John Marshall - Drums

John Marshall (born September 28, 1941, in Isleworth, Middlesex, England) is an English drummer renowned for his work in jazz, rock, and progressive music, and best known as a longtime member of the band Soft Machine.

Marshall studied percussion at the Royal Academy of Music in London and began his career as a versatile session musician during the 1960s. He performed with a wide range of artists, including Alexis Korner, Jack Bruce, and Graham Collier, and played in Neil Ardley’s New Jazz Orchestra. He was also a founding member of the influential jazz-rock ensemble Nucleus with trumpeter Ian Carr.

In 1971, Marshall joined Soft Machine, replacing drummer Phil Howard and succeeding the group’s original drummer, Robert Wyatt. Over the next decade, he became one of the band’s most enduring members, contributing to landmark albums such as Fifth (1972), Six (1973), Seven (1973), Bundles (1975), and Softs (1976). His precise, dynamic drumming played a central role in shifting Soft Machine’s sound from psychedelic rock toward jazz fusion, helping define the band’s later identity.

Beyond his work with Soft Machine, Marshall has collaborated with numerous prominent musicians, including Eberhard Weber, Charlie Mariano, and John Surman, and has remained active as a performer and recording artist well into the 21st century.

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