Lakecia Benjamin is a New York-based saxophonist, arranger, and composer. She offers a unique, varied meld of R&B, jazz, and funk. Her warm, resonant tone lends itself naturally to any music she chooses to play. She honed her chops with Clark Terry and Terri Lyne Carrington. Retox, her 2012 leader debut, offered originals and soul and funk covers. 2014's Rise Up, on Ropeadope, contained Prince-inspired jazz-funk jams. In 2020, she released Pursuance: The Coltranes. The widely acclaimed set contained six tunes each by Alice and John Coltrane, played by a large ensemble. In 2023, she issued Phoenix with a star-studded cast, which earned her three Grammy nominations.