FREEDOM FIRST
FREEDOM FIRST is a groundbreaking collaboration by Catalan jazz pianist Albert Marquès and writer, activist and poet Keith LaMar, who has spent the past 30 years in solitary confinement on death row in Ohio for a crime he didn’t commit. At each Freedom First concert, LaMar performs live by phone from the Ohio State Penitentiary, melding his electrifying spoken word poetry with contemporary jazz played by a stellar group of international musicians.
Marquès is hopeful about the ability of the music to broaden support for LaMar’s case. But, he said, he had already benefited personally: LaMar, who he met in person last summer, has become one of his best friends. “There is a human connection,” he said, “that goes beyond those walls that are between us. And it’s very powerful. All of this comes from love. -THE NEW YORK TIMES
More than simply a jazz concert, Freedom First is a call for justice, an invitation to renew one’s faith in humanity, and an emotional ride from what LaMar calls “the depths of hell” to a communal
experience of joy and hope.
Freedom First has performed for audiences on three continents to wide acclaim, raising awareness of LaMar’s cause and to the wider issue of incarceration and the death penalty around the world. In 2022, Marquès and LaMar released Freedom First (Say It Loud Records, 2022), the first ever album by an artist from death row.
The project began in 2020 as a series of concerts with dozens of musicians on the streets of New York playing the jazz standards that helped LaMar survive long decades in solitary
confinement, with LaMar himself reciting poetry live from prison via telephone. LaMar was sentenced to death in the United States in 1993, and is scheduled to be executed in 2027.
As a result of Freedom First and the wider Justice for Keith LaMar campaign, LaMar’s case has gained international attention in international media, including The New York Times, Le Figaro, El País and NPR. MORE PRESS BELOW
Albert Marquès recently received the “Most Innovative Project” award from Time Out magazine. Freedom First also won an award for innovation at the 8th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Berlin, Germany.
ABOUT KEITH LAMAR
Keith LaMar is a writer, artist, and activist who has spent almost 30 years in solitary confinement on death row in Ohio for a crime he didn’t commit. LaMar has fought for decades to defend his innocence and his life. On January 13, 2027, Ohio intends to execute him.
LaMar was sentenced to death in the aftermath of the 11-day 1993 Lucasville Prison Uprising, despite no physical evidence and only the accusations of suspect jailhouse informants. To secure his conviction, prosecutors withheld the statements that would have proven his innocence, including confessions from the actual perpetrators. LaMar’s trial took place in a remote Ohiocommunity with an all-white jury, who swiftly sentenced him to death. For more info: keithlamar.org
SELECTED PRESS
"Marquès is hopeful about the ability of the music to broaden support for LaMar’s case. But, he said, he had already benefited personally: LaMar, who he met in person last summer, has become one of his best friends. “There is a human connection,” he said, “that goes beyond those walls that are between us. And it’s very powerful. All of this comes from love.”
“Hoy habrían ejecutado a Keith LaMar. En el último año, Freedom First ha hecho conciertos en lugares como Nueva York, Barcelona, San Francisco o Santiago de Chile.”
“El pianista de jazz Albert Marquès ha sido galardonado con el Premio Time Out Cultura”
“Este disco ha sido el primero que se ha grabado con un preso condenado a muerte y sirve como evidencia de la capacidad de la música para mantener a las personas esperanzadas y cuerdas incluso en las circunstancias más desesperadas.”
“Depuis sa prison, au téléphone, la voix voluptueuse mais puissante du quinquagénaire a résonné en direct pendant une grande partie du concert. «L'idée n'est pas de jouer pour Keith, c'est de jouer avec Keith», a vanté auprès de Le Figaro le jazzman espagnol.”
"Car dans l'écoute active de cette musique, faite d'audaces harmoniques déconcertantes, Keith LaMar dit avoir trouvé des médicaments. «Mes CD, c'est mon armoire à pharmacie, je sais exactement quoi écouter pour soigner quoi: la déshydratation, la fatigue mentale, la fatigue physique... La musique de Coltrane, ce n'est pas une musique qu'on apprécie en claquant des doigts. On n'apprécie pas de prendre un médicament. Sa musique, c'est une façon d'entraîner son cerveau à comprendre la complexité du monde."
“Más que un concierto, un canto a la libertad”
“Una gira molt especial perquè compta amb la participación en directe de Keith LaMar des del corredor de la mort”
“Keith LaMar ha grabado el primer disco de la historia des del corredor de la muerte y lo ha hecho gracias a un español”
“Freedom First es la primera grabación en el que un grupo toca sincronizado con un condenado a muerte”
“El arte –confirma Marquès– tiene ese poder. Keith se ha humanizado, ha dejado de ser un monstruo para ser un poeta, un artista, un intelectual que se muestra libre.”
“La amistad imposible de un español y un preso en el corredor de la muerte”
“The album’s significance lies in its musical prowess, recognized through international acclaim and a series of noteworthy tours, and its capacity to articulate LaMar’s perspective of the criminal justice system.”