Soft Machine

22 November at Crookes Social Club
8.00-10.45 pm, doors open 7.20 pm

Theo Travis: tenor sax, flute and keyboards
John Etheridge: guitar
Fred Thelonious Baker: bass
Asaf Sirkis: drums
(photo credit: John Bentley)

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Soft Machine, one of the great UK avant/jazz-rock and improvising bands of all time, featuring a line-up of top musicians, makes its Sheffield Jazz debut at Crookes Social Club. Whilst the members may have changed many times since the heady days of the late 1960s & 70s, the band’s spirit of musical adventure and the ease with which it freely avoids being pigeon-holed continues to make it both unique and totally contemporary. They play material from their earlier albums as well as from their recent albums ‘Hidden Details’ and ‘Other Doors’, released over 50 years since the band’s 1968 debut.

The first Soft Machine was formed in 1966 before the first classic line up of Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean resulted in the shift to free improvised jazz-rock and jazz fusion. In 1970 they made history by becoming the first ‘rock band’ to play at The Proms. Subsequent changes led to another classic line-up when Karl Jenkins (reeds, keyboards) and John Marshall (drums) joined. The arrival in 1975 of fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth, replaced by John Etheridge, led to another change in sound. Their work, from their earliest performances as a psychedelic band all the way to being one of Europe’s best known ‘fusion’ groups, has influenced several generations of bands and they continue to be name-checked by today’s hip experimentalists.  https://www.softmachine.org/

“What’s also clear is that with Travis and Etheridge at the helm, the future of Soft Machine is in good hands” – George Cole, Jazz Views review of ‘Other Doors’
“with ‘Other Doors’ their reputation is assured – the band lives on” – Richard Swan, theprogressiveaspect.net
“with a release as strong as Hidden Details—an album that feels completely at one with Soft Machine’s work of the ’70s… it has, quite simply, delivered its best album of the new millennium” – John Kelman, All About Jazz

John Etheridge joined Soft Machine in 1975 for the ‘Softs’ album and then ‘Alive and Well’ and has been the main soloist of the band ever since then. Described by Pat Metheny as “one of the best guitarists”’ he is hugely in demand and has also played with Caravan, Hawkwind, John Williams and Billy Cobham.  https://www.john-etheridge.com/

Theo Travis joined Soft Machine (Legacy) in 2006 taking over from the late Elton Dean. He plays tenor and soprano saxes as well as flutes and the Fender Rhodes electric piano. He has also performed and toured with Gong, Robert Fripp, David Gilmour and David Sylvian.  https://www.theotravis.com/

Fred Thelonious Baker replaced Roy Babbington in the band in 2022 having been chosen by Roy to be his successor. Fred is perhaps best known for playing in Phil Miller’s Canterbury scene band ‘In Cahoots’ and has played with many musicians on the Canterbury scene, including Pip Pyle, Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper and played in the John Etheridge/Ric Sanders Group in the early 1980s.  https://fred-thelonious-baker.uk/

Asaf Sirkis joined in 2023 as successor to the late legendary John Marshall. He has a reputation as one of the world’s most creative drummers having recorded over 100 albums and toured worldwide as a sideman and collaborator with many renowned musicians such as Dave Holland, Gwilym Simcock, Larry Coryell, Jeff Berlin, John Abercrombie and Kenny Wheeler.  https://www.asafsirkis.com/

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Ticket Prices

Full – £17
Over 60, disabled, unemployed – £15
Student with NUS card – £10
15 – 17 year olds – £5
Under 15s – Free

We encourage you to book tickets online in advance, to avoid missing out and to make life easier and safer for our Door Team.  It will be possible to pay for entry at the door (preferably by contactless payment) if seats are available.

Advance tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/sheffield-jazz