Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with 5x GRAMMY Nominated Saxophonist, Arranger, Composer & Educator Lakecia Benjamin. We catch up with this powerhouse of modern jazz to talk about her November 1, 2025 show at the historic Folly Theater in Kansas City and so much more.

From her early days performing with legends like Clark Terry and Terri Lyne Carrington, to her groundbreaking, genre-fusing sound blending jazz, R&B, funk, and soul, Lakecia continues to redefine modern jazz expression. Her 2023 album Phoenix, produced by Carrington, featured an all-star cast, and her 2025 single “Noble Rise” with Immanuel Wilkins and Mark Whitford continues that visionary momentum.

We discuss her first-ever Kansas City performance, her connection to healing through music after the Folly’s recent challenges, and her ongoing mission to uplift through art and authenticity.

🎷 Catch the KC Show: https://follytheater.org/event/lakecia-benjamin

🌐 All Things Lakecia: https://lakeciabenjamin.com/

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Joe Dimino Podcaster/Artist

Joe Dimino has been writing & creating in a variety of capacities since his college days at the University of Missouri-Kansas City somewhere around 1993. If you are keeping score, that would be about 29 years+. It all began at UMKCs University News as a Sports Writer & turned into a myriad of expressive avenues. Inventing poems, art, video & audio has always been in the proverbial cards.