Operating under the direction of saxophonist Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 90th year in 2014, the Arkestra have made Cafe OTO their home in London and this will be their eighth residency here.

The summer starts here as one of the greatest big bands of all time - The Sun Ra Arkestra - returns to Cafe OTO.  With such a massive, joyous songbook and the kind of well organised chaos that sees their legendary 3 hour sets move deftly between rolling grooves, sing-along chants and atonal blasts of mischievous brass, the Arkestra remain one of the most unmissable live acts today.

“By the time that the show winds to a close, the audience joining in call-and-response style, The Arkestra snaking through the audience in their traditional procession, honking, clapping, chanting and leading the way along the path that leads to the stars, the roof has lifted off Oto. During the band’s first decade, in response to a criticism that Sun Ra was “too far out”, that other legend of the piano, Thelonious Monk, famously replied, “Yeah, but it swings.” Even a half century later, how right he was.” – David Solomons, Freq, review of the Sun Ra Arkestra at Cafe OTO, 2013.

8-10 June