New. We Dream
Lakecia Benjamin (saxophone), Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Sean Jones (trumpet), Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Chris Potter (saxophone), Jeff "Tain" Watts, Tarriona 'Tank' Ball, Hiromi (piano), Bilal, Kassa Overall
Excitable and fire-breathing, Benjamin not only lets her horn prove her propers, but she also raises her voice primally, with the power of the lioness, to slash away the armor of somnambulance...
New. We Dream
Lakecia Benjamin (saxophone), Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Sean Jones (trumpet), Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Chris Potter (saxophone), Jeff "Tain" Watts, Tarriona 'Tank' Ball, Hiromi (piano), Bilal, Kassa Overall
Purchase product
Excitable and fire-breathing, Benjamin not only lets her horn prove her propers, but she also raises her voice primally, with the power of the lioness, to slash away the armor of somnambulance...
About
Alto saxophonist and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin is one of contemporary jazz’s most captivating performers. A six-time GRAMMY nominee, she has earned acclaim for albums including Pursuance: The Coltranes and 2023’s Phoenix, which brought her three GRAMMY nods, an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album, and recognition as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. Her music blends jazz, funk, R&B and hip-hop influences, and her live performances are renowned for their improvisation and intensity.
We Dream, the sixth studio album from Lakecia Benjamin is a band-driven project aimed at being a "bright light in a dark space". Building on the success of Phoenix and her 2026 Grammy-nominated single "Noble Rise". the album acts as a collective, cinematic statement featuring key collaborators alongside a stellar guest cast including Terence Blanchard, Chris Potter and Black Thought. The album blends high-energy improvisation, poetry, and groove to create a forward-looking musical experience that highlights community, endurance, and cultural evolution.
Contents and tracklist
- Lakecia Benjamin, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Chief Adjuah
- Lakecia Benjamin, Sean Jones, Chris Potter, Jeff "Tain" Watts
- Lakecia Benjamin, Tarriona 'Tank' Ball
- Lakecia Benjamin, Bilal, Kassa Overall
Spotlight on this release
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Lakecia Benjamin on We Dream
10th Jun 2026
The vibrant and dynamic saxophonist joins us to share her insights on her latest genre-defying album, We Dream.
Awards and reviews
Excitable and fire-breathing, Benjamin not only lets her horn prove her propers, but she also raises her voice primally, with the power of the lioness, to slash away the armor of somnambulance we have wrapped ourselves comfortably in.
Jazztimes
The thunderously blue hymnal “Beyond the Dawn,” the vibrant hard-bopping “Dream Breaker,” the aggro Afro-Latin-like “Mi Gente” — all of these moments push modal jazz traditions beyond boundaries, just as slow songs such as “New World” and hyper-jams like “Right Now” transcend gospel and hip-hop — all with Benjamin’s alto sax in their center, singing, swinging and healing.
July 2026
The title track dreams hard, as Tank and the Bangas' Tarriona "Tank" Ball elevates Black America out of its slave pain, imagining more benign roots. Benjamin's pulsating solo over Hiromi's riffing on 'Flame Keeper' confirms the music's positivity, eschewing abrasion. 'New World' concludes by climbing again towards King's mountain, despite its growing, daunting distance.
