Mashu (band)
Encyclopedia
Mashu was a Canterbury scene
improvisational supergroup
that lasted from 1995 to 1998. The name is a reference to Mashu
(a mountain in the Epic of Gilgamesh
) and a play on the three band members' names: Hugh Hopper
(bass), Mark Hewins
(guitar) and Shyamal Maïtra (percussion).
Hopper and Hewins had alreay been collaborating as a duo when they were joined by Maïtra, formerly of Gong
. The band debuted in February 1995 at the Vortex Jazz Bar. A European tour followed in April 1995 from which is taken their only release, Elephants in Your Head? (1997). Saxophonist Frank van der Kooij guested on the first tour date, with saxophonists Didier Malherbe
and Elton Dean
guesting at a later show.
The band played a handful of shows in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Since then, Hewins and Maïtra have continued to work together in other projects.
Canterbury Scene
The Canterbury scene is a term used to loosely describe the group of progressive rock, avant-garde and jazz musicians, many of whom were based around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
improvisational supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
that lasted from 1995 to 1998. The name is a reference to Mashu
Mashu
Mashu, as described in the Epic of Gilgamesh of Mesopotamian mythology, is a great cedar mountain through which the hero-king Gilgamesh passes via a tunnel on his journey to Dilmun after leaving the Cedar Forest, a forest of ten thousand leagues span. The corresponding location in reality has been...
(a mountain in the Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literature. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the protagonist of the story, Gilgamesh king of Uruk, which were fashioned into a longer Akkadian epic much...
) and a play on the three band members' names: Hugh Hopper
Hugh Hopper
Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:...
(bass), Mark Hewins
Mark Hewins
Mark Hewins is a British jazz guitarist known particularly for his connections to the Canterbury scene.Hewins' professional career as a guitarist began in 1970 with the London band Mother Sun...
(guitar) and Shyamal Maïtra (percussion).
Hopper and Hewins had alreay been collaborating as a duo when they were joined by Maïtra, formerly of Gong
Gong (band)
Gong is a Franco-British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. Their music has also been described as space rock. Other notable band members include Allan Holdsworth, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage, Francis Moze, Mike Howlett...
. The band debuted in February 1995 at the Vortex Jazz Bar. A European tour followed in April 1995 from which is taken their only release, Elephants in Your Head? (1997). Saxophonist Frank van der Kooij guested on the first tour date, with saxophonists Didier Malherbe
Didier Malherbe
Didier Antonin Malherbe is a saxophonist and flautist. He was one of the founders of the Canterbury sound band Gong....
and Elton Dean
Elton Dean
Elton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
guesting at a later show.
The band played a handful of shows in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Since then, Hewins and Maïtra have continued to work together in other projects.