Marshall Belford Allen (born May 25, 1924) is an American

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians dur ...

and

avant-garde jazz Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...

alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the s ...

, and EWI (an electronic valve instrument made by Steiner, Crumar company). Allen is best known for his work with

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

, having recorded and performed mostly in this context since the late 1950s, and having led

The Sun Ra Arkestra The Sun Ra Arkestra is an American jazz group formed in the mid-1950s and led by keyboardist/composer Sun Ra until his death in 1993. The group is considered a pioneer of afrofuturism. As of 2022, the Arkestra is led by saxophonist Marshall Alle ...

since 1993, after Sun Ra's death. Critic Jason Ankeny describes Marshall as "one of the most distinctive and original saxophonists of the postwar era."

Biography

Marshall Allen was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

, United States. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

he enlisted in the 92nd Infantry Division and was stationed in France. Allen studied alto saxophone in Paris and played in Europe with

Art Simmons Arthur Eugene Simmons (February 5, 1926 – April 23, 2018) was an American jazz pianist. Simmons was born in Glen White, West Virginia in February 1926. He played in a band while serving in the U.S. military in 1946, then remained in Germany af ...

and James Moody. He is best known for his mastery of pyrotechnic effects on the alto – he has said that he "wanted to play on a broader sound basis rather than on chords" (1971 interview with Tam Fiofori)). The opportunity came through his long association with

, with whom he performed almost exclusively from 1958 to Ra's death in 1993, although he did record outside

, with

Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...

's group in 1964 and

Olatunji Olatunji is both a surname and a given name of Yoruba origin meaning "Wealth awakes again". Notable people with the name include: *Babatunde Olatunji (1927–2003), Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist * Olatunji Akin Euba (1935-2020) Nigeri ...

's group during the mid-1960s. Critic

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles a ...

has described Allen's playing as "

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sopran ...

from another dimension". Since Sun Ra died, Allen has led the Arkestra, and has recorded two albums as their bandleader. In May 2004, Allen celebrated his 80th birthday on stage with the Arkestra, as part of their performance at the Ninth

Vision Festival The Vision Festival is the world's premier festival of experimental music (typically free jazz/ avant-garde jazz), art, film and dance, held annually in May/June on the Lower East Side of New York City from 1996 to 2011, in Brooklyn from 2012-201 ...

in New York City. Allen gave other performances on his birthday in 2008 at Sullivan Hall and at

Iridium Jazz Club The Iridium is a music club located on Broadway in New York City. The club featured weekly performances by Les Paul for nearly fifteen years. History The club opened in January 1994 at its original location, at 63rd Street and Broadway in the ...

in 2018, both in New York City. As of December 2021, Allen is the oldest living jazz musician, as well as the oldest living to still perform regularly. Allen often appeared in New York-area collaborations with bassist

Henry Grimes Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist and violinist. After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music s ...

, and has also participated in the "Innerzone Orchestra" together with Francisco Mora Catlett,

Carl Craig Carl Craig (born May 22, 1969) is an American electronic music producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Planet E Communications. He is known as a leading figure and pioneer in the second wave of Detroit techno artists during the late 1980 ...

and others in an appreciation of Sun Ra's music. In 2022, a building at 5626 Morton Street known as the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra was listed as a historic landmark in the

Philadelphia Register of Historic Places The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places (PRHP) is a register of historic places by the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Buildings, structures, sites, objects, interiors and districts can be added to the list. Criteria According to the Phila ...

. Allen began living there in 1968.

Discography

For Recordings With Sun Ra See:

As leader

*1998: '' Mark–n–Marshall: Monday'' (

CIMP Creative Improvised Music Projects, usually abbreviated CIMP or C.I.M.P., is an American jazz record company and label. It is associated with ''Cadence Magazine'' and Cadence Jazz Records. The label is noted for its minimal use of electronic proc ...

) *1998: '' Mark–n–Marshall: Tuesday'' (CIMP) *2000: ''

PoZest ''PoZest'' is an album by saxophonist Marshall Allen. It was recorded at The Spirit Room in Rossie, New York on May 10 and 11, 1999, and was released in 2000 by CIMP. On the album, Allen is joined by Lou Grassi's PoBand, featuring Perry Robinson (c ...

'' (CIMP)

As co-leader

*2003: '' The All-Star Game'' (

Eremite A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

) with Hamid Drake,

Kidd Jordan Edward "Kidd" Jordan (born May 5, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist and music educator from New Orleans, Louisiana. After completing a music degree at Southern University in Baton Rouge, he relocated to New Orleans. He taught at Southern Un ...

, William Parker, and

Alan Silva Alan Silva (born Alan Lee da Silva; January 22, 1939 in Bermuda) is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player. Biography Silva was born a British subject to an Azorean/ Portuguese mother, Irene da Silva, and a black Bermudian f ...

*2003: ''Opportunities & Advantages'' (CIMP) with Elliott Levin and the Tyrone Hill Quintet *2005: ''Ten by Two'' (Edisun) with Terry Adams *2005: ''Cosmic Tsunami'' (Nolabel) with Michael Ray, Toshi Makihara, and Jeffrey Shurdut *2010:
Night Logic
' (

RogueArt RogueArt (also written Rogueart and Rogue Art) is a French independent record label based in Paris. It was founded by record producer Michel Dorbon in 2005 and specialises in jazz and improvised music. History RogueArt was founded by record p ...

) with

Matthew Shipp Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader. Early life and education Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford ...

and Joe Morris *2011: ''Vibrations of the Day'' (Re:konstruKt) with Konstrukt, Hüseyin Ertunç, and Barlas Tan Özemek *2014: ''Two Stars in the Universe'' (Little Rocket) with Kash Killion *2019: ''Ceremonial Healing'' (

RareNoiseRecords RareNoiseRecords is an independent record label based in London, co-founded by Italian entrepreneur Giacomo Bruzzo and Italian musician and producer Eraldo Bernocchi in 2008. The label's mission is to detect and amplify contemporary trends in pr ...

) with Danny Ray Thompson,

Jamie Saft Jamie Saft is an American keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was born in New York City, and studied at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music. Saft moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley around 2007, and ...

Trevor Dunn Trevor Roy Dunn (born January 30, 1968) is an American composer, bass guitarist, and double bassist. He came to prominence in the 1990s with the experimental band Mr. Bungle. While performing with Mr. Bungle, Dunn would dress similar to the ...

, Balázs Pándi, and

Roswell Rudd Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer. Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of musi ...

*2020: '' Flow States'' (ScienSonic) with

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...

, Scott Robinson, and

Milford Graves Milford Graves (August 20, 1941 – February 12, 2021) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/herbalist, and martial artist. Graves was noteworthy for his ...

As sideman

;With Terry Adams * ''Terrible'' (New World Records, 1995) ;With

*'' Barrage'' (ESP-Disk, 1965) ;With Tyrone Hill *''Out of the Box'' (CIMP, 1998) ;With

Medeski, Martin and Wood Medeski Martin & Wood (or MMW) is an American jazz fusion band formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums, and Chris Wood on bass. The band is influenced by musical traditions including funk and hip hop and ...

*''

The Dropper ''The Dropper'' is an album by avant-jazz-funk organ trio Medeski, Martin & Wood. The album peaked at No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart. Critical reception ''The Washington Post'' wrote: "In many ways the chaotic and funk-soul soundsc ...

'' (Blue Note, 2000) ;With The Muffins and

Knoel Scott Knoel Scott (born July 18, 1956)"Knoel Scott"
Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians, via ''AllAboutJazz''.< ...

*''Loveletter #2 The Ra Sessions'' (Hobart Films & Records, 2005) ;With the

Odean Pope Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he learned from Ray Bryant while young. Early in his career, at Philadelphia's Uptown Theater, Pope played behind a numbe ...

Trio *''In This Moment'' (CIMP, 2016) ;With

*'' H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box'' (Eremite, 2003) ;With Dave Soldier *''The Eighth Hour of Amduat'' (Mulatta Records, 2016) ;With Surrender to the Air * '' Surrender to the Air'' (Elektra, 1996) ;With Hawk Tubley & The Airtight Chiefs *''Cooking With Dynamite!'' (2011)

References

External links

Official website of the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Marshall 1924 births Living people African-American saxophonists Free jazz saxophonists Free jazz flautists American jazz alto saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz flautists American jazz oboists American male jazz musicians Male oboists Sun Ra Arkestra members Avant-garde jazz flautists Avant-garde jazz saxophonists Military personnel from Louisville, Kentucky Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky United States Army personnel of World War II Jazz musicians from Kentucky 21st-century saxophonists Surrender to the Air members RogueArt artists 21st-century flautists