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…
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones kicked off a 34-date US tour on Jan. 13 with a performance in their hometown of Nashville. The tour will include three New York stops, including an April 20 performance at The Jammy Awards (an award they are nominated for) in Madison Square Garden, another the following day at B.B. King’s Blues Club and a gig at Irving Plaza. The band will be performing songs from their upcoming album The Hidden Land, which will be released Feb. 14 on Columbia Records.
The Fleck-produced album whose title, according to Fleck, refers to “a hidden land out there, a territory where people push the boundaries of music,” marks the return of the four core Flecktones. The band includes Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Future Man and saxophonist Jeff Coffin. “We wanted everything to be playable live,” said Béla. “Every instrument is us, everything is something we can do on-stage.”
For a complete list of tour dates, visit or www.flecktones.com. More dates are expected to follow in late spring and summer.
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.
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