Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
Ethan Hawke stars as Chet Baker in the film Born to be Blue.
(Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg)Fans of jazz trumpet and cinema will have plenty to chew on in the coming weeks as two of the most iconic figures in jazz history will be portrayed on the silver screen. Born to be Blue, which stars Ethan Hawke as Chet Baker, will open in theaters on March 25, and Miles Ahead, which stars Don Cheadle as Miles Davis, opens in New York and Los Angeles April 1, with a wider release in the weeks following.
Hawke will visit the 92Y in New York City on March 17 to promote his movie. Following a preview screening of Born to be Blue, Hawke will discuss the film and his career with 92Y Reel Pieces moderator Annette Insdorf.
As part of the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, there will be two screenings of Miles Ahead: one on March 16 at the Paramount Theatre and another on March 19 at the Stateside Theatre.
Cheadle (who co-wrote the screenplay and directed the film) will participate in a panel discussion about the movie on March 17 at 12:30 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center.
Other participating panelists will be keyboardist Robert Glasper (who scored the film and is producing a forthcoming Miles Davis remix project); Erin Davis (Miles Davis Estate, executive producer of Miles Ahead); Vince Wilburn, Jr. (Miles Davis Estate, producer of Miles Ahead); Skip Lievsay (Oscar-winning supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer and sound designer); and Keyon Harrold (a Grammy-winning trumpeter who is featured on the film’s soundtrack). The panel will be moderated by Felix Contreras (NPR host, Alt-Latino).
Click below to see previews of each film, including a scene from Born to be Blue in which actor Kedar Brown portrays Davis.
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.
Feb 27, 2024 1:40 PM
“I might not have felt this way 30 to 40 years ago, but I’ve reached a point where I can hear value in what people…
Albert “Tootie” Heath (1935–2024) followed in the tradition of drummer Kenny Clarke, his idol.
Apr 5, 2024 10:28 AM
Albert “Tootie” Heath, a drummer of impeccable taste and time who was the youngest of three jazz-legend brothers…
“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”
Mar 12, 2024 11:42 AM
“There are a few musicians you hear where, as somebody once said, the molecules in the room change. Geri was one of…
Larry Goldings’ versatility keeps him in high demand as a leader, collaborator and sideman.
Feb 21, 2024 10:45 AM
Are you having any fun? Larry Goldings certainly is. Consider just two recent examples:
Scene 1: “If anyone had…
