15–17 August 2025
Thrilled to present a very special residency with the one and only John Edwards! John has been a mainstay at OTO since the very beginning and has provided so many highlights here that it's impossible to keep count. Despite playing in various series alongside other artists, we've somehow never hosted a residency here dedicated to John himself. These three days aim to rectify that, bringing together an amazing line-up of improvising musicians alongside one of the all-time great jazz bassists.
"Since it's opening in 2008 I've played so many times at Cafe Oto it has become something like a second home to me, therefore it's a great pleasure to be asked to programme these three days.
What a luxury - although I could easily imagine a whole year's worth of concerts !
At first I drew up a list of working groups that I love to play with but quickly realised it was going to be impossible to choose to invite some and not others.
So I decided to put together combinations that have never existed before, to take the opportunity to introduce some musicians to each other for the first time and make that fantastic leap into the unknown when we improvise.
Huge thanks to these wonderful musical alchemists, huge thanks to the Oto and of course, to the great Oto audiences." – John Edwards
John Edwards grew up in London and started experimenting with the bass guitar before he switched in his twenties to play double bass. He is deeply rooted in the creative free jazz and improvisation genre. Since the 80ties he is as soloist and in many groups and ensembles in Europe active and became one of the most renowned bass players. He played/plays regular for example with Peter Brötzmann, Joe Mc Phee, Phil Minton, Maggie Nichols, Evan Parker, Roscoe Michtell, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Mark Sanders, Caroline Kraabel, John Butcher, Pat Thomas, Irène Schweizer, Hans Koch, Florian Stoffner, Gabriele Mitelli, John Dikeman.
"I think John Edwards is absolutely remarkable: there’s never been anything like him before, anywhere in jazz." - Richard Williams, The Blue Moment
