Casey Benjamin was a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, an original member of the Robert Glasper Experiment, and a vocoder wizard who influenced jazz-based hip hop and R&B.
- Died: March 30, 2024 (Who else died on March 30?)
- Details of death: Died in Maryland at the age of 45.
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Casey Benjamin’s legacy
Casey Benjamin was often called a saxophonist, but in truth he was a multi-instrumentalist adept at innovating with them all, including his voice. In fact, the piano was his first instrument. Though perhaps best known for his work with the Robert Glasper Experiment, which garnered him two Grammy Awards, he worked with a wide range of other artists in a wide range of genres, too. He studied at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan and met Glasper there.
With the Robert Glasper Experiment, Benjamin brought vocoder-fueled vocals to the fore, along with other instruments outside his saxophone work. The band won acclaim for their 2013 album, “Black Radio,” and 2015’s “Jesus Children.” Benjamin was also one half of the funk duo HEAVy, working with vocalist Nicky Guiland to create a blend of new wave and pop, heard through a funk filter.
He was also a member of the band Blackout, and worked with an eclectic array of other artists, including rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, and Wyclef Jean; singers like Mary J. Blige, John Legend, and Beyonce; and many others.
On working with the vocoder:
“There were people who absolutely hated it—there were people like, ‘Oh, I can’t stand it, it’s annoying,’ ‘Oh it’s that corny auto-tune’—they just say all different types of things. But that’s fine—any time you do anything innovative, there are gonna be people that are going to say terrible things about it. I really believed in what I was doing and loved it and it didn’t bother me. I just get along with it and here you are now. Now everybody is doing it.”—Interview with All About Jazz, 2019
Tributes to Casey Benjamin
Full obituary: WRTI 90.1
