The Dew At Dawn / (Slightly) Slightly All The Time

Description

Etheridge and Travis' unique arrangement has upped the tempo of the "The Dew at Dawn" (originally released on Ogun Records in 1975) pushing the Caribbean-infused groove to the fore. Beckett's joyful theme - first played on Etheridge's guitar and then picked up by Travis' mesmeric soprano saxophone - evokes the sun rising over the misty Hackney marshes and the hope of a better future. The track is underpinned by Baker's nimble bass guitar and Sirkis' scattering drums, with Etheridge's superb soloing honed over a stellar five-decade career.

"Slightly All the Time" from Soft Machine's seminal 1970 opus 'Third', gets a clever reworking for this 7", with the sprawling epicness of Mike Ratledge's original composition, trimmed down to its essential parts, and Travis' outrageously good flute playing ramping up the '70s Brit jazz vibes.

* Limited one-off pressing of 600 copies worldwide.

* 7" vinyl housed in a reverse-board picture sleeve.

* Mastered by and lacquer cut by Caspar Sutton-Jones @ Gearbox Records.

Theo Travis: soprano saxophone, flute

John Etheridge: guitar

Fred Thelonious Baker: bass guitar

Asaf Sirkis: drums

Press:

"A gorgeous tribute to trumpeter Harry Beckett on side A...It's an absolute delight and Caspar Sutton-Jones' cut at Gearbox Records is predictably impeccable. The flipside offers a new take on a Soft Machine classic, '(Slightly) Slightly All The Time' receiving a concise and punchier makeover in the hands of the current line-up. A near-silent GZ pressing is presented in a reverse-board picture sleeve. It's an edition of six hundred, so don't hang around." - Clash Magazine

"They revisit past glories in a new take of Slightly All the Time...Etheridge's guitar replacing composer Mike Ratledge's electric piano, while beautiful flowing flute from Travis illuminates affairs midway through. It's still prog rock, somehow, however jazzy it may be. And it's still beguiling." - Record Collector

"Both tunes work well…'Slightly' retains the 1970s vibe thanks to Travis' superb flute playing. A great idea well executed." - Jazzwise

"This jaunty, earworm-rich number is a poignant tribute to Harry Beckett, who died in 2010 and who contributed so much to the British jazz scene. Theo Travis's liquid-toned soprano outlines the melody followed by John Etheridge's ever-tasteful guitar and a lithe, serpentine solo from bassist Fred Baker...Interestingly, this is the first non-original cover by the Softs but it's a good one." - Jazz Journal

"Another absorbing record from My Only Desire that both promotes the new and the vintage music that is such a vital force in UK jazz." - Jazz Views

"The A-side of this new 7" single is a likeable thing, a lightly skanking take on the late British jazz trumpeter Harry Beckett's "The Dew at Dawn"...worth seeking out for those that enjoy quirky jazz tidbits." - The Arts Desk