Gilgamesh -

Gilgamesh was an English jazz-rock band led by keyboardist and composer Alan Gowan. In 1975, they released the album Gilgamesh, a mix of suites, songs, and interludes produced by Dave Stewart (Egg, Hatfield & the North). Gowan and Stewart teamed in the initial lineup of National Health. Despite his early departure, he wrote and performed on two pieces (“Brujo,” “Elephants”) on their debut album National Health. In 1978, Gowan reformed Gilgamesh for a second album, Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into, with ex-Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper.

In 1981, Gowan passed away from leukemia. National Health regrouped to record D.S. Al Coda, an album of his compositions.

Members: Alan Gowen (keyboards), Mike Travis (drums), Alan Wakeman (saxophone), Phil Lee (guitar), Jeff Clyne (bass), Neil Murray (bass), Mont Campbell (bass), Hugh Hopper (bass), Trevor Tomkins (drums)

Background

Gilgamesh formed in autumn 1972 when keyboardist Alan Gowen and drummer Mike Travis assembled guitarist Rick Morcombe, saxophonist Alan Wakeman, and bassist Jeff Clyne.

Gowen played in a Harlow jazz trio with drummer Roger Odell, then joined Assagai, a Brotherhood of Breath offshoot with ties to Jade Warrior. In 1972 he joined Sunship, an unrecorded improvisational group with percussionist Jamie Muir and ex-‘Igginbottom guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Before long, Robert Fripp drafted Muir into a new lineup of King Crimson and Holdsworth joined Tempest, a hard-rock spinoff of Colosseum.

Travis moved from Edinburgh clubs to Ronnie Scott’s Old Place, London Jazz Four, and a group led by trumpeter Henry Lowther. Wakeman entered Gilgamesh after Paul Lytton Quartet and Graham Collier Music. Clyne brought recent work with Nucleus and Isotope after earlier periods with Jazz Couriers, Tubby Hayes, and Stan Tracey. Richard Sinclair substituted for Clyne at the first known Gilgamesh concert on Jan. 28, 1973, at British Student Council in London. Morcombe and Wakeman left soon afterward, and Gowen and Travis recruited guitarist Phil Lee and bassist Neil Murray.

Lee entered after National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Graham Collier, Bob Starkey Quartet, groups led by Henry Lowther, and Axel with Tony Coe. At a party in early 1973, Gowen met Murray, who studied graphic design and typography at London College of Printing after school groups with eventual Slapp Happy partners Peter Blegvad and Anthony Moore. Between June and October, Gilgamesh played London College of Furniture, King & Queen in Brighton, Greenwich Theatre, Moss Hall Tavern in Finchley, and Phoenix Club.

The Gowen–Lee–Murray–Travis quartet recorded a demo at Pathway Studios in London in autumn 1973. Gilgamesh joined Hatfield and the North at Leeds Polytechnic on Nov. 4 and Notre-Dame Hall in London on Nov. 23 for combined eight-piece sets built around a 40-minute composition by Gowen. Murray left for Hanson after the November concerts. Bassist Steve Cook entered from CMU, a group led by Gowen colleague Roger Odell.

Gilgamesh played March 3 and March 17 dates at Angel Underground in Bishop’s Stortford and spent much of 1974 on rehearsals and new compositions. On Oct. 2, 1974, Cook and second keyboardist Peter Lemer joined Gowen, Lee, and Travis for a BBC Radio 3 Jazz in Britain session. Former Egg bassist Mont Campbell briefly replaced Cook. Jeff Clyne then returned for the album lineup.

Caroline, a Virgin sublabel, signed Gilgamesh in early 1975 for a debut album. In May, Gowen, Lee, Clyne, and Travis entered the Manor in Oxfordshire for sessions with Dave Stewart as co-producer.

Discography: