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…
The Fujitsu Jazz Festival will honor Jean Toots Thielemans at a special concert event at Carnegie Hall on March 16. “The Magic of Toots” will feature the music of Toots, the man who Quincy Jones calls “one of the greatest musicians of our time on his instrument,” as well as performances by Herbie Hancock, Ivan Lins, Eliane Elias, Paquito D’Rivera, Oscar Castro-Neves, Joe Lovano, and other surprise guests.
The concert, sponsored by Fujitsu Limited and produced by Pat Philips and Ettore Stratta, will be under the musical direction of Kenny Werner, Toots long-time duo partner.
The event will celebrate the extensive career of the still internationally touring 83-year-old harmonica player. Toots has played alongside the likes of George Shearing, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Benny Goodman, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Charlie Parker, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Gilberto Gil, among many others.
Tickets are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office and range in price from $18 to $66. The number for the box office is 212-247-7800, or tickets can be purchased online at carnegiehall.org.
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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