This is, indeed “very unusual, very interesting” material, as our DJ/Jazz Director Fo pointed out: Drummer Robert Wyatt was the genius behind Soft Machine, a band that rose from the London psyche scene with Pink Floyd et al in the mid 60’s inventing a brand of prog-jazz-fusion that likely influenced Miles Davis giving rise to his Bitches Brew sessions (changing jazz forever). Soft Machine opened for Jimi Hendrix on his first US Tour (imagine!!). Wyatt did a prog related one-off called Matching Mole then fell off a balcony and became wheelchair bound. Despite paralysis he continued his music making, switching to piano and vocals. Wyatt appears on the classic Post-Punk Rough Trade compilation “wanna buy a bridge?”, along with Slits, Delta 5, Swell Maps, Raincoats, Scritti Politti, et al, cementing his legitimacy and eclecticism (see track 10, which a rendition of said track). This new CD takes him to an even more surprising plane: a mix of string arrangements that take on a 1950’s Montovani tone, mixed with some experimentalisms. His unique vocals dominate the tracks when the lush strings don’t, although others take the mic as well. Do not miss, do do your music homework. Robert Wyatt is a force of nature, music, that all us music geeks should know about and appreciate.

1) sounds like a cover of a classic “Laura”, 1950’s type Rogers and Hammerstein/Montovani, string arrangements with sultry sexy saxaphone
2) an ambient sax laden intro, almost a separate song, then minor toned chamber’ish strings
3) quiet intro, with eastern droning strings and soaring tenor sax, then launches into a jazzy folky slow sexy swinging song with female vocals and off kilter subtle dissonance
4) first half sounds like clarinet and sax traditional music but midway something strange happens and a tech step beat appears with hip hop vocals joining in, wtf?!?!?, super cool
5) marching snare drums dominate, clarinet, wyatt vocals
6) round midnite (really?), very jazzy with whistling, interesting approach
7) lush life, wyatt vocs, string and reed arrangements, traditional feel
8) string quartet, very arranged slow
9) same as previous: slow arranged heavily, lovely with amazing reed solos, then a low fi Victrola effect
10) incredible version of his famous aforementioned song, all manipulated and bent, wow!!
11) What a Wonderful World: maybe its impossible to not do a fantastic version of this song; Wyatt does not disappoint, play this!!