Casey Benjamin, Ace Sideman for Robert Glasper, A Tribe Called Quest, More, Dead at 45

Casey Benjamin, o The talented saxophonist and sideman who worked closely with Robert Gasper and on records by Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Nas, John Legend and many others, has died. He was 45.

Benjamin's administration confirmed his death The Huffington Post. No immediate cause of death was given.

Although best known for his work on the alto and soprano sax, Benjamin was a versatile multi-instrumentalist and daring experimenter. He wasn't afraid to layer effects on his saxophones and often jumped between synths and keyboards (as well as keytar), often combining the latter with a vocoder.

In a 2010 video Linked to his work with the Robert Glasper Experiment, Benjamin offered some insight into his musical approach, saying, “I like to play in places in music where you'd never expect it. And also put effects on it. I always like contrast – contrast, to me, is beauty. So you're always thinking outside the box.”

With the Robert Glasper Experiment, Benjamin won two Grammy Awards: First, Best R&B album, for 2011 Black Radioand then Best Traditional R&B Performance for Stevie Wonder's cover of “Jesus Children of America” ​​from 2013 Black Radio 2.

Many of the artists Benjamin has worked with over the years have shared tributes, such as Lupe Fiasco, who He wrote“I can't even begin to express my deep gratitude and respect.”

And Derrick Hodge, who played Benjamin in The Robert Glasper Experiment, called the musician “a true brother and friend,” adding, “Thank you for inspiring me, for being a light in my life, and for your incredible influence in the world of music. I'll carry your smile with me, bro. And we will collectively honor and carry your legacy with us.”

Questlove, who had long admired Benjamin, he said the musician “gave Glasper the space to do what I think Glasper does best, which is paint colors that would otherwise be a chore if Glasper had the job of leading the charge with a single keyboard.”

Born in 1978, Benjamin grew up in South Jamaica, Queens, New York and started playing the saxophone when he was eight years old. He studied at the prestigious Harlem School of Arts and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art before attending the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where he met Glasper.

Along with the Robert Glasper experiment, Benjamin had his own work, Heavy, alongside singer Nicky Guiland. The duo released several albums, includingJAzzmonEY$$ and First Sessions in 2007 and 2009, before returning in 2021 with the four-piece project Hand to hand.

Benjamin's work with other artists, whether in the studio or on stage, was extensive. Toured with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, who played on Solange's hit album, Seat at the tableand contributed several tracks to A Tribe Called Quest's latest album, We got it from here… Thank you 4 Your service. He also collaborated with Anderson .Paak, Common, Arcade Fire, Buster Rhymes, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige and many others.

In a 2019 interview with All about JazzBenjamin spoke about drawing from his life and experiences to imbue his music with a distinct emotional tenor.

“I'm playing a lot of experiences that I've had in my life, from when I was a kid to now, so it's very unique,” he said. “Everything from not having much as a child to having my heart broken for the first time to my love of cars and sounds, my travels around the world and meeting people and people dying and losing. All these things. And I tend not to gather so much in music circles in terms of people always talking together and practicing together, doing all these different things together. When it comes to music, I tend to be a loner. There are so many musicians who look alike. I believe in acquiring knowledge and wealth, wealth is in knowledge and learning and asking questions. I've always wanted to stay to myself in a way, because I felt like that would be the most organic way to play music.”