Photographs by Laal Shams
If jazz has ever boasted its own Merlin, the title would have to go to the late cosmically inclined maverick Sun Ra. By that logic, Marshall Allen—who performed on Wednesday as the guest of honor at Vision Festival XIV, continuing tonight through Monday at the beautiful Abrons Arts Center—is without a doubt the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The Philly saxist assumed control of the late Ra’s Arkestra back in ’95, but even so, watching him perform, you can still sense the enthusiasm of a longtime passenger finally getting his turn at the wheel.
