One of the most sought-after and revered saxophonists in the world, Lakecia Benjamin was voted 2020 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Alto Saxophonist and Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.  Fusing traditional concepts of Jazz, HipHop, and Soul, she is known for her charisma and dynamism as a player and has performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Macy Gray and many more. Benjamin has performed on four continents, and her extensive recording credits include saxophone and arrangements for Santigold, Maurice Brown, the Clark Terry Big Band, Krystle Warren and TalibKweli, among others. Her own music with her band, Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad is immersed in the vintage sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the Family Stone and the Meters as well as classic jazz and “her soaring, dance floor-friendly grooves take the classic vibe to a whole new level.”  Benjamin’s 2023 release, Phoenix, produced by the multi-Grammy-award winning Terri Lyne Carrington, is a collection of mostly original compositions and arrangements and features a star-studded line-up of guest artists, including Dianne Reeves, Patrice Rushen, and Wayne Shorter. “Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin plays jazz that is sprinkled with the rich flavors of funk and soul—she’s a crafty traditionalist who remains in step with the rhythms of the young generation” (The New Yorker). Joining Benjamin will be Zaccai Curtis, piano; Ivan Taylor, bass; and E. J. Strickland, drums.