Johan Budi
The contemporary jazz and progressive rock landscapes continue to witness a fascinating convergence of historical legacy and emerging innovation, as evidenced by three significant new releases from Soft Machine, Dreamscapes, and Alex Wintz. These albums, recorded between late 2024 and mid-2025, represent different facets of the genre’s evolution: the enduring influence of the Canterbury scene, the rise of a new generation of British jazz-prog talent, and the refined technical mastery of the modern American jazz quartet. While Soft Machine’s "Thirteen" marks a sophisticated milestone for one of the most storied names in experimental music, Dreamscapes’ "Tales of a Wanderer" and Alex Wintz’s "Collage" offer compelling evidence of the genre’s vitality through fresh compositions and virtuosic performances.
The Evolution of the Canterbury Sound: Soft Machine’s Thirteen
Soft Machine, a cornerstone of the British avant-garde and progressive jazz-fusion movement, has released its 13th studio album, titled "Thirteen." This release serves as a testament to the band’s nearly six-decade-long journey of personnel shifts and stylistic transformations. Founded in 1966, the original lineup—comprising Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers, Mike Ratledge, and Robert Wyatt—was instrumental in defining the "Canterbury Scene," a musical movement characterized by a whimsical yet complex blend of psychedelia, jazz-fusion, and rock.
The band’s history is a complex tapestry of iterations. The 1970 release "Third" (CBS) saw the inclusion of bassist Hugh Hopper and saxophonist Elton Dean, moving the group toward a more experimental jazz-fusion sound. By the mid-1970s, the addition of guitarist Allan Holdsworth for "Bundles" (1975) and subsequently John Etheridge for "Softs" (1976) cemented the group’s reputation for high-level instrumental proficiency. Following a period of relative dormancy and legal disputes regarding the band’s name—during which members performed under monikers like Soft Head and Soft Heap—the group reclaimed the Soft Machine title for the 2018 release "Hidden Details."
Technical Composition and Personnel
"Thirteen" features a lineup that balances veteran experience with fresh energy. Guitarist John Etheridge, whose tenure with the band dates back to 1975, remains a central figure. He is joined by Theo Travis on saxophones, flutes, and keyboards; Fred Thelonious Baker on bass; and newcomer Asaf Sirkis on drums. The album was recorded in Sutton, Surrey, during two sessions in April 2025.
The album’s structure reflects a collaborative creative process. Theo Travis contributed half of the compositions, while Asaf Sirkis provided three tracks that have been noted for their rhythmic complexity. The opening track, "Lemon Poem Song," is a Sirkis composition that evokes the band’s mid-70s era, utilizing a bass-driven groove as a foundation for Etheridge’s soaring guitar work. Travis’s "Open Road" and "Seven Hours" demonstrate the band’s ability to weave labyrinthine melodies with improvisational depth, supported by Baker’s robust bass lines and Sirkis’s powerful drumming.
A poignant moment on the album is "Daevid’s Special Cuppa," an elegy to the late founder Daevid Allen. The track incorporates a brief recording of Allen’s signature glissando guitar, bridging the band’s 1960s origins with its 2025 reality. This archival integration provides a historical anchor for an album that otherwise pushes forward into new sonic territories.
Emerging Voices: Dreamscapes and the Modern UK Jazz Scene
While Soft Machine represents the establishment, the London-based sextet Dreamscapes represents the future of British jazz and progressive music. Their debut album, "Tales of a Wanderer," introduces a group led by guitarist and composer Julien Durand. Durand, a 2022 graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, exemplifies the high level of formal training currently feeding into the UK jazz scene.
The album also serves as a showcase for vocalist Lucy-Anne Daniels, who recently received the 2025 Tina May Young Jazz Musician Award. Her presence on the album adds a melodic accessibility to Durand’s complex, often spacey compositions. The recording, captured between December 2024 and June 2025 in London, reflects a meticulous production process that blends jazz sensibilities with prog-rock textures.
Stylistic Analysis and Format Variations
"Tales of a Wanderer" is characterized by its "dreamy" atmosphere, often utilizing choir-like vocal layers and wordless singing to create a sense of vastness. The track "Wanderer," co-written by Durand and Daniels, highlights this brisk, jazzy approach. Other tracks, such as "Maddy I" and "Maddy II," draw comparisons to the legendary fusion group Weather Report, featuring soulful saxophone work by George Garford and undulating bass lines from John Jones.
The album’s centerpiece is a dramatic reimagining of Radiohead’s "Pyramid Song," which leverages the emotional weight of Daniels’ voice and Garford’s alto saxophone. This choice of cover reflects a broader trend in modern jazz where contemporary rock classics are treated as part of the "new standards" repertoire.
Notably, the release strategy for "Tales of a Wanderer" includes significant variations between formats. The digital and LP versions feature 15 tracks, including several alternative single edits and bonus tracks. The CD version, by contrast, offers a more condensed 11-track experience, consolidating multi-part songs into single versions for a streamlined listening experience.
Technical Mastery: Alex Wintz and the Quartet Tradition
In the United States, guitarist Alex Wintz continues to solidify his reputation as a premier instrumentalist and educator with his latest release, "Collage." Following his 2020 trio album "Live to Tape," Wintz has expanded his ensemble to a quartet for this project, adding pianist Victor Gould.
Wintz’s background is steeped in academic and professional prestige. A graduate of both Berklee College of Music and Juilliard, Wintz currently serves on the faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester. His career has seen him perform at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals, including Montreux and Montreal, and his work has earned him a National Foundation of the Arts award.
Compositional Depth and Repertoire
Recorded in New York in January 2025, "Collage" features a rhythm section comprised of bassist Matt Penman and drummer Jimmy McBride. The album is primarily composed of Wintz’s original works, which are characterized by their "lithe" playing and memorable heads. The track "Pondhop" serves as an upbeat introduction to the quartet’s chemistry, while "Apt 3C" explores darker, minor-key territories before opening into a more atmospheric space for soloing.
Wintz’s approach to the guitar is both dextrous and melodic, particularly on the album’s two covers. His interpretation of Johnny Mandel’s "The Shadow of Your Smile" demonstrates a high degree of finesse, allowing for an expansive exploration of the fretboard. Perhaps more surprising is his rendition of George Harrison’s "Isn’t It a Pity" from the 1970 album "All Things Must Pass." Wintz transforms the rock ballad into a bluesy, exploratory piece reminiscent of the style of Bill Frisell, showcasing his ability to find jazz potential in unexpected sources.
Broader Impact and Implications for the Genre
The release of these three albums highlights several key trends in the 2025 music landscape. First, the continued success of Soft Machine demonstrates that there is a significant and enduring market for the "Canterbury" aesthetic, provided the musicianship remains at a high level. By integrating archival elements with new compositions, the band successfully honors its past while avoiding the pitfalls of becoming a mere "legacy act."
Second, the debut of Dreamscapes points to the strength of the educational pipeline in the UK. The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and similar institutions are producing musicians who are not only technically proficient but also capable of cross-genre experimentation. The blend of jazz, prog, and indie-rock influences suggests that the next generation of jazz musicians is increasingly comfortable operating outside of traditional genre boundaries.
Finally, Alex Wintz’s "Collage" reinforces the importance of the New York jazz scene as a center for technical excellence. The album’s success relies on the sophisticated interplay between highly trained musicians who can navigate complex original compositions and standard repertoire with equal ease.
As the year 2025 progresses, these releases from Dyad Records, Field Recordings, and Outside In Music suggest a healthy ecosystem for independent jazz and progressive music. Whether through the revival of legendary names or the introduction of new voices, the genre remains a vital space for instrumental innovation and compositional depth. Each of these albums—Soft Machine’s "Thirteen," Dreamscapes’ "Tales of a Wanderer," and Alex Wintz’s "Collage"—contributes to a broader narrative of musical continuity and change, ensuring that the legacy of improvisational music continues to thrive in the mid-21st century.
