Legacy Dances honors the late Casey Benjamin and drops August 28th
Motéma Music is pleased to announce that four-time GRAMMY®-nominated vibraphone master, composer, music software developer, educator, and arts presenter Stefon Harris has signed with Motéma Music to release his twelfth album, Legacy Dances on August 28, 2026. This marks Stefon Harris & Blackout’s fifth album since 2004, and their third release on the Motéma label.
Drawing inspiration from the many legacies that have fueled Blackout’s expression through the years, the vibrant Legacy Dances features a dynamic mix of instrumental and vocal modern jazz rooted in African, R&B, and jazz traditions. “We have been blessed with the opportunity and privilege to dance with our cultural legacy in a way that challenges us to be of service to our community and unapologetically authentic in our own self-expression,” relates Harris. Recorded to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary, Legacy Dances, features (and extends the legacy of) Blackout founding member and electronic soul/jazz pioneer Casey Benjamin, a deeply influential figure in New York’s music community. Sadly, Benjamin suddenly joined the ancestors at age 45, barely two months after the sessions wrapped, so Harris postponed the release, and now looks forward to finally sharing this landmark project with the world.
The lead single, a vocal version of the exquisite Harris ballad “I Know Love,” which features soaring vocoder expressions by Benjamin, will drop May 8th, accompanied by a curated Mother’s Day playlist by Harris, available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other platforms. The second single, a thrilling new take on the Louis Armstrong classic “What a Wonderful World,” also features Benjamin, and drops June 5th to honor African American Music Appreciation Month. Here are artist’s quotes about the first two singles.
MAY 8: “I Know Love” (Single for Mother’s Day) feat. vocals/vocoder by Casey Benjamin, (composed by Stefon Harris)
“I’m pleased to release this in time for Mother’s Day, as I wrote it to celebrate the life and cultural impact of the truly beautiful human being and wonderful mother, Illene Katz Lowenthal (I.K.L. – I Know Love). Illene knew how to love better than just about anyone I’ve ever met. Thinking of her life, this song flowed immediately from my heart and is a great testament to music’s special power to immortalize the essential essence of a person’s indomitable human spirit. Casey Benjamin’s performance here is priceless; he captured every nuance. I hope that with each listen, this song will bring peace and joyful remembrance to the Lowenthal family and to all who hear it. Illene left a legacy of love and compassion which I shall forever cherish.” – Stefon Harris
JUNE 5: “What a Wonderful World” ( Single for African American Music Appreciation Month) feat. vocals/vocoder by Casey Benjamin, (composed by George David Weiss & Bob Thiele)
“What a Wonderful World” celebrates our band’s spiritual connection to the great Louis Armstrong. His uncanny ability to create joy in our world through song, soul, and a beautiful smile, shines as a bright beacon of inspiration. It challenges us to embrace and proliferate moments of joy in our own modern world. We aspire to serve as vehicles of art in order to allow that beautiful message to continue occupying space during these challenging times in our social evolution. – Stefon Harris
LIVE DATES & WORKSHOPS: Harris, who formally launched his revolutionary ear-training software, HARMONY CLOUD™, at the Jazz Educators Network (JEN) Conference in January, has done residencies at Harvard, Peabody Conservatory, Temple University, University of Miami, University of Oregon, University of Southern California, Rutgers University and more, teaching workshops and performing. Up next, he’ll be at Iowa University (May 7 & 8) and at Stanford University with Blackout on July 23. A Fall ‘26 and Spring ‘27 album release tour and additional Harmony Cloud workshops will be announced soon.