Soft Machine is one of the greatest avant/jazz-rock bands of all time. Their work, from their earliest performances as a psychedelic band, who were contemporaries of, and shared stages with Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, all the way to being one of Europe’s best known ‘fusion’ bands has influenced several generations of bands, and continues to be name-checked by today’s hip experimentalists.

They are coming to The Jam Jar, for what promises to be a really special night on 18 November.

This band is rooted in the celebrated 70’s version of the legendary group which recorded the acclaimed ‘Softs’ album in 1975, led by John Etheridge, and completed by outstanding sax star Theo Travis (Robert Fripp/David Gilmour/Steven Wilson). Since 2021 Roy Babbington retired from public performance and his chosen successor on the bass is Fred Thelonious Baker who has been a musician on the Canterbury scene for over 30 years – being a regular collaborator with the late Elton Dean, with Hugh Hopper and with guitarist Phil Miller (In Cahoots/Hatfield and the North).

‘The band, of course, has a broad palette — from Metheny-like jazz-rock to anything-goes improvisation; from pastoral passages with Etheridge on acoustic to an ambient flutescape from Travis. Compact and to the point, nothing overstays its welcome.’ [The Times]

From £17+BF.

John Etheridge – guitar

Theo Travis - saxophone, flute, keyboards

Fred Thelonious Baker - bass

Asaf Sirkis - drums

(and thanks to Tony Benjamin for the picture!)