Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lakecia Benjamin: Pursuance: The Coltranes

Lakecia Benjamin: Pursuance: The Coltranes

By Jerome Wilson
May 22, 2020
View read count

Lakecia Benjamin: Pursuance: The Coltranes

Over the years, there have been many recorded tributes to

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane but saxophonist

Lakecia Benjamin

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Lakecia Benjamin takes the concept farther by paying homage to the work of both John and his wife,

" data-original-title="" title="">Alice Coltrane. Benjamin plays their compositions in a wide range of settings with a large cast of musicians, including a couple who actually worked with one or both of the Coltranes.

There are treatments here that hew close to the spiritual and mystical force of the original versions, and others that take some liberties and bring in more contemporary ideas. For example "Syeeda's Song Flute" has a lush layer of electric piano by

David Bryant

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">David Bryant underpinning the wails of Benjamin's alto and

Keyon Harrold

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Keyon Harrold's trumpet while

Ron Carter

bass
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Carter and

Darrell Green

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Darrell Green play combustible rhythms underneath. "Spiral" provides a twitchy salsa backdrop to a hard-charging alto exchange by Benjamin and

Steve Wilson

saxophone
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Wilson. The most radical revision comes on "Central Park West" which is turned into a combination of smooth jazz and hip hop beats with organ, harp and the scatted vocals of

Jazzmeia Horn

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Jazzmeia Horn all adding to the potency of the lazy groove.

Besides all the Coltrane works, two old hymns, "Walk With Me" and "Going Home" are also performed as part of the homage to Alice Coltrane. Both are filled with rolling gospel power.

Regina Carter

violin
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Regina Carter's violin is prominent on the first and the second is brought to full orchestral majesty with the aid of

Brandee Younger

harp
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Brandee Younger on harp,

Marcus Strickland

clarinet, bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcus Strickland on bass clarinet and a full string section. As for Alice's actual compositions, "Prema" is played with a string-laden Middle Eastern rhythm and

Gamiel Lyons

flute

" data-original-title="" title="">Gamiel Lyons vamping on flute besides the alto, while "Turiya and Ramakrishna" is done in a simple jazz combo format with

Surya Botofasina

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Surya Botofasina's piano trembling underneath Benjamin's soulful blowing.

As for John's compositions, "Om Shanti" is the most purely devotional part of the album, with

Georgia Anne Muldrow

vocals
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Georgia Anne Muldrow chanting a prayer over rippling alto and electric piano, then singing into a slow-building frenzy over a swirling chorus of voices and

MeShell NdegeOcello

bass, electric
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">MeShell NdegeOcello's and

Joe Blaxx

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Blaxx's laidback r'n'b groove. "Alabama" gets a simple, dignified treatment with the pianos of

Sharp Radway

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Sharp Radway and

Bertha Hope

piano
b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Bertha Hope plus the basses of

Reggie Workman

bass
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Reggie Workman and

Lonnie Plaxico

bass
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Lonnie Plaxico all bubbling under Benjamin's eloquent lamentation. Two sections of "A Love Supreme" get played; on "Acknowledgement" Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets speaks about Coltrane in a raspy but authoritative voice, then

Dee Dee Bridgewater

vocals
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Dee Dee Bridgewater comes in chanting "A Love Supreme" and scatting wildly over Benjamin's powerful cry.

There are a lot of musicians and a lot of different musical approaches on this album but the powerful alto voice of Lakecia Benjamin holds it all together. She plays with appropriate majesty whether moaning over soulful beats or roaring in high energy duels with other alto players, like

Gary Bartz

saxophone, alto
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Bartz on "Liberia" and both

Greg Osby

saxophone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Greg Osby and

Bruce Williams

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Bruce Williams on "Affinity." This is an amazing and ambitious tribute to the long-lasting influence of John and Alice Coltrane.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Liberia; Prema; Central Park West; Walk With Me; Going Home; Syreeta's Song Flute; Spiral; Om Shanti; Alabama; Acknowledgement; Turiya and Ramakrishna; Affinity.

Personnel

Lakecia Benjamin

saxophone, alto

Additional Instrumentation

Gary Bartz: alto sax (#1); Lonnie Plaxico: bass (#1-5, 9); Reggie Workman: bass (#2,4,9,13); Chris Rob: piano, Rhodes, organ (#1, 3, 8); Darrell Green: drums (#1,5,6,8-13); Gamiel Lyons: flute (#2); Sharp Radway: drums (#1, 3- 5, 7, 9,10, 13); Surya Botofasnia: piano (#2, 12); Juliette Jones: viola (#2,5); Jarvis Benson: viola (#2,5); Malcolm Parson: cello (#2,5); Brandee Younger: harp (#2,5); Jazzmiea Horn: vocals (#3); Joe Blaxx: drums, backing vocals (#3,4,8); Regina Carter: violin (#4); Marcus Strickland: bass clarinet (#5); Rootstock Republic: strings (#5); Kenyon Harrold: trumpet (#6); David Bryant: Rhodes (#6); Ron Carter; bass (#6); Steve Wilson: alto sax (#7); John Benitez: bass (#7); Marcus Gilmour: drums (#7); Georgia Anne Muldrow: vocals (#8); Meshell Ndegeocello: bass (#8); Ricardo Ramos: guitar (#8); Dudley Perkins: background vocals (#8); Zakiyyah Modeste: background vocals (#8); Bertha Hope: piano (#8); Dee Dee Bridgewater: vocals (#10); Abiodun Oyewole: spoken word (#10); Jonathan Michel: bass (#10,11); Bendji Allonce: percussion (#10, 12); Marc Cary: piano (#11); Greg Osby: alto sax (#13); Bruce Williams: alto sax (#13).

Album information

Title: Pursuance: The Coltranes | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Ropeadope

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Irrational Revelation And Mutual Hum...
< Previous

No Boundaries
Next >

Lakecia Benjamin Concerts

Mar 25 Wed

Lakecia Benjamin

Dazzle Jazz Club
Denver, CO

Mar 25 Wed

Lakecia Benjamin

Dazzle Jazz Club
Denver, CO

Mar 26 Thu

Lakecia Benjamin

Dazzle Jazz Club
Denver, CO

Mar 26 Thu

Lakecia Benjamin

Dazzle Jazz Club
Denver, CO

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.