Soft Machine - LIVE at the Jam Jar

Soft Machine, the British rock band formed in Canterbury in 1966, plays a concert at The Jam Jar in Bristol with a line-up led by guitarist John Etheridge. The group blends jazz rock, progressive rock and psychedelic rock.

Soft Machine is a British rock band formed in Canterbury in 1966, combining jazz rock, progressive rock and psychedelic rock. Signed to Columbia Records, the group released its first album, 'The Soft Machine', in 1968. Its early performances were as a psychedelic band, and later it became one of Europe's best-known fusion groups. Several generations of musicians have cited its work as an influence.

The line-up for this concert is John Etheridge on guitar, Theo Travis on saxophone, flute and keyboards, Fred Thelonious Baker on bass and Asaf Sirkis on drums. Baker succeeded Roy Babbington on bass after Babbington retired from public performance in 2021. Baker has been part of the Canterbury scene for over thirty years and has worked regularly with Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper and Phil Miller, the latter associated with In Cahoots and Hatfield and the North.

The band's repertoire covers a wide range, from jazz-rock passages to open improvisation. According to a review in The Times, the set includes pastoral pieces with Etheridge on acoustic guitar and ambient flute playing from Travis. The Jam Jar is a venue in Bristol that hosts concerts and shows.