17 settembre 2023

 

Difficile non incrociare John Marshall (1941-2023) nelle elettrizzanti avventure del rock jazz britannico (ed europeo) al tempo del suo sviluppo più innovativo, soprattutto agli inizi e nel corso degli anni Settanta: con Nucleus e Soft Machine, naturalmente, ma anche con Jack Bruce, John Surman, Centipede, Graham Collier, Mike Westbrook, Neil Ardley, Michael Gibbs, Gil Evans, Eberhard Weber, Jasper van 't Hof e decine di altri. Un po' di quell'epoca, e degli anni successivi, traspare nell'intervista finora inedita rilasciata da Marshall a Phil Howitt di Facelift un paio d'anni fa e che in suo omaggio viene pubblicata oggi alla notizia della sua scomparsa.

E così scrive su FB l'amico e collega Theo Travis nel ricordarne le doti di musicista: "John was a very special drummer, a one off and a unique musical voice. He had great technique, formidable power and a rounded flowing rhythmic ‘feel’ but these do not begin to describe the magic that he could bring to whatever music he was involved in. As an improviser he could add so much colour, texture, structure and energy to music. He could play incredibly delicately and quietly and at other times do this thing where he would sort of erupt with a gargantuan energy - like a volcano. I never really understood what he was doing rhythmically when he did that, but the emotional power of it was unmistakable. He really listened to others when he played always focussing on what benefited the music as a whole."