Before 2023, walking into the Mesa Arts Center to see André 3000 would have seemed highly unusual, especially since the Mesa Arts Center is a performing and visual arts complex often home to symphonies and Broadway-style shows. André Benjamin, better known by his stage name André 3000, is best known for his work in the rap duo Outkast with fellow Atlanta rapper Big Boi, a group that had multiple No. 1 hits and won a variety of awards.
Most know André 3000 from his musical and acting careers; he spent the majority of it brightening the hip-hop scene. But that all changed with his 2023 album “New Blue Sun,” an experimental ambient flute jazz album that thematically turned the tables on identity. The album was his first solo release and his first official new music release in 17 years.
The album is exploratory, with clear influences from ambient and spiritual jazz greats like Brian Eno, Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. Loud and brooding tones contribute to a cascading symphony of sound. Other times the record is quiet and melodic, allowing for Benjamin’s musical skill to shine through. Overall, “New Blue Sun” was a bold move from André 3000, but a successful one that gave mainstream audiences a taste of what the world of spiritual, ambient, experimental jazz has to offer.
Benjamin revealed he would be taking “New Blue Sun” on tour in Summer 2024, where he would perform the album live. On Sept. 28, 2024, André 3000 made his only appearance in Arizona at the Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater in the Mesa Arts Center. The Ikeda Theater is a three-level, 1588-seat theater designed for the acoustics of symphony orchestras and jazz bands–perfect for Benjamin’s six-person band.
The show began with a performance from Sudan Archives (Brittney Denise Parks), an L.A.-based violinist, singer and rapper. She was joined on stage by Ahmad Kafari on keys and bones, along with artist The Growth Eternal (ghalani of Greenwood) on drums and bass. Park's violin resonated with electrifying tones, amplified to prove it was, in fact, electric. The performance was a mix of R&B, folk, rap and traditional Irish music. The whirlwind of sound and melody from three musicians was astounding, setting the stage for what André 3000 would soon deliver to the audience. Parks danced around, enjoying her time on stage, showcasing the incredible chemistry the three artists have with each other.
Following an intermission, André 3000 commenced the jazz. For context, Mr. Ceglia and I were under the impression that the band would be performing songs from “New Blue Sun.” This assumption was incorrect, and it took only seconds before the realization set in. After a performance lasting over 20 minutes, Benjamin stepped up to the microphone and introduced himself and his band, including artists Carlos Niño, Surya Botofasina, Nate Mercereau and Deantoni Parks, with The Growth Eternal also joining them on stage. Benjamin revealed that the music being performed was not preplanned, but rather based on the feeling of the concert–essentially, free-form jazz.
It’s hard to describe the hour and a half of music performed on that Saturday night in Mesa. The music was ethereal and primal, a symphony of sound and light. The stage was covered in smoke, band members’ silhouettes barely peeking through. The lights shifted colors to fit the ambiance of the song, with each having a unique sound from the last. Most lasted between 15-20 minutes, with André 3000 using a variety of instruments throughout. He used different flutes and woodwinds, including the soprano saxophone. But Benjamin was not alone on stage, as his fellow band members helped to up the artistry of the performance.
Carlos Niño, described as “the spiritual force behind L.A.’s eclectic music scene” by The New York Times, sat directly behind Benjamin. With a variety of nearly cartoonish instruments, he stood out against the fog. A spiraling metal object hung next to him, along with bells, tubes and plant-like objects, among many others. The overall sound that Niño created was beyond music, it was beyond ambiance. It evoked the feeling of being in a forest alone at night, like listening to the trees rustle, the birds singing, the wind whistling around. He took the world far beyond Mesa, The Valley and beyond anything ever heard before.
The performances were imbued with the reactions between musicians on stage, creating a slow harmony that built up into an eclectic amalgamation of noise that grabbed the audience and didn’t let go. The music was so engaging that it was impossible to look away. In just an hour and thirty minutes, Benjamin and his band were able to create a live music experience that could never be recreated. It was a one-of-a-kind, unique, yet powerful and radiant experience that only those who sat through it will truly understand. André 3000 defied the expectations of his talented past in rap. It’s hard to even describe him as a rapper anymore; rather, he is simply just a musician–and a highly talented one at that.
The performance was a masterclass in improvisational music, so much so that you could see every stop of the concert and get a completely different experience each time. It is a style of music that tends to be inaccessible to the average artist. But André 3000 is the perfect person to bring this music into the mainstream and is likely one of the only people who could attract a crowd of thousands to witness an hour and a half of experimental jazz music. He brought an unbelievable experience to Mesa that won’t be forgotten.