LIVE IN ZAANDAM

This new chapter of soft machine is really intresting!There are also new pieces of etheridge (ash)and the beautiful Hug hopper's 1212..the CD is well recorded and show a great return of one of the most important bands of the british jazz.but the best thing is see them live on stage!!

Soft Machine Legacy - live in Zaandam...should read the title

Recorded on May 10th in Holland, this album does not really have the right to just Soft Machine simply because the rights to the name, however historically important the members playing on this album are. Enough nit-picking, as I was sorry not to have heard about this gig being at reasonable driving distance from my work. Another point about this album, although it deserves to be in the SM galaxy is that the music is not that representative of what they played in their glory years. Sure Dean, Marshall and Hopper were around the key mid-era Machine, but only Marshall was still around when Etheridge joined the Machine for three albums starting with Softs. And since there was no guitarists around the older albums, this might be the prime reason why the listener will not really click at the music on this Cd as (if memory serves me well) there is only one track from a historical album - Kings and Queens from 4 and there are two Etheridge-penned tracks on the tracks presented on this album. And the general sound is jazzier than any of their previous records, be they historical or posthumous releases.

Not quite as essential as the Cuneiform releases of late, but Musea still released an interesting album.

Is Soft Machine Legacy a continuation of Soft Machine or not ?

I am sure this could be a useful debate in our forum for those handful of us who really care. I have given this question a lot of thought and have concluded........ they are not. This despite of all musicians here has served Soft Machine well during the years. But what I am really missing with Soft Machine Legacy is the tangents. Mainly Mike Ratledge's tangents. I am also missing the avant-garde edge Soft Machine really had. Soft Machine was never a jazz/fusion group. Soft Machine Legacy is. If my memory serves me right, Soft Machine never had a guitarist and a woodwind player in the lineup at the same time. Soft Machine Legacy has.

Live In Zaandam is an excellent run through some great jazz/fusion tunes. I have the two other Soft Machine Legacy live albums too and Live In Zaandam is the most true to the Soft Machine sound of this trio. Hence, the band plays with an edge on this live album. This is mainly due to the presence of Elton Dean, his solos and his musical interaction with John Marshall, Hugh Hopper and John Etheridge. Listen to 1212 and you will get my point. Just pure brilliance. The same can be said about Big Creese too. The rest of the album is great too.

In short, this is a jazz live album by four of the best ever jazz musicians our scene has ever heard and seen. The tracks are great. They are not Soft Machine though. But this album is great and gives me goosebumps at times. In short; it is an excellent addition to a Soft Machine or jazz lover's record collection.

4 stars