Soft Machine @ The Loft at City Winery, New York, NY 9/16/24

 

Bill: Soft Machine

Venue: The Loft at City Winery, New York, NY

Date: 9/16/24

Door: $35 (won tickets via DONYC)

7:30pm Soft Machine

Active: 1966 (Canterbury, UK)

Current Members/Affiliated: John Etheridge (Guitar, 1975-78, 1984, 2015-present,2nd Vision, 4 Parts Guitar, Ben Crosland Quintet, Darryl Way's Wolf, Global Village Trucking Co., Icarus (9), Soft Machine, Soft Machine Legacy, Sweet Chorus (2), The Kennedy Experience, The Secret Police, Zappatistas, Whatever (8)), Theo Travis (Saxophone, Flute, Piano 2015-present,Bill Nelson And The Gentlemen Rocketeers, Cipher (2), Goldbug (2), Gong, John Lester Quartet, Marshall Travis Wood, Moonparticle, Recreator, Soft Machine, Soft Machine Legacy, The Tangent, Theo Travis Quartet, Theo Travis' Double Talk, Travis / Beaujolais Quartet, Travis & Fripp), Fred Thelonious Baker (Bass 2020-present,Fred Thelonious Baker Group, Harry Beckett Quartet, Harry Beckett Quintet, In Cahoots, Pip Pyle's Bash!, Isorhythm, Psychic Warrior, Soft Machine), Asaf Sirkis (drums 2022-present,

Alex Hutton Trio, Anchor And Burden, Asaf Sirkis & The Inner Noise, Asaf Sirkis Trio, Biological Madness, Céline Bonacina Crystal Quartet, Fabienne Ambühl Trio, Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble, Gilad Atzmon Quartet, Isorhythm, John Law's Congregation, Jon Lloyd Group, Jon Lloyd Quintet, Maciek Pysz Trio, Markelian Kapedani Trio, Markus Reuter Oculus, Soft Machine, Tact (3), Tassos Spiliotopoulos Quartet, The Sirkis/Bialas International Quartet)

Latest Release: Other Doors (Dyad Records, 2023)

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Many people have played in Soft Machine and John Etheridge is as good as any to take the mantle as the prominent member.  In addition to the credits above, he claimed Hawkwind membership and some 60's jamming with Hendrix, so it makes sense.  John Etheridge joined on the 9th album, Softs in 1978.   It should be noted the last founding member, Mike Ratledge, left the group in 1976.  John Marshall, the drummer who played from 1972-8, had rejoined in 2015 until his passing in 2022.   

The show was an overview of the bands career going all the way back to "Joy Of A Toy" from the Kevin Ayres years.  There hasn't been a setlist of this show posted yet as of this writing, but eyeballing the Sellersville Theatre date, the list looks about the same.

Listening to Other Doors today, I noted that is a great sounding record that shouldn't be buried.  This band continues on with great players and the music still sounds like quality Progressive Jazz with the familiar sound of the reverbed piano.  I've seen recent Soft Machine lineups several times in recent years, including one with John Marshall at Iridium.