Honoring Marshall Allen

By Ahmet Ulug 

“Marshall Allen is a giant. There is no alto saxophonist I know today, or generally, hipper than Marshall. That this is not common knowledge is depressing.” Proclaimed in the early 90s by Amiri Baraka, these words still ring true in 2023, and Marshall deserves all the recognition he can get, especially during his lifetime. 

Marshall Allen is a living cultural heritage icon. At 98 years old, 75 years with Sun Ra Arkestra, and the last 28 years as the director, he still lives in the now-historic Sun Ra house in Philadelphia, recording and performing. Considering Sun Ra’s beginnings with Fletcher Henderson, it is fair to claim that Marshall’s reach goes back through the last 100 years of jazz history.

I am one of those people whose life has been altered by Sun Ra, and it became my karmic duty to show my gratitude by recording the Arkestra under Marshall Allen’s leadership. First, let’s take a look back. Marshall joined the proto-Black Power movement of Sun Ra in 1958, and lived, rehearsed, recorded, and toured with Sun Ra almost exclusively.

After Sun Ra’s retreat from planet earth in 1993, Marshall became the musical director of the Arkestra. By writing new arrangements of Sun Ra’s music and composing new music, Marshall has launched the Arkestra into a dimension beyond that of a mere “ghost” band while preserving the aesthetic and distinct sound of Sun Ra.

Today, the Arkestra continues to spread Sun Ra’s philosophy of utilizing music to influence and enlighten. It is electrifying to witness the increasing popularity of the Arkestra among young generations of fans, artists, and schol- ars.

In 2020, at the height of Covid, I realized the urgency of needing to record the Arkestra, and make it as much about Marshall as it was about Sun Ra. I proceeded to contact Elson, the manager of the band, with the idea for an instrumental album.

With Covid restrictions easing in June 2021, the chance to record the album became
more tangible, and we set the date. The day before the session, I wrote a letter to Marshall. Knowing the capacity of the Arkestra, I defined our commission with some keywords: healing, accessible, spiritual, and hypnotic. With no further discussions and no questions asked, Marshall decided on the music to record.

On June 15, 2021, the day started with a prayer. There were 20 musicians in the studio along with the spirit of Sun Ra. Marshall led the Arkestra with endless enthusiasm and energy. All musicians were in total synergy as if certain motifs were intrinsically formatted in them. At the end of the day, Marshall was happy, and everyone felt enlightened one more time.

This recording became the album Living Sky. It is an homage to the legacy of Marshall Allen as well as the living heritage of Sun Ra.