'Live at the New Morning' is the CD accompaniment to the DVD of the same name, as the Canterbury jazz rock legends make a belated return to Paris where they were originally feted in the late 60's as a part jazz rock, part psychedelic band.

And while the psychedelic elements have long been subsumed by guitar led jazz fusion there's enough spontaneity and free form creativity here to satisfy the most demanding of fans. And being that The Soft Machine name has long held sway in France, the Parisian crowd's reception is worthy of The Legacy's inspired playing.

Let us not forget this is The Soft Machine Legacy, a band built round core members Hugh Hopper and the now sadly departed sax man Elton Dean. Drummer John Marshal is another early 1970's veteran of the band, while guitarist John Etheridge goes back to the mid 70's. And it is the two front line player who carry the set to some remarkably heights.

For what could easily have been a relaxed jazz-rock outing is nothing of the sort, with Dean blowing with powerful abandon but also conjuring up some lovely tones while Etheridge adds abstract guitar lines not unlike some of Zappa's later playing style. The latter is especially so on Hugh Hopper's '1212'.

The result is an album full of quality playing, occasionally wonderful solos, and a handful of highlights on which the Elton Dean favourite 'Seven For Lee' includes some lovely double guitar and horn lines before Elton slips behind his Fender Rhodes.

John Etheridge teases out some lovely notes over of funky groove alongside Dean's potent sax flourishes on the self penned 'Kite Runner', a number that effortlessly lives up to the band's musical heritage.

The early career Soft Machine favourite 'Kings & Queens' is also resurrected and given an ethereal quality while another former freeform favourite 'As If, is musically re-sculptured and re-titled as the rather clumsy 'Hass If'

Like the rest of the 60's survivors, Soft Machine Legacy have had to find a way to place their once path finding music into a more modern context. 'Live at the New Morning' suggests they have achieved that simply through the passion of their collective playing and the successful resolution of the self imposed musical tensions that underpin the structured compositional format and the band's improvisational abilities. The fact that the album provides real fiery playing without losing the core feel of any of the songs says much for the bright future of a still flourishing creative musical source.

The Soft Machine Legacy may be a spin off project as the name suggests, but the real spirit of the band palpably lies in safe hands.

****

Review by Pete Feenstra