In the late ’80s, the man now known as Sananda Maitreya looked like a superstar on the rise. Back then, he was Terence Trent D’Arby, a former American serviceman who wound up in London, recording an ecstatic combination of new wave and R&B. He won over lots of critics and reached #1 with his single “Wishing Well,” and then he fell off hard, even as he continually proclaimed his own genius. Eventually, he fell out of the music business and became a true outsider artist.

The former Terence Trent D’Arby changed his name to Sananda Maitreya in 2001. For many years, he’s been living in Milan and self-releasing dense, personal albums with titles like The Rise Of The Zugebrian Time Lords. Since 2014, he’s only played two live shows, both in Italy. But this summer, Maitreya will return to his former home, to play his first UK show in 20 years.

Sananda Maitreya is part of the lineup of this year’s Love Supreme Jazz Festival. The bill also includes people like Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, Kool & The Gang, Noname, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Christian McBride. In a press release, Maitreya has this to say:

I’ve invested a lot in English culture, and English culture has of course given me a tremendous amount of inspiration. There was the consideration that, until the UK scene was ready to fully acknowledge me and the reality that I have existed in since the mid ’90s, that there was no point in me returning. But the time is right, and I am happy to return, and I’m excited about bringing my music and my new songs to a live audience. And I’m also excited about my new work The Pegasus Project: Pegasus & The Swan, which will be released later on this year. See you at Love Supreme, even if we have to take the last Coltrane to get there!!

The Love Supreme Jazz Festival goes down 7/5-7 in East Sussex, and you can find the relevant details here.