Soft Machine — live event
Since their arrival on the music scene in the first wave of 1960s psychedelia, the name Soft Machine has become synonymous with musical experimentation, instrumental virtuosity, and inspired creativity all animated by a truly adventurous, progressive spirit. Although the personnel may have changed over the years, the commitment of those playing in Soft Machine today has remained consistent. Some of the very brightest stars in the British jazz firmament have served in the ranks of this revered musical institution. Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Roy Babbington, Allan Holdsworth, John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen, Andy Summers, Jack Bruce, Gary Husband, and many others, have all focussed their own unique musicality to help shape the band’s sound and personality. Just like those earlier configurations, since they began recording and working live in 2004 as Soft Machine Legacy and the arrival of Theo Travis in 2006, the current lineup continues to defy easy categorization For Theo Travis, there’s a rich combination of elements that combine to form what he believes to be Soft Machine’s appeal. “I like the freedom, I like the variety of colors, the band's improvisation. The fact that it has such a strong catalogue of music going back over 50 years from which we dip into and play. With a lot of jazz stuff, you do it and people come up and say ‘good gig’ or whatever, but it's not like it means something in the same way as a band that has history and a cultural significance in the way that Soft Machine has. For me, it's a suitable combination of rock, jazz, improv, melody, risk-taking, textures, and experimental looping. It’s pretty much all the things I like to play in.” Their latest album, Other Doors, sees them move seamlessly between hardcore improvisation, pop-tinged ebullience, muscular rock, and visceral jazz along with shimmering electronica and ambient overtones. The album also signifies another change within the Softs’ roster, marking the first recording to feature new bassist Fred Baker, who had guested with the band on occasion dating back to 2008 but actually took over permanent live duties from Roy Babbington in 2021. Baker, a superb musician with connections to the whole of the extended Canterbury family tree that includes a long-established duo with Phil Miller and the band In Cahoots, has enjoyed touring with Soft Machine. “We recently played a large theatre in Istanbul and it was sold out. There were lots of young people and they were coming up after the gig wanting things signed, which was fantastic.” Alongside the new compositions which Baker enjoys, is Soft Machine’s impressive back catalogue which is featured through their live shows. Giving people an opportunity to hear these compositions in a live setting is important, he believes. “My big thing with all this music is I see it like in a way that people used to look at, say classical music or early music. . . it’s keeping the music alive and in the present, enabling people to revisit music that they might only have heard on record. I’m so glad to be part of it.”
Starts: 2024-09-16T19:30:34Z
Ends: 2024-09-16T21:30:34Z
Where: Park, 25 11th Ave, at Hudson River, New York, New York 10011, United States
Price: $25.0