Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen has announced his debut solo record, New Dawn, and shared a new single and title-track that features vocals from Neneh Cherry.
If you've ever felt too old to do something, let Marshall Allen be an inspiration. After decades playing in and leading Sun Ra Arkestra, the saxophone visionary is finally getting ready to release his debut album and he's doing it at 100 years old. Yes, born in 1924, Allen served in World War II before joining the iconic jazz collective and has spent his life defying expectations and ideas of what jazz can incorporate. For years, Allen has been the de-facto leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra (since Sun Ra himself passed away in the '90s) and as said leader, he's bridged the gap from jazz and indie rock unlike any other, perhaps best seen and heard through his and the group's time spent working and playing alongside Yo La Tengo. Now, as he gears up for his first solo endeavor, he's announced the album and shared a track that features vocal work from another legend in Neneh Cherry (step-daughter of another jazz legend, the one and only Don Cherry). On "New Dawn," we're treated to a bluesy slow rolling New Orleans style jazz number that's full of rich, velvety tones and Cherry's extra sultry vocal work. It's a divine track that is brimming with elegance and a pristine glow. It'd be a rather remarkable song, but knowing where it falls in the history of Allen's career makes it all the more impressive. In a time when the words "legend" and "icon" are applied rather liberally, few make the case to earn it with the respect it's due quite like Marshall Allen.
New Dawn is out February 14.
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