A stunning performance captured during the Legacy's performance at the Frankfurt Jazz Fest last month. While the newer material can't quite compete with the classics (Karl Jenkins' Song of Aeolus and the late Hugh Hopper's Facelift were easily the highlights), there are still moments of brilliance.
John Etheridge and Theo Travis' guitar/sax interplay is particularly thrilling, and although John Marshall perpetually looks to be on the verge of collapse, he remains a great drummer. Etheridge's playing still has the virtue of favouring ragged soul over clinical precision, and Travis' work with loops and effects adds a spectral dimension to his woodwinds. Roy Babbington's bass does a good job of anchoring the dextrous yet funky grooves, and Keith Tippett doesn't overplay too much in his role as 'special guest'. Of course, you have to expect some noodling with Tippett, but much of his soloing is breath-taking, and it's nice to hear the Softs with some keyboard again.
Over the course of nearly a decade which has seen the release of four albums, Soft Machine Legacy have cemented their place as worthy successors to the original Soft Machine, celebrating the past whilst looking to the future. I think it's about time they dropped the "Legacy" altogether.
The closest thing they've got to a website: http://www.johnetheridge.com/softmachinelegacy/
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