What critics and fans have said
"Reminiscent of Weather Report..."
Tim Smithies- Metronome Records, former director of the Carn to Cove rural touring network.
"What a fantastic album!!! On first listening, I was completely blown away, and catapulted back to the good old Canterbury sound of the 70s. I had no idea what to expect (I have the 3 Relatives CDs) but...I have been waiting for this record for years. What Marc Hadley delivers here is extraordinarily excellent.There are too few superlatives."
Daniel Mathys, multimedia artist, Antwerp, Belgium.
“How to Cut Water” is the kind of album the Canterbury scene has always been capable of producing — unhurried, emotionally intelligent, technically assured, and quietly radical. For Marc Hadley, it represents a lifetime of musical relationships, a deep love for the Cornish landscape, and a final, tender tribute to Phil Miller — gone since October 2017 but very much present here.
Jacopo Vigezzi, Prog Rock Journal
How to Cut Water’ is presented by seasoned Cornish-based saxophonist and composer Marc Hadley. It’s a intoxicating mix of Canterburyesque noodlings, quirky self-referential lyrics or certain flights of fancy, be it the gentle ecological implorations of ‘Green World’ or the whimsical ‘Away With The Fairies’, a paean to the lifestyle choices of fallen friends. Highlights of a consistently excellent and diverse album are Caravan’s Richard Sinclair’s glorious crooning on the sumptuous ballad ‘On My Mind’ (Phil Miller guests in typically guttural style), or the lush orchestration of ‘Amazonia’, which threads an intriguing path, from North Africa, via 17th century baroque, to world jazz. Plus there’s the impressionistic one-man performance of ‘Calyx’, indelibly associated with Robert Wyatt’s 1974 Drury Lane comeback concert, here curated during lockdown as a moody instrumental. This finely manicured collection is arguably how Hatfield and the North might sound in the 2020s."
Prog Magazine
"Marc Hadley was plugged into Canterbury orientated music, so to see he has recorded an album with some of his heroes on, written the music and words and dared to ask them to contribute and impressed them enough that they would, is heart warming. It totally has the flavor of Caravan or Soft Machine or Hatfield & the North, Egg or what have you. But naturally so, with quality. I have a CD of "How To Cut Water", I listened to it twice round, feeling it get even more likeable as it played again. If you like this Canterbury sound, I recommend this honest, quality project he has delivered. Possibly Phil Millers last recordings, Richard Sinclair's always instantly stand out vocal but mainly all orchestrated by a musician who understands everything about this scene."
Rolo McGinty, The Woodentops
"Facelift’s latest interview feature is with saxophonist, flautist, pianist, vocalist and composer Marc Hadley on the release of ‘How To Cut Water’, the first complete album he has released under his own name, a project of diversity and complexity with a definite Canterbury twist.
It includes the last known recordings of Phil Miller, as well as contributions from Jack Monck, Fred Baker, Richard Sinclair, Billie Bottle, Peter Lemer plus a whole host of musicians from Marc’s Cornish base and beyond, in a variety of different guises. In an extensive interview Marc explains his connections to Phil, the genesis of the various strands of the project and takes us through the album track by track."
"Congratulations! Wishing you the best for your spectacular new release. I was really into National Health and others from the Canterbury Scene back in the 70's and you've completely nailed that vibe."
Colin Seddon, drumer and bassist- 808 State, Biting Tongues, Inner Sense
"Bien reçu l'album "how to cut water" et l'ai écouté dans la foulée. Quel travail ! J'ai imaginé les allers retours Angleterre, états-Unis, Pays-Bas. Mon cœur va plutôt vers The note Whisperer et Amazonia. Je vais le réécouter à nouveau. Bravo et plein de baisers."
Albert Marcoeur, composer