The
Canterbury scene (or
Canterbury sound) is a term used to describe a loosely defined style of music created by a number of
progressive rock,
avant-garde and
jazz musicians, many of whom were based in the city of
Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians played together in numerous bands, with ever-changing and overlapping personnel, creating some similarities in their musical output. Many prominent British avant-garde or
fusion musicians began their career in Canterbury bands, including
Hugh Hopper,
Steve Hillage,
Dave Stewart (the keyboardist),
Robert Wyatt,
Kevin Ayers,
Daevid Allen, and
Mike Ratledge. Over the years, with outside musicians joining Canterbury bands, and new bands all over the world adopting a "Canterbury sound," the term has come to describe the musical style rather than a regional group of musicians.