes.

What this means is that by living and working here, we all have a responsibility to the environment and to each other, to treat each other and the environment with peace and respect. This means we have responsibilities to honour, renew, and consistently uphold the values and relationships outlined in the ancient agreements.

Today, Toronto is home to Indigenous peoples and settlers from around the world. Let us all come together in an atmosphere of respect and peace to do good work together with good minds. Let’s start building stronger and healthier relationships with each other and the spaces we inhabit in Tkaronto, Ontari:io, Kanata.

Let’s hold our minds together in kindness. Nia:wen. Thank you.

© Dawn Maracle

Welcome letter from TO Live

Welcome to tonight’s performance – the Canadian debut of Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix. Lakecia Benjamin is no stranger to Toronto, but this is her first time headlining with her band in Canada so let’s give her a big Canadian welcome when she hits the George Weston Recital Hall stage tonight.

Over the course of the coming months and years, TO Live will be programming more incredible concerts, like the one you will see tonight, in this beautiful Hall.

A few upcoming examples include, on Thursday, November 16, The New York Philharmonic String Quartet will perform Mozart’s “Dissonance” Quartet and Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”. Called “a marvelous ensemble” by The New York Times, The New York Philharmonic String Quartet comprises four Principal musicians from the Orchestra.

On Thursday, November 23, TO Live presents a double bill featuring Collectif9, performing their chamber music and dance crossover work Ritaels and VC2 Cello Duo - cellists Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt – who play a wide selection of classical masterworks, unknown gems, and new Canadian compositions, with a little Guns n’ Roses or Foo Fighters in the mix. Not to be missed!

Thursday, November 30, the legendary guitarist John Scofield brings his Trio with Vicente Archer, hailed as one of the most sought-out bassists of his generation, and drummer Bill Stewart.

Of course, this expanding music series at the George Weston Recital Hall, will complement and augment the many great partner organizations also performing in this space - The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Canadian Opera Company, Orchestra Toronto, Sinfonia Toronto, Mandle Philharmonic, Tirgan, The Nathaniel Dett Choral, and Soundstreams, plus many more over the course of the season.

Please join us after the concert in the lobby for a performance by the Toronto based Alan Zemaitis Organ Trio.

Thanks for joining us and supporting live music. Enjoy!

Clyde Wagner President & CEO TO Live

Max Rubino Director of Programming TO Live

Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix

One of the most sought-after and revered saxophonists in the world, Lakecia was voted 2020 DownBeat critics poll rising star alto saxophonist and up-and-coming artist of the year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Known for her charisma and dynamism as a player, as a composer she has an inimitable skill of fusing traditional conceptions of jazz, hip hop, and soul. She’s performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Macy Gray, and many more.

Piano: Zaccai Curtis

Bass: Ivan Taylor

Drums: Emanuel Harrold

Program note

Lakecia Benjamin is making her debut Toronto performance with this concert. Phoenix is the highly anticipated, expansive new album in the musical evolution of this alto saxophonist and composer. The album was produced by the multi-Grammy-Award winning Terri Lyne Carrington. Her aptly named album Phoenix is the result of her recovering from a near fatal car accident and reeling from the effects of the covid pandemic and racial unrest that was occurring in the United States “When we came out from the pandemic we weren’t allowed to be broken,” Lakecia shares while describing the deeply personal outing Phoenix became for her. “We had to be these beautiful absorbent birds and get to work.” She has toured nationally and internationally for most of the past 12 months with this message.

“I want people to not only feel what I’m saying through the songs and my saxophone, but to also verbally hear it so there’s no discrepancy on where we’re coming from,” Lakecia shares, explaining the concept behind her performances, explaining the concept behind her performances, which are imbued with spoken word. And there is no question that Phoenix marks yet another stratospheric rise for an artist who resolutely knows what she wants to say and how to say it, all the while honouring her mentors and the traditions that have come before her.

Love what you heard? Listen at home with our playlist.

Tonight, Lakecia Benjamin & Phoenix are playing an electrifying mix of traditional jazz that often incorporates elements of R&B, funk, hip hop, dance, and Latin music. Listen to this thrilling program again by adding the TO Live playlist to your Spotify account.

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