Abel Ganz
Original band line up
Hew Montgomery - Keyboards/vocals
Hugh Carter - bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards/flute & percussion
Ken Weir - drums
Malky McNiven - guitar
Alan Reed - vocals
The current line up (2025)
Denis Smith - drums
Dawid Zielinski - guitars
Mick McFarlane - vocals & guitars
Alan Hearton - keyboards
Stevie Donnelly - bass
Abel Ganz were formed in 1980 when Hew Montgomery (keyboards) and Hugh Carter (bass/guitar/flute) joined together over their shared love of progressive music. Rehearsing in Hugh's music shop C.C. Music they were soon joined by guitarist Malcolm McNiven and drummer Ken Weir and soon played their first gig at Milngavie Town Hall supported by a young Del Amitri. A 3 track demo was recorded at Cottage Label tudios in Clydebank and with increasing gigs the band advertised for a singer, the two Hugh's having shared the vocals up until that point. Alan Reed became their vocalist in 1983 and the band recorded their first full length album Gratuitous Flash at Black Gold Studios at Blanefield. The album was played on Tom Russell's Friday Rock Show and gained them a place at Radio Clyde's annual Kelvingrove Festival in 1984. Alan's vocal performance that day came to the attention of Pallas who were seeking a replacement for Euan Louwson and after a short audition joined the Aberdonians. Malcolm then moved away from Glasgow with his work. So major change was needed. With Hugh Carter stepping down to manage the bands affairs, singer/guitarist Paul Kelly and bassist Gordon Mackie were recruited from local rock band Cry Wolf. This line up gigged extensively around Scotland and in 1985 recorded a second album Gullibles Travels again at Middle of the Roads Black Gold Studios. The band again played the Kelvingrove Festival, a track appeared on Steven Wilson's Exposure album flirted with ex Long Earth vocalist Martin Haggarty for a couple of gigs but the band was beginning to wane as Ken Weir left to be replaced by Alan Quinn again from Cry Wolf. After a few gigs the band folded although a new track The Dangers of Strangers was recorded with both Malcolm and Paul on guitars for the Exposure II album in 1987.
By now the band had fully split as a gigging band but Hew, Hugh and Malky continued writing with the view to releasing another album. The Dangers of Strangers album came out in 1988 with the trio being joined by drummer Denis Smith. The album mark the point where Abel Ganz would collaborate with former members and other musicians, a trait that continues to this day. Both Alan Reed (vocals) and Paul Kelly (guitar/vox) returned along with keyboard contributions from studio owner Clarke Sorley at Scirocco, Kilmarnock where the band recorded. Having no intentions to gig with this line up, the band went into hibernation although the interest in the new album prompted the band to secure a contract with French prog label UGUM/MSI in 1991 who released all of the band’s albums on CD with new artwork. With a view to a new album the two Hugh's recruited guitarist Robert Wilson and drummer Colin Johnson studio engineer from Hugh’s new rehearsal/recording studio The Practice Pad and with vocalist Billy Duff a new song was recorded for an MSI compilation and the band began playing around Scotland.
During 1992 the band were still playing live but when singer Billy Duff left and new singer Chris Forsyth came on board, the band were already going in a more rocky direction which prompted Hew to quit the band. This direction became stronger with the addition of keyboard player Stuart Clyde ex of rock band Glasgow. In 1994 a fourth album The Deafening Silence was released on MSI. The band continued to gig and played their first gig at The prestigious Classic Rock Society in Rotherham in early 1995. However the album was not received well with the prog fans and Hugh fearing for the bands direction, split the line up and teamed up with Hew again recording a four track cassette for an appearance at the CRS annual Rotherham Rocks festival with Colin Johnson on drums fellow Practice Pad engineer Stuart Glasgow on guitar and ex Clyde vocalist Pat Bigginns. Again this line up didn’t last long and the two Hugh's went back to the studio to work on new songs. Hugh was writing more and his influence would be felt in the future as Abel Ganz moved away from the old neo-prog style to a more open sound influenced by folk and jazz. With Denis Smith back on drums with long time collaborator Davie Mitchell on guitar in 2002 the band played a charity gig at the CRS alongside IQ and Oliver Wakeman and released a compilation of old songs on F2 Records with thoughts to releasing new matierial with F2. The album also featured a new Carter composition and a reworking of an older Ganz song all featuring folk musicians who would play a great part in future recordings. Looking for a stronger singer and a bass player for live work Mick McFarlane and Stevie Donnelly joined the band in the final throes of recording whilst still gigging the new songs. Shooting Albatross was eventually released in 2008 with the core band of Montgomery, Carter, Smith, Mitchell, Donnelly and McFarlane being joined by folk musicians Fiona Cuthill & Steve Lawrence, ex singer Alan Reed, Magenta's Chris Fry on guitar and most telling Jack Webb on keys. Jacks playing had almost become integral to the bands sound and it was no surprise when he took over live duties from Hew.
By 2009 the band were gigging regularly playing festivals in Scotland and England and played their first gig abroad when they were invited to headline the Baltic Progfest in Vilnius, Lithuania. Work had started on the new album but it was clear Hugh Carters role was limited in the band. 2014 saw the release of the album Abel Ganz and apart from a couple of verses of lyrics and a short keyboard solo this was the last involvement from either of the founding members of the band. The album was critically received with the band again augmented by folkies Fiona Cuthill & Stevie Lawrence, session guitarist and pedal steel player Iain Sloan and celebrity guests Malcolm Jones from Runrig and Fairport Convention legend Jerry Donahue. The band were now playing high profile festivals in Europe and the USA and had replaced Jack Webb with Stephen Lightbody as the live keyboard player. As the recording of a new album started Davie Mitchell stood down from live work although still participating in recording and new new guitarist David King came in along with keyboard player Alan Hearton. Released in 2020 The Life of the Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity is the bands most successful album to date, winning many album of the year awards and seeing the band again play many prestigous gigs and festivals at home and abroad including the Night of the Prog festival in Lorely, Germany now with new guitarist Dawid Zielinski out front. This line up of the band is truly the best and their duet with folk singer Emily Smith on On Small Soul is truly stunning. I can't wait for the next album to be released.
Every year the band hold their Prog Before Christmas charity gig and have raised thousands for The Maggies Cancer Centres.
Hew Montgomery has his own band The Grand Tour who have released two albums. Hew continues to record prog bands Comedy of Errors, Long Earth and Machinery at his Southpark Studios.
Hugh Carter has his own solo project Glen Brielle and has released one album and continues to work live with Malcolm McNiven and engineer Colin Johnson in the studio.
Abel Ganz biography written by Hugh Carter - 2025.
The first Abel Ganz gig in Milngavie Town Hall
The Kelvingrove Festival 1984.
The Kelvingrove Festival 1985.
From the 85 Kelvingrove program.
Albums
(1984) Gratuitous Flash.
(1985) Gullibles Travels.
(1988) The Dangers Of Strangers.
(1994) The Deafening Silence.
(2008) Shooting Albatross.
(2014) Abel Ganz.
(2016) Gratuitous Flash - Remastered.
(2020) The Life of The Honey Bee -
Compilations
(1986) Exposure.
(1987) Double Exposure,
(1992) La Mosaique.
(2006) Back From The Zone
King Tutts - 2011
On stage in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Unplugged at The Ferry with Stevie Lawrence & Fiona Cuthill.
The original band line up reunited for Prog Before Christmas gig in 2018.
Abel Ganz - 2023
Malky, Hew, Ken and Hugh.
A more recent photo of Hugh and Hew in the studio
Thanks to Abel Ganz on Facebook for some of these photos and a special thanks to Hugh Carter for writing the Abel Ganz biog and for his help with the band’s Glasband 80 page.
