By Anna M. Nelson, Black Grooves
Virtuosic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin offers a powerful homage to two major jazz figures, Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane, on her newest release Pursuance: The Coltranes. Though her first two albums as a bandleader, Retox (2012) and Rise Up (2018), draw heavily upon soul and funk influences, Pursuance showcases Benjamin’s versatile performance of seminal jazz works from the Coltranes’ repertoire. Covering multiple musical periods across the album’s 13-tracks, Benjamin is supported by a phenomenal multi-generational line-up of over forty artists, including Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Regina Carter, Jazzmeia Horn, and Brandee Younger, among others. Legendary jazz bassist Reggie Workman, a member of the John Coltrane Quartet in the early 1960s, co-produced the project and is also a featured guest. Full review here.