Two days after celebrating his centennial, Marshall Allen embarked on the extraordinary journey of making his first solo album, New Dawn. A towering figure in avant-garde jazz, Allen has spent over seven decades shaping the cosmic sound of the Sun Ra Arkestra, leading the ensemble since Ra’s departure in 1993. But New Dawn isn’t a look back; it’s a new chapter of sonic exploration that bends time, space, and tradition across seven out of this world compositions.

Allen’s contributions to jazz have always been otherworldly, his alto saxophone channeling a mysticism that’s drawn comparisons to “Johnny Hodges from outer space.” His playing transcends mere melody, carrying emotional and spiritual weight, an embodiment of Sun Ra’s ethos of cosmic freedom. But here, New Dawn offers a rare glimpse into a deeply personal side of Allen, one forged in decades of exploration yet untethered from expectations.

Recorded in Philadelphia in May 2024, New Dawn is as much about collaboration as it is about individual expression. Knoel Scott, Allen’s longtime Arkestra comrade, was instrumental in shaping the project. “Knoel’s energy became the driving force,” explains producer Jan Lankisch. “He knew Marshall better than anyone, guiding the selection of compositions to highlight his vast musical range.” Together, they unearthed unreleased material from Allen’s archive, creating a record in the process that moves from serene to explosive with seamless ease. Though New Dawn bears Sun Ra’s cosmic fingerprints, it’s also an assertion of Allen’s singular voice. The album fuses big-band swing with abstract audio palettes, blending structured moments with unfettered improvisation. “We’ve created a record that showcases Marshall’s full range - including a surprisingly softer side,” says Lankisch. Indeed, New Dawn oscillates between meditative calm and celestial fire, proving that at 100, Allen’s ability to surprise remains undiminished.

The album is bolstered by a constellation of jazz luminaries. Scott enlisted an elite crew of Arkestra veterans and Philadelphia’s finest, including Michael Ray (trumpet), Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass), Bruce Edwards (guitar), and George Gray (drums). Their synergy brings Allen’s compositions to life, allowing them to evolve in real-time, their improvisations orbiting Allen’s celestial vision. The title track encapsulates the album’s spirit, melding past and future in a singular moment. With Neneh Cherry’s unmistakable vocals, the song bridges generations, its hypnotic pull a testament to Allen’s unlimited imagination. As it unfolds, it solidifies New Dawn as more than just an album, it’s a living document of a jazz titan’s eternal vision. At 100, Marshall Allen has nothing left to prove. Yet, with New Dawn, he’s given us something timeless - an album that stretches across the galaxies, reminding us that music, like the cosmos, knows no end.