UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the alto saxophonist tells it, Lakecia Benjamin’s Grammy Award-nominated recording “Phoenix” was inspired by a car accident.
“I started getting the sounds of this phoenix music in my head,” Benjamin said. “Which is why the album starts with sirens … it was the first sound I heard coming to get me out of the woods.”
Benjamin will bring her fiery sax work to a Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The evening will feature a red-hot performance of songs from “Phoenix” as well as its Grammy-nominated follow-up, “Phoenix Reimagined (Live).”
Call 814-863-0255 or visit Lakecia Benjamin online for more information or to purchase tickets.
Visit Discounts for information on available ticket-discount programs, including the Arts Engagement Family Program, a free ticket program for Penn State students and a ticket discount for Penn State employees.
The charismatic and dynamic musician fuses traditional conceptions of jazz, hip-hop, and soul with her roots in Latin salsa and merengue music. She has unleashed her electric presence and fiery sax work on stages with intergenerational artists of legend, including Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Santigold and The Roots; as well as at former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Inauguration.
“Equally melodic and assertive, her sound feels rooted in tradition, yet broad enough to encompass R&B and Latin music; its pronounced funk suggests allegiances to hip-hop and dance,” wrote a reviewer for The New York Times.
In the past year, Benjamin and her band have performed a set on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. She said her bold fashion sense matches her dynamic performance style.
“I’m always in some kind of bright colors in my shows,” Benjamin said in a Center for the Performing Arts feature. “I’m probably gonna be wearing something bright. So I encourage audiences to wear gold, like a phoenix.”