The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was a loose assembly of various musicians headed by classically-trained guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes (Sussex, England, 1949-1997). Only Jeffes and cellist co-founder Helen Liebmann were core members and other musicians were drafted for the requirements of particular pieces or performances. Their sound is not easy to categorise but has elements of exuberant folk music mixed with the minimalist, repetitive composition of Philip Glass.

After becoming disillusioned with the rigid structures of classical music and the limitations of rock music, in which he also dabbled, Jeffes became interested in the relative freedom in ethnic music and decided to imbue his work with the same sense of immediacy and spirit.

Describing how the idea of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra came to him, Jeffes said, "I was on the beach sunbathing and suddenly a poem popped into my head. It started out 'I am the proprietor of the Penguin Café, I will tell you things at random' and it went on about how the quality of randomness, spontaneity, surprise, unexpectedness and irrationality in our lives is a very precious thing. And if you suppress that to have a nice orderly life, you kill off what's most important. Whereas in the Penguin Café your unconscious can just be. It's acceptable there, and that's how everybody is. There is an acceptance there that has to do with living the present with no fear in ourselves."

Their first album, Music From The Penguin Cafe, was released in 1976 on Brian Eno's experimental E.G. Records label; a collection of pieces recorded from 1974-1976, it was followed in 1981 by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, after which the band settled into a more regular release schedule.

They played their first major concert in 1977, supporting Kraftwerk at The Roundhouse. They went on to tour the world and play at a variety of music festivals as well as residencies on London's South Bank.

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra recorded and performed for 24 years until Jeffes died of a brain tumour in 1997.

One of the most popular and recognisable pieces is 'Music For A Found Harmonium'. This piece has been used extensively as incidental music in films ranging from Ferris Bueller's Day Off to Napoleon Dynamite. It has also enjoyed frequent plays as a chill out anthem in Ibiza and has even featured on the MFI television advertisements in the UK.