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…
As part of a special “Topping Out” construction ceremony held in the future site of its new facility, Jazz at Lincoln Center (J@LC) announced today that its 2002-‘03 season will be titled “The Year of the Drum.” In its 12th season as a year-round producer—running from July 2002 through June 2003—J@LC will produce more than 450 education, performance, and broadcast events worldwide.
Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis emphasized that, in addition to the programs exploring the vital and constantly-evolving role of percussion in jazz, this season will continue to include a broad range of artists and styles, as part of the expansive vision of J@LC.
Marsalis said, “The drums conduct a jazz band. They are the heartbeat, the engine, the life force of the music. The drum set is the only instrument invented by jazz musicians. When they are elegantly played with cymbals swinging in celebration, we are taken, in a moment, from the primal to the digital. Because we live in such dynamic times, we’re always seeking to define ourselves and jazz music provides an honest and entertaining answer. As always, we’ll feature a lineup of some of the greatest musicians in jazz from old masters to young lions, collaborations with other cultures, and educational programs for kids of all ages. Our motto is simply, ‘welcome.’”
For its 2002-’03 Season Opening Night, the LCJO will honor one of the greatest jazz drummers and bandleaders of all time: Art Blakey (in whose Jazz Messengers Marsalis gained early experience). Other “Year of the Drum” events include a showcase for traps master Roy Haynes; Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO) drummer Herlin Riley leading the ensemble in an “Evolution of the Drum” program; and Jazz for Young People concerts on Blakey and jazz drumming. Further, in the Kaplan Penthouse there will be concerts featuring the music of Max Roach and James Black; evenings led by Jimmy Cobb, Terri Lyne Carrington and Lewis Nash; and a night featuring Caribbean pan drummers. There will be also be a Drum Symposium at Columbia University, which will include an LCJO concert featuring African drummers, in addition to lecture-demonstrations, master classes, and a film presentation.
Extending its long commitment to producing the best in Latin jazz, J@LC also announced the creation of the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, led by pianist Arturo O’Farrill, which will perform several concerts outside of the Lincoln Center campus and one with Marsalis in Alice Tully Hall. In addition, the ACJO and the LCJO will each play for a dance party during the season. Three special concerts in Avery Fisher Hall include this year’s gala “Manhattan Rhapsody;” an evening with Nancy Wilson backed by a string orchestra; and a “Jazz Jamboree” with top-notch small groups, including the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Michael Brecker Quartet.
Other concerts in Alice Tully Hall include the LCJO performing the music of Benny Goodman, an LCJO collaboration with a flamenco ensemble led by Chano Dimunguez; a evening of “soul jazz” with the Masters of Groove, Roy Ayers, David “Fathead” Newman and others; and this year’s As of Now concert, featuring premieres of J@LC-commissioned works by Toshiko Aliyoshi (celebrating her band’s 30th anniversary with a piece featuring Taiko drums) and Maria Schneider.
Additional concerts in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse include this season’s Singers Over Manhattan series, which will feature Mark Murphy, Claudia Acuna, Grady Tate and others. There will be a trombone showcase with Wycliffe Gordon and Ron Westray; a concert of the music of Herbie Nichols with members of the Jazz Composers Collective; a concert featuring the European master accordionist Richard Galliano; and more.
Among the many highlights of the LCJO 2002-03 touring season are a collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester; a concert at the 25th anniversary of the Marciac Jazz Festival in France; a three-city tour in South Africa (t
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…
Henry Threadgill performs with Zooid at Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Apr 9, 2024 11:30 AM
Big Ears, the annual four-day music celebration that first took place in 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee, could well be…
