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 duri ...

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. Ori ...

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, 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 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 border ...

, 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

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 Tam Fiofori (born 1942), also known as "Uncle Tam","Tam Fiofiri- The ...

)). 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 The Sun Ra Arkestra, 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's group during the mid-1960s. Critic Scott Yanow 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 soprano ...

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 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 th ...

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 1980s ...

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'' (CIMP)

As co-leader

*2003: '' The All-Star Game'' ( Eremite) 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 United States of America, American free jazz double bassist and Keyboard instrument, keyboard player. Biography Silva was born a British subject to an Azores, Azorean/Portug ...

*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) 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 B ...

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) with

Danny Ray Thompson Danny Ray Thompson (October 1, 1947 – March 12, 2020) was an American jazz musician. He played baritone saxophone with the Sun Ra Arkestra and managed the band for a period of time. Early life Thompson was born in New York City, to Elgie and ...

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 Balázs Pándi (born 6 August 1983) is a Hungarian drummer and journalist. He has worked and toured with various acts from all around the world including Venetian Snares, Otto von Schirach, To Live and Shave in L.A., The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz E ...

, 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,

Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to: * Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician * Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player * Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...

, 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 e ...

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 *'' The Dropper'' (Blue Note, 2000) ;With

The Muffins The Muffins were an American Maryland-based progressive rock/ avant-jazz group. They were formed in Washington, DC in the early 1970s and recorded four albums before disbanding in 1981. In 1998 the group reformed and recorded a further five alb ...

and Knoel Scott *''Loveletter #2 The Ra Sessions'' (Hobart Films & Records, 2005) ;With the Odean Pope Trio *''In This Moment'' (CIMP, 2016) ;With

*'' H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box'' (Eremite, 2003) ;With

Dave Soldier David Sulzer (born November 6, 1956) is an American neuroscientist and musician. He is a professor at Columbia University Medical Center in the departments of psychiatry, neurology, and pharmacology. Sulzer's laboratory investigates the interact ...

*''The Eighth Hour of Amduat'' (Mulatta Records, 2016) ;With

Surrender to the Air Surrender to the Air was a free jazz ensemble led by Trey Anastasio of Phish that included Marshall Allen, Damon Choice, and Michael Ray of the Sun Ra Orchestra, John Medeski, Marc Ribot, Oteil Burbridge Oteil Burbridge is an American multi ...

* ''

'' (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