E saputo della scomparsa di Ralph Towner (1940-2026) pochi giorni fa, Elliott Sharp ha voluto immediatamente dedicargli due brani imbracciando la sua 1970 Martin D12-20 a dodici corde: Elegy Ralph Towner.

In una nota scrive: "Devastating news of the passing of Ralph Towner. An absolutely original musician, his playing with the Paul Winter Consort and Oregon was always inspiring. Fortunately, I was able to see Oregon on a few occasions and their quiet but intense improvisations made a lasting impression. Perhaps the most phenomenal recording by Towner for me was his acoustic 12-string introduction to The Moors, on the album I Sing The Body Electric by Weather Report. This tribute was composed and recorded the day after learning of Towner's passing."

https://elliottsharp1.bandcamp.com/elegy-ralph-towner

Anche di Mike Ratledge (1943-2025) ricorre in questi giorni, precisamente il 5 febbraio, l'anniversario della scomparsa. Oltre a riascoltarlo con immutata ammirazione nei Soft Machine degli anni migliori si può cogliere l'occasione per rileggere cosa riferì a memoria Michael King (1957-2015), altro rimpianto protagonista della scena canterburyana, di un loro incontro di persona a Londra nell'ottobre 1994: ne diede conto per prima la fanzine Facelift nel numero 14 (giugno 1995), ora il testo è conservato nei preziosi archivi di Une discographie de Robert Wyatt.

https://www.facebook.com/MikeRatledgeCanterburySceneIcon

Tra i molti messaggi di stima e affetto rivolti ieri tramite i social al compianto Elton Dean (1945-2006) nel ventennale della scomparsa spicca quello di Leonardo Pavkovic, responsabile della celebre etichetta discografica e agenzia musicale MoonJune. Che così scrive: "I'm not sure MoonJune would have happened if I hadn't known Elton Dean since 1986, Hugh Hopper since 1998, reconnecting with Elton in 2000, and then with Hugh. It's simple: Elton's tenacity in putting together a sort of Soft Machine, my love for the band, and my proverbial Balkan stubbornness made it all possible. Elton introduced me to John Marshall in the summer of 2020, but for another 15 months, nothing came of it. Then I met Allan Holdsworth in late January 2002 in San Juan Capistrano, California, through Ken Kubernik and Chris Hoard, and the rest is history. Soft Works: Elton Dean, Allan Holdsworth, Hugh Hopper, John Marshall. A supergroup of legends, all former members of Soft Machine. And that's the beginning of MoonJune, both the label and the booking agency. Dear Elton Dean, thank you my friend for everything."

https://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/dean