By Jonathan Blackman, Occhi Magazine
Whoever says jazz is dead clearly has not heard Alonzo Demetrius. The young trumpeter not only has language on the instrument and paired it with electronic effects, but he is also an amazing composer. His live recording “Live from the Prison Nation” is as real as it gets. The performance put on by his group is nothing short of spectacular, and the organicness of the live performance makes it even more exciting to listen to. He is joined by Yesseh Furaha-Ali on saxophone, Daniel Abraham Jr. on piano, Benjamin Jephta on bass, and Brian Richburg Jr. on drums. It is the first instrumental record produced by Onyx Productions outside of the amazing projects recorded by founder and legendary drummer, Ralph Peterson Jr. The fact that maestro Peterson is releasing this album on his label is a testament to the greatness of this amazing musician and his collaborators. Read more here.