Celestial, by Knoel Scott feat. Marshall Allen

Celestial

by Knoel Scott feat. Marshall Allen

supported by

Mr. Johnson A great album of experienced improvisers creating music that pays homage to their friendship as bandmates and reflects the mutual inspiration they share from their former bandleader, Sun Ra. Favorite track: Conversation with the Cosmos.

charlespetersohn Knoel Scott is such an essentail part of the Arkestra with his horn and his voice.
A pleasure to listen this new album feat. Marshall Allen.
I love his EVI. Thank you for the music! :)

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Cassette release of Celestial on high quality RTM tape

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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
12" vinyl with cassette using high quality RTM tape, a Night Dreamer tote bag, and two high quality prints of Knoel Scott and Marshall Allen recording Celestial at Artone Studio by Londonmancer.

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1.	Les Funambules 07:00	buy track
2.	Celestial 11:14	buy track
3.	Conversation with the Cosmos 09:47	buy track
4.	Makanda 04:50	buy track
5.	Blu Blues 05:07	buy track

about

Sun Ra Arkestra saxophonist Knoel Scott reaches for the sky to release debut studio album Celestial with long-time collaborator Marshall Allen

Best known for his long-standing role in Sun Ra Arkestra, saxophonist, composer, vocalist and performer Knoel Scott is a jazz legend in his own right. A celebration of his tight knit relationship with Arkestra leader Marshall Allen, Celestial marks Scott’s first major studio release after more than 40 years at the vanguard of modern jazz.

Building on a career that has seen Scott record and perform alongside jazz greats such as Sun Ra, Charles Earland, Lou Donaldson and Leon Thomas, the 5-track album is steeped in the composition and performance styles of the African American jazz tradition, from blues and be-bop to the cosmic avant-garde.

Recorded in mono direct to tape and cut on a Scully lathe at the all-analogue Artone Studio in the Netherlands, Celestial brings together an inter-generational ensemble including bright sparks of the UK jazz scene, Charlie Stacey and Mikele Montolli, alongside Arkestra alumnus Chris Henderson. For Scott and Allen, it represents the culmination of decades of collaboration.

The album begins in explosive style with the hard grooving ‘Les Funambules’, a prime example of Scott’s ability to walk a tightrope between hard bop form and raw improvisation.
The session then orbits around Scott’s composition ‘Celestial’, an interstellar 12-minute space walk that was originally written for the Sun Ra Arkestra with strings but was never recorded.

Featuring Marshall Allen on the otherworldly EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), ‘Celestial’ also hears Scott in full voice, reciting lyrics written by Arkestra vocalist and lyricist Arnold “Art” Jenkins. “The song is a testimony and a memorial to Art and his artistry, as much as it is an example of my own,” Scott explains.

Following the collaborative spirit of the album, Scott’s composition ‘Makanda’ pays tribute to educator and mentor Dr.Ken ‘Makanda’ McIntyre, an associate of Eric Dolphy and a formative influence in Scott’s musical life. A homage to the way McIntyre incorporated various idioms of African American music into his compositions, ‘Makanda’ blends funk, Afro-Cuban and swing styles into a powerful and coherent whole.

Alongside Knoel’s original recordings, the session features two improvised tracks led by Marshall Allen, which speak to the deep musical friendship between the two. Scott describes ‘Conversation with the Cosmos’ & ‘Blue Blues’ as “a testimony to Marshall's incredible improvisational contribution, and his ability to read and conjure all kinds of music and bring the best out of musicians.”

His first studio recording under his own name, Celestial is a statement of intent from Scott as a composer and bandleader, and a testament to his rich and lasting relationship with Marshall Allen.

credits

released July 28, 2023

Recorded live and cut to RTM master tape at Artone Studios, Haarlem, The Netherlands on 18th & 19th July 2022.

Knoel Scott: Alto Sax, Flute & Vocals
Marshall Allen: Alto Sax & EWI
Charlie Stacey: Piano
Chris Henderson: Drums
Mikele Montolli: Bass

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Martijn Schouten at Artone Studio
Cut by Rinus Hooning
Produced by George Camdonius & Neal Birnie
Photography by Londonmancer
Cover Artwork by Jack Greeley-Ward
Sleeve Design by Kai Damian Matthiesen
Pressed and manufactured at Record Industry
© Night Dreamer 2023 nightdreamer.co.uk
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about

Knoel Scott feat. Marshall Allen Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

An original and long-standing member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, saxophonist, composer, vocalist and performer Knoel Scott is a jazz legend. A leading figure of the 80s/90s Harlem jazz scene, his career spans decades working with icons of the music industry including Marshall Allen, under whose direction the Arkestra continues, in a collaboration for Scott’s first original studio recording on disc. ... more

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