Soft Machine has had one of the most interesting trajectories of British bands formed in the late ‘60s. They began at the experimental edge of psychedelic pop and moved through numerous personnel changes toward the experimental edge of jazz. They broke up by the late ‘70s reformed and regrouped again. The latest iteration includes three ‘70s-era members— John Etheridge, John Marshall and Roy Babbington— with prog influence tethering their jazz flights to rock.
Along the way, various key band members recorded together in offshoot groups with soft-related names, including Soft Works. Abracadabra in Osaka, the newly released live album recorded while Soft Works was on world tour in 2003, features saxophonist Elton Dean, guitarist Allan Holdsworth, bassist Hugh Hopper and drummer John Marshall. The best moments arise from supple snaky grooves, Holdsworth’s otherworldly solos and Dean’s acerbic leads in a collection of older songs (plus one previously unheard) echoing Soft Machine and even John Coltrane. Bittersweet is the realization that three members—Dean, Holdsworth and Hopper—died in the years since it was recorded.
