ALAN GOWEN
Genres: Classic Fusion, Eclectic Fusion • United Kingdom

One of the core group of musicians to develop the British jazz-rock movement of the 1960s and 70s, Alan Gowen began working in be-bop jazz/outfits in the vicinity of his home base of Harlow. In 1971 he moved to London and hooked up with Assagai, a band that had evolved out of the popular African/rock hybrid ensemble Osibisa; not long after, both Gowen and Assagai co-hort Jamie Muir then split off to form the equally short-lived Sunship. No recordings were ever completed and Sunship dissolved the following year when Muir was invited to join an overhauled line-up of King Crimson. The sinking of Sunship led to the creation of Gowen's next band, Gilgamesh, in 1972. The keyboardist fared somewhat better in this project than his previous two: the band endured until 1975, and - after two years of rehearsing, occasional performances and multiple personnel shake-ups - managed to release a self-titled read more...