Honoring Marshall Allen

By Gilles Peterson 

As a broadcaster, DJ and record collector, Sun Ra’s LPs have always been enticing, rare, pre-discogs–limited edition works of art. I can definitely recall the buzz we experienced when Ra, complete with wolfskin fur hat, arrived at Jazz FM in the early 90s to be interviewed by Jez Nelson. We were young and Ra was out there—mysterious, like no one else we’d ever met.

Jumping across time to 2015, it was the arrival of the Arkestra, under the direction of Marshall Allen, for a residency at Cafe Oto in Dalston that set the scene for a creative connection with the new jazz generation in London. Shabaka Hutchings was invited to join the Ark- estra. He went on tour with them. He loved that they all had tasks. Marshall was in control of the sheet music. They were wild. You had the beautiful Danny Thomson on baritone, “Flying Knoel” Scott singing and dancing-–and you had Marshall. Nobody in this universe plays alto like Marshall Allen.

Over time I’ve been lucky to present the Arkes- tra live at my festivals—Worldwide in Sete and We Out Here in the UK this summer coming– and just to complete this vignette, I have to recall a recent conversation with Ahmet Ulug of Omni Sound. We were chatting about the new LP and he dropped a little bomb saying, “You know what, the best track isn’t even on the album!” It turns out there’s a track with that deep Lanquidity vibe—so I’m definitely hyped. I need to hear it. Basically, Marshall felt there was something not quite right about it so it’s still in the can and, for me, that’s Marshall. He’s 98 and he still gives a fuck! He’s amazing.