Their work, from their earliest performances as a psychedelic band who were contemporaries of, and shared stages with, Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, all the way to being one of Europe’s best known ‘fusion’ groups, has influenced several generations of bands, and continues to be name-checked by today’s hip experimentalists. Whilst the line-up of Soft Machine may have changed many times since the heady days of the late 1960’s, the band’s spirit of musical adventure, and the ease with which it freely avoids being pigeon holed and can move from powerful progressive jazz fusion to atmospheric psychedelia to free improvised jazz-rock to ambient loop music continues to make it both unique and totally contemporary.

The Austrian Cultural Forum London is delighted to invite you to this year's edition of the concert series JazzExchange which aims to spotlight cutting edge Austrian groups and UK based ensembles curated by Guido Spannocchi This year's evening will be held on 23.June from 7:30pm downstairs at The Vortex on showcase the duo of violinist Cozy Friedel and pianist Martin Listabarth as well as the duo of cellist Shirley Smart and pianist Robert Mitchell. Information about the artists: The violinist and singer Cozy Friedel, born in Ilmenau, Germany, lives and works in Vienna. She began learning the violin at the age of 7 and is characterized by a powerful, expressive violin tone, a sense of dramaturgy in both her improvisations and compositions as well as an openness to a wide variety of musical influences and their fusion into a vital, energetic amalgam. The winner of the 1 Jazz Scholarship 2020 and Women in Jazz Prize Halle 2023 is part of various projects in different line-ups in jazz, rock, pop, theater, avant-garde and classical music, with which she performs internationally. Martin Listabarth is an excellent musical storyteller whose music begins exactly where words no longer suffice. His music is deeply rooted in jazz but also moves between classical and pop - all garnished with a touch of oriental esprit. His compositions are inspired by landscapes and cities, people, and personal encounters. This is reflected in highly emotional music - sometimes melancholic, sometimes full of tension, and then again witty, peppered with harmonic and rhythmic refinements that are "reminiscent of the lively, cantabile lines of Stefano Bollani" (Wiener Zeitung). British Pianist Magazine described him as "one to watch, BR-Klassik described him as a "musician who has a high recognition value both as a pianist and as a composer, and he received a nomination for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Shirley Smart "..some of the most inventive use of the cello Ive heard for some time." Kind of Jazz 'as a cellist-composer she morphs seamlessly from Stephane Grappelli like swing and Bird-like bebop... a charming kaleidoscope and jazzy showcase of her global folk music-inspired compositions' Jazzwise "Smart's playing is particularly remarkable throughout. She readily demonstrates a wide range of techniques incorporating an understanding of improvisation drawn from a jazz background and her extensive knowledge of Arabic maqam.." Songlines Robert Mitchell Born in Ilford, London, in 1971.[1] Mitchell has forged a formidable reputation as a gifted pianist and composer. Robert won the Jazz on 3 Innovation Award at the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards; he has also been nominated twice: for Rising Star in 2002, and Best New Work in 2003. He has worked with Norma Winstone, Steve Coleman, Greg Osby, Courtney Pine, Steve Williamson, Iain Ballamy, Mark Wingfield, Jeremy Stacey, David Lyttle, Ty, 2 Banks of 4, and IG Culture, in addition to leading the 4/6-piece Panacea, his trio (with Richard Spaven and Tom Mason), performing in duo with Omar Puente (Bridges), and performing as a solo pianist.