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…
Violinist Christian Howes will release Heartfelt, his debut on Resonance Records, on Sept. 9. The album is a collaboration between Howes and pianist-arranger Roger Kellaway, former musical director for Bobby Darin.
Howes’ musical career was interrupted in 1992 at the age of 20 when he was convicted of selling LSD to an undercover cop. Howes credits his time in prison as influential to his interest in blues and jazz, which have featured in his solo releases.
“Before, I had been pretty strictly into classical music,” said Howes, “But in prison, I was playing in gospel church services and that was the first time that I was really exposed to a kind of energy of soul and swing and blues and these kinds of ideas. That music made such a deep impression on me that it was then that I got this feeling of, ‘I should really be exploring this more on the violin.’”
The collaborations on Heartfelt include an orchestral arrangements of Russ Freeman’s “The Wind” and Eliane Elias’ “That’s All It Was,” as well as a rendition of Bill Evans’ “Walkin Up.”
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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