The legendary Marshall Allen, who has been a member of the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1958 and led the iconic group since 1995, has remarkably at the age of 100 just released his debut solo album, titled New Dawn on the Brooklyn-based label Mexican Summer .

Recorded just two days after his 100th birthday in Philadelphia, this brilliant album, which is clearly an extension of Sun Ra’s influence mixed with Allen’s own unique vision, features seven cosmic jazz tracks that will have the listener orbiting among the galaxies. Some of the highlights include the laid-back space-age ballad “African Sunset”, the soulful title track “New Dawn”, which includes the amazing Neneh Cherry on vocals, the funky explosive groover “Boma”, and a new rendition of the Sun Ra classic “Angels And Demons At Play,” which Allen originally composed.

For these sessions, Scott assembled some of Philadelphia’s brightest jazz musicians as well as some Arkestra veterans, including Knoel Scott, who has lived with Allen at the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra in since the 1980s, and worked with Allen to pore over the archive of unrecorded material for this debut. 

Overall, New Dawn is a masterful recording that captures a century of musical wisdom, spirit and transcendence that’s certainly well beyond this planet. Even at age 100, Marshall Allen continues to grow his legacy as one of the most important artists of our time.

Marshall Allen — ‘New Dawn’
(Mexican Summer)

1. Prologue
2. African Sunset
3. New Dawn feat. Neneh Cherry
4. Are You Ready
5. Sonny’s Dance
6. Boma
7. Angels And Demons At Play

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• Cosmic
• Jazz
• Spiritual Jazz