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Soft Machine Legacy

Steam

MoonJune Records MJR016

A real treat, this: three ex-members of various editions of Soft Machine (guitarist John Etheridge, bassist Hugh Hopper, drummer John Marshall) plus long-time admirer Theo Travis (replacing the late great Elton Dean) letting themselves go on ten rousing jazz-rock cuts that are at once recognisably stylistically connected to the music of the original bands, but also thoroughly contemporary (chiefly courtesy of the substitution of loops and sonic processing for keyboards ä something of a speciality for Travis, as anyone who's witnessed his various Vortex duo performances will know).

The textures created by the contrast between Etheridge's spangly, powerful but delicate guitar playing and Hopper's trademark 'fuzztonics', and between Travis's reeds and flute and Marshall's muscular drumming ä to name just two ä are memorable and arresting; what's really impressive, though, is the infectious enthusiasm, joy and sheer energy that infuse everything the band play.

There are glances back into the 1970s (a visit to Mike Ratledge's 'Chloe & the Pirates'), but overall, as the (excellent and informative) press release claims ä MoonJune Records is 'a one-man army represented by an Italo-Montenegrian [Leonardo Pavkovic] from New York who especially loves British music', and he writes knowledgeably and enthusiastically about everything his label produces ä this album 'will not only appeal to fans of the 1970s Soft Machine, but to anyone who likes their fusion wide open, their jams loose and totally spontaneous, and their jazz combined with potent grooves and fiery energy'. Couldn't have put it better myself – warmly recommended.