Soft Machine - 'Switzerland 1974' Official Trailer
SOFT MACHINE

Online Video

Jazz music community with review and forums

Coming soon on Cuneiform Records: February 3, 2015

One of the most critically acclaimed, far-reaching and influential avant rock & jazz bands ever was Soft Machine, named after a novel by William Burroughs. They were one of the very first groups to bring together jazz and rock, and fuse them into a single, creative music. But unlike the other pioneers of `jazz/rock`, all of whom (Nucleus, Miles Davis, Tony Williams Lifetime, etc.) had made their reputation as jazzers first, Soft Machine began as a psychedelic rock band, playing the 'underground club' circuit alongside their friends Pink Floyd.

Throughout the band’s lifetime, its lineup would continually evolve, reflecting the metamorphosis in the band’s sound from pop and rock to groundbreaking experiments with electric jazz. The band released its studio albums on major labels, and played numerous shows both at home and abroad. Until they disbanded in the late 1970s, Soft Machine created groundbreaking and provocative music that stretched the outer limits of rock and of jazz.

In 1974, the group added a guitarist for the first time since their very earliest days. And not just 'a' guitarist but the now-legendary guitarist ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, who made his initial reputation during his relatively short-lived tenure (barely 15 months) with the group.

Also in the group at this time were ROY BABBINGTON (electric bass), KARL JENKINS (oboe, soprano sax, electric piano), JOHN MARSHALL (drums) and MIKE RATLEDGE (electric piano, organ, synthesizer).

On July 4, 1974, the group played the Montreux Jazz Festival on a bill that featured a number of well-known jazz/rock outfits. Now, for the first time ever, these audio and video recordings have been licensed from the Montreux Jazz Festival and issued in this CD / DVD set, which features the earliest performance footage of Allan Holdsworth on the marketplace.

http://www.cuneiformrecords.com