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 voice of Billie Holiday croons a new rendition of “Good Morning Heartache” as Tony Scott joins in with clarinet and jazz critic Leonard Feather accompanies on piano. The 1956 recording is one of numerous unreleased jazz recordings and documents recently digitized and now available to the public through the University of Idaho’s International Jazz Collections (IJC).
The IJC, through Safe Sound Archive in Philadelphia, has completed digitization of the audio portion of the Leonard Feather collection of jazz memorabilia. Last year, the Grammy Foundation gave the university a $36,000 grant to preserve and digitize Feather’s audio tapes and recordings.
In addition to the numerous audio files, Feather’s collection includes scrapbooks from 1933 to 1994, his personal library and music collections, and autographed photos of musicians including Ray Charles, Holiday, Henry Mancini, the King Cole Trio, Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie.
The International Jazz Collections will be open to the public during the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, Feb. 20-23, 2008. More info: ijc.uidaho.edu
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…
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