Gilgamesh were one of the most quietly beautiful bands of the Canterbury Scene — an English jazz-rock group built around the intricate, instrumental compositions of keyboardist Alan Gowen. Mellow yet complex, melodic yet adventurous, their music distilled the Canterbury blend of jazz and progressive rock into something uniquely graceful. Though they left only two albums, Gilgamesh remain a cherished name among those who treasure the scene’s more reflective side.

The short version

Formed in 1972 and led by keyboardist Alan Gowen, Gilgamesh played intricate, instrumental Canterbury jazz — mellow, melodic and quietly complex, rooted in jazz-rock and the Canterbury tradition. Across the two albums gathered here, “Gilgamesh” (1975) and “Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into” (1978), they created some of the most graceful music the scene produced. Theirs is a small but lovely body of work, close kin to Hatfield and the North and National Health.

Alan Gowen’s band

Gilgamesh was formed in late 1972 by keyboardist and composer Alan Gowen, fresh from the short-lived Sunship (with guitarist Allan Holdsworth and drummer Jamie Muir), together with drummer Mike Travis. Like many Canterbury groups, the line-up shifted constantly in its early years, drawing on a who’s-who of the scene. In 1973 the band co-headlined two celebrated “double-quartet” concerts with Hatfield and the North, and in 1975 released their debut, produced by Hatfield’s Dave Stewart. Gowen then set Gilgamesh aside to join National Health, reviving the band only in 1977.

Intricate instrumental Canterbury jazz

Gilgamesh’s music is the gentle, intricate heart of the Canterbury Scene. Entirely instrumental, built on Alan Gowen’s atmospheric keyboards and elegant compositions, their pieces unfold slowly and beautifully, balancing the warmth of jazz with the complexity of progressive rock. Melodic and reflective, yet full of subtle invention and improvisation, theirs is a mellower, more contemplative strain of Canterbury music — closely related to Hatfield and the North and National Health, but with a grace and stillness all its own.

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Two albums

The two albums gathered here are Gilgamesh’s entire studio output. The mellow, intricate debut “Gilgamesh” (1975) — produced by Hatfield and the North’s Dave Stewart — introduced their graceful, instrumental sound, with Gowen joined by guitarist Phil Lee, bassist Jeff Clyne and drummer Mike Travis. After Gowen’s years with National Health, the band reconvened for the bolder, more complex “Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into” (recorded 1978), which welcomed Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper. Years later, the archival collection “Arriving Twice” gathered further early recordings.

Album by album

Two albums of intricate, instrumental Canterbury jazz. Tap either title for its guide.

The players

Gilgamesh were always the vision of keyboardist and composer Alan Gowen, with guitarist Phil Lee his most constant partner across both albums. The debut paired them with bassist Jeff Clyne and drummer Mike Travis, while the reformed band of 1978 brought in Soft Machine’s Hugh Hopper on bass and drummer Trevor Tomkins. The group’s early years drew on a host of Canterbury figures, among them saxophonist Alan Wakeman, bassists Neil Murray and Mont Campbell, and the ubiquitous Richard Sinclair. The band’s story holds real loss: Alan Gowen died in 1981, and Hugh Hopper in 2009.

Where to start

Begin with “Gilgamesh” (1975), the band’s lovely debut and the perfect introduction to Alan Gowen’s gently intricate world — mellow, melodic and quietly absorbing. From there, “Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into” (1978) is bolder and more complex, with the welcome addition of Hugh Hopper. Two albums that together capture one of the Canterbury Scene’s most graceful voices.

Why they still matter

Gilgamesh matter as one of the Canterbury Scene’s most quietly accomplished bands — the chief vehicle for Alan Gowen, a composer whose intricate, instrumental music brought a rare grace and warmth to British jazz-rock. Though their catalogue is small and their career was cut short, the beauty of their two albums, and Gowen’s wider importance to the scene through National Health, have kept their reputation alive. For anyone drawn to the gentler, more reflective side of Canterbury music, Gilgamesh are essential listening.

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