Guitarist Carl Orr curates and performs a Miles Davis centenary tribute at UKARIA Cultural Centre on 7 November 2026 at 7:30pm, joined by Phil Slater, Paul White, Victor Rounds and John McDermott. The concert traces Davis's arc from acoustic recordings through the electric period, with the second half examining how his influence shaped Billy Cobham's work and Orr's own playing.

Miles Davis turns 100 this year, and Carl Orr has taken it upon himself to mark the occasion properly. The Sydney-raised, London-based guitarist brings a genuine insider's perspective to the project, one built on decades of proximity to the Davis sound rather than second-hand admiration.

Orr's credentials read like a map of Davis's own orbit. He cut his teeth gigging around Sydney in the 1980s with Jackie Orszaczky and Miroslav Bukovsky before a tour with Billy Cobham took him to London in 1995. Cobham, of course, was the drummer behind Bitches Brew, Live-Evil and Jack Johnson, records that reshaped what Davis's music could sound like. Orr later served as guitarist for Cobham's 2017 residency at Ronnie Scott's, and has shared stages with other Davis alumni including George Duke, Bennie Maupin and Marcus Miller. His own residency at Ronnie Scott's ran past 300 shows, which is not a small thing to say about anyone.

At UKARIA on 7 November 2026, Orr steers a band through Davis's catalogue chronologically, tracing the arc from the acoustic-era recordings through to the electric period that Cobham helped define. The second half of the concert turns outward, looking at how Davis's influence rippled through Cobham's own work and into Orr's playing today. It is as much a personal reckoning as a tribute.

He's joined by Phil Slater on trumpet, Paul White on keys, Victor Rounds on bass and John McDermott on drums, a lineup with the chops to handle Davis's shifts in register without flattening them into nostalgia. Given UKARIA's acoustics, this is not a room where a fusion band can hide behind volume. Every phrase will be exposed, which suits a project built on musicianship rather than spectacle.

The concert runs around two hours with a 25-minute interval, giving the material room to breathe across both the acoustic and electric chapters of Davis's career. Pre-concert dining is available, including an antipasti platter for two from $33, for those wanting to make an evening of it before settling into UKARIA's famously good sightlines and sound.

Tickets range from $40 for under-40s up to $80 for adults, with concessions at $75. For anyone who has followed Davis's evolution, or Cobham's fusion years, this is a rare chance to hear that lineage explained by someone who actually played it.

Details are correct at the time of publishing. Events can change or be cancelled, so please confirm dates, times and prices with the venue or ticket seller before booking.