Marshall Allen, 100-Year-Old Sun Ra Arkestra Bandleader, Releases Solo Debut and Plots Performances
In May 2024, just days after celebrating his 100th solar return, the legendary Marshall Allen continued a legacy of immense musical achievement by setting out for another new frontier. Today, the fruits of his centennial year have finally arrived with New Dawn, the great composer, wind pioneer and Sun Ra Arkestra bandleader’s debut solo album.
To celebrate the landmark occasion of his first release under his own name, Allen has announced two special album release shows. The artist will present the wisdom and spirit of his new project first with a performance at Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Roulette and Wed. April 9; his most recent public appearance was also in New York, where he closed out the festivities of Winter Jazz Fest with an all-star set alongside Kieran Hebden, Makaya McCraven, Emma-Jean Thackray and more. Allen’s second performance will take place at World Café Live in his longtime home of Philadelphia on April 9. Tickets for both the Brooklyn and Philadelphia shows are available now.
On New Dawn, Allen shows true reverence for the influence of his friends and forebearers while communicating an urgent sonic message all his own. Away from his constant collaborators in the Arkestra, which he joined in 1958 and came to lead in 1995, the cosmic jazz master himself becomes the central focus on this project. In the spotlight, Allen’s subtle personal inflections give voice to the depth of feeling and history in his finely honed style.
“We have created a record that showcases Marshall Allen’s musical versatility,” New Dawn producer Jan Lankisch shared in a release, “including a surprising calmer side we may not have heard before.”
Preview single “New Dawn” introduced the album with a perfect demonstration of Allen’s more tender artistic sensibilities. Softly circling strings and poetic verses from Cherry, written by Scott, lift up the composer’s alto saxophone solo, which drifts from tenderly lyrical to wide-eyed and exploratory. After more years of fearless and vital artistic innovation than anyone, Allen’s music is still full of wonder and uniquely capable of revealing a world beyond words. Further selections from the seven-track project will doubtlessly elaborate his initial statement, culminating in a multifarious portrait of a truly singular artist.
New Dawn is out via Mexican Summer now.
