Jazz Articles about Soft Machine

About Soft Machine

Album Review

Soft Machine has seen many incarnations over the years. The initial iteration of the group, from roughly 1966-1980, and 13 albums, saw no two albums with the same personnel. The band was also arguably one of the first fusion bands. Soft Machine's overall approach was more experimental, incorporating elements of free jazz and minimalism in a unique blend, regardless of who was in the shifting pool. In 1984, Soft Machine finally disbanded and was reunified as Soft Machine Legacy with ...

Radio & Podcasts

Meredith Bates, Vesna Duo, Soft Machine, Oná Ensemble

by Cheryl K.
March 16, 2026

During this week's two-hour program of jazz and improvised music, selections from new releases by saxophonist Ben Wendel; string experimentalist Meredith Bates; Vesna Duo (pianist Liana Pailodze Harron and percussionist Ksenija Komljenović); Soft Machine; pianist Yelena Eckemoff; the Oná Ensemble; and the Mark Wade Trio.Playlist Shirley Scott “What Makes Harold Sing?/" from One for Me (Strata-East) 8:50 Carolyn Trowbridge “The Old Woman Who Never Grew Older" from Found Memories (Carolyn Trowbridge) 3:52 Ben Wendel “Lonely One" from BaRcoDe ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: Floating World Live

Read "Floating World Live" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 18, 2025

Keyboardist Mike Ratledge's “The Man Who Waved at Trains" emerges as a highlight from Soft Machine's 2025 remastered album Floating World Live, representing a crucial period in the Canterbury legends' evolution during their pivotal era with guitar great Allan Holdsworth . Moreover, Drop (MoonJune, 2025), drawn from a 1971 concert, also receives the remastered treatment for 2025. “The Man Who Waved at Trains" highlights Soft Machine at their most reflective, weaving together Ratledge and Karl Jenkins' hypnotic keyboard ...

Cover Stories

Una gemma Soft Machine per il quarantennale Cuneiform

by Mario Calvitti
August 13, 2024

Non sono molte le etichette indipendenti che possono permettersi di festeggiare il quarantesimo anniversario dalla loro fondazione; ancora meno quelle che possono parimenti fregiarsi di un catalogo di tutto rispetto, ricco di artisti e opere di livello assoluto. È questo il caso della Cuneiform Records, con sede a Silver Spring nel Maryland fondata nel 1984 da Steven Feigenbaum, e tuttora da lui gestita con l'assistenza della moglie non senza difficoltà (qualche anno fa era stata annunciata la cessazione della pubblicazione ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: Other Doors

Read "Other Doors" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
November 30, 2023

Soft Machine's Other Doors is a compelling exploration into the progressive jazz-rock fusion realm, highlighting the band's evolution and continued dedication to innovative musical expression and capturing the essence of Soft Machine's improvisational brilliance. The record unfolds like a sonic journey, inviting listeners into a world of intricate compositions and virtuosic performances. What sets Other Doors apart is its raw energy and the band's ability to blend various musical elements seamlessly. Tracks such as “Kings and Queens" and the Kevin ...

Radio & Podcasts

A Tribute To The Late Drummer John Marshall From Soft Machine

by Len Davis
September 29, 2023

On today's program we pay tribute to the late drummer John Marshall with an uninterrupted bracket of music from Soft Machine. We follow that with music from Yellow Jackets, Dave Weckl, Steve Weingart, Tom Kennedy, then close it out with Tribal Tech, Scott Kinsey and Joe Zawinul.Playlist Soft Machine “Fell To earth" from Other Doors (Moonjune) 00:00 Soft Machine “37 1-2" from The Dutch Lesson (Cuneiform) 07:18 Soft Machine “Hazard Profile 3-4-5" from Bundles (Esotericl) 14:36 Yellow Jackets ...

Album Review

Soft Machine: The Dutch Lesson

Read "The Dutch Lesson" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
August 26, 2023

Soft Machine had played in Rotterdam several times before this 1973 show in the small theater De Lantaren. But this version of the band was relatively new. One of the earliest shows by the quartet of electric bassist Roy Babbington, Karl Jenkins (on multiple horns and electric piano), keyboardist Mike Ratledge and drummer John Marshall was documented on NDR Jazz Workshop--Hamburg, Germany, May 17, 1973 (Cuneiform Records, 2010). By late October the band had become a potent live force. They ...