Ezra Collective
{{Short description|British jazz quintet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = group_or_band
| name = Ezra Collective
| image = Ezra Collective 18.jpg
| landscape = yes
| caption = Femi Koleoso at the 2017 Jazz Manor Festival in Sochi, Russia.
| origin = London, England
| genre = {{hlist|Jazz|hip hop|Afrobeat}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Drums|keyboards|bass|tenor saxophone|trumpet}}
| years_active = 2016–present
| label = {{hlist|Enter the Jungle|Partisan Records}}
| current_members = * Femi Koleoso
- TJ Koleoso
- Ife Ogunjobi
- James Mollison
- Joe Armon-Jones
| past_members = Dylan Jones
| website = {{URL|ezracollective.com}}
}}
Ezra Collective are a British jazz quintet composed of drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, and tenor saxophonist James Mollison, who met at the jazz youth programme Tomorrow's Warriors and formed their group soon afterwards.{{cite web |last1=Madden |first1=Sidney |title=Ezra Collective Sets The 'Quest For Coin' To A Fast-Paced Jazz Soundtrack |url=https://text.npr.org/694090256 |website=npr.org |publisher=NPR|date=13 February 2019 |access-date=26 November 2020}} The group fuses elements of afrobeat, calypso, reggae, hip-hop, soul and jazz, and frequently collaborates with fellow London-based jazz musicians such as Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd.{{cite news |last1=Kalia |first1=Ammar |title=Ezra Collective: You Can't Steal My Joy review – celebration of jazz's diversity |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/apr/28/ezra-collective-you-cant-steal-my-joy-review|date=28 April 2019 |access-date=26 November 2020 |newspaper=The Observer}}{{Cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Kate |date=2018-10-19 |title=A Sweaty Night Out in London’s New Jazz Scene |language=en-US |newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/arts/music/ezra-collective-london-jazz-steam-down.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0362-4331}} They were the recipients of the 2023 Mercury Music Prize. Their 2024 single "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" was chosen by Barack Obama for his list of 25 favourite songs of the year.{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/barack-obama-favorite-music-2024-kendrick-lamar-beyonce-billie-eilish-1236256932/|title=Barack Obama Includes Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Billie Eilish Among Favorite Music of 2024|magazine=Variety|first=Steven J. |last=Horowitz|date=20 December 2024|access-date=21 December 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/barack-obama-favorite-music-2024-billie-eilish-kendrick-lamar-beyonce-1235214244/|title=Barack Obama Had Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé on Repeat This Year|first=Tomás|last=Mier|website=Rolling Stone|date=20 December 2024|access-date=21 December 2024}} At the Brit Awards 2025, the Ezra Collective became the first jazz band to win the "Group of the Year" accolade.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqx04vrlqn0o|title=Brit Awards 2025: The real winners and losers {{!}} Best speech: Ezra Collective|website=BBC News|first=Mark|last=Savage|date=2 March 2025}}
Background
The London-based quintet formed in 2012 by brothers Femi Koleoso (drums) and TJ Koleoso (electric bass), together with James Mollison (sax), Joe Armon-Jones (keyboards) and Dylan Jones (trumpet). Jones has since been replaced by Ife Ogunjobi. The members of Ezra Collective met at the jazz programme Tomorrow's Warriors, run by Gary Crosby. The jazz group has claimed that they faced challenges in succeeding as young jazz musicians in London, with Femi Koleoso saying: "I saw jazz music as an elite art form that I didn't have access to."{{Cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Kate |date=2018-10-19 |title=A Sweaty Night Out in London's New Jazz Scene |language=en-US |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/arts/music/ezra-collective-london-jazz-steam-down.html |access-date=2023-03-07 |issn=0362-4331}} He puts down the group's success as being able to freely express their musical influences from their youth. The band has said that Robert Glasper, and Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly provided early inspiration for their "template" as a jazz band.{{Cite web |title=As everyone gets hooked on jazz, Ezra Collective are the group most locked into a groove |url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/interview/as-everyone-gets-hooked-on-jazz-ezra-collective-are-the-group-most-locked-into-a-groove/ |first=Mike |last=Vinti|date=4 April 2019|access-date=2023-03-06 |website=Loud And Quiet |language=en-US}}
Career
The band's 2019 instrumental single "Quest for Coin" was premiered as the "Hottest Record in The World" on Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. In 2019, Ezra Collective released their debut LP You Can't Steal My Joy, which featured British musicians Jorja Smith and Loyle Carner.{{Cite web |title=Review: Ezra Collective's 'You Can't Steal My Joy' Is A UK Jazz Delight |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/04/ezra-collective-you-cant-steal-my-joy-review |first=Tom|last=Segev|date=29 April 2019| access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Complex |language=en}} In 2022, the band released its second LP, Where I'm Meant to Be, involving a mix of both instrumental tracks and lyrical collaborations. Critical reception was widely positive, with Kate Hutchinson from The Guardian writing that the "exceptional album could be the one to cross over to the big league".{{Cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Kate |date=2022-11-06 |title=Ezra Collective: Where I'm Meant to Be review – brilliant follow-up from the inventive party band |language=en-GB |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/06/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be-review-brilliant-follow-up-from-the-inventive-party-band |access-date=2023-03-07 |issn=0029-7712}}{{Cite web |first=Abbie |last=Aitken |date=2022-11-03 |title=Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be {{!}} Reviews |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Clash |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be - Review|first= Dafydd |last=Jenkins|url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be/|date=31 October 2022 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Loud And Quiet |language=en-US}}
On 3 March 2023, it was announced that Ezra Collective would be performing at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival.{{Cite web |title=Glastonbury Festival 2023: Full line-up, tickets and how to watch |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/glastonbury-festival-2023-line-up-how-to-watch/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Radio Times |language=en}}
On 7 September 2023, the band won the 2023 Mercury Prize for their album Where I'm Meant To Be,{{Cite web |title=Mercury Music Prize: Ezra Collective become first jazz winners |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66728365 |website=BBC News|first=Mark|last=Savage|author2=Steven McIntosh |date=7 September 2023|access-date=7 September 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yJVHOPkC8w|title=Ezra Collective Win The Mercury Prize 2023!|website=BBC Music|date=7 September 2023}} making them the first jazz act to win the award in its 31-year history.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ezra-collective-mercury-music-prize-winner-b2407696.html|title=Mercury Prize: Ezra Collective become first jazz act to win in award's 31-year history|first=Annabel|last=Nugent|author2=Roisin O'Connor|newspaper=The Independent|date=7 September 2023}} Following the announcement, Femi Koleoso highlighted the band's youthful origins, saying: "This moment we're celebrating right here is testimony to good, special people putting time and effort into [helping] young people to play music.… let's continue to support that."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/08/vitality-diverse-britain-music-ezra-collective-deserve-mercury-prize|title=Take the vitality of diverse Britain, set it to music. That's why Ezra Collective deserve their Mercury prize|first=Hugh|last=Muir|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8 September 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/features/ezra-collectives-mercury-win-highlights-the-need-for-cultural-investment/|title=Ezra Collective's Mercury Win Highlights The Need For Cultural Investment|first=Robin|last=Murray|magazine=ClashMusic|date=8 September 2023|access-date=9 September 2023}}
Alexis Petridis lauded the winning album by saying that Where I'm Meant To Be "stirs together Afro-Cuban rhythms and post-bop with rap – both Sampa the Great and 2022 Mercury nominee Kojey Radical are among the guests – dub, funk and dance music and transforms Sun Ra's Love In Outer Space into slick jazz-inflected soul with a vocal by the singer Nao, another former Mercury nominee. It's an album where the influence of spiritual jazz coexists with Afrobeat; it successfully captures the band's live energy, its kinetic power never dipping despite its 70-minute running time. It's approachable and celebratory without in any way seeming lightweight or drifting too far from the band's roots: an album that people who don't normally consider themselves jazz fans might fall for, but still resolutely a jazz album."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/07/ezra-collectives-mercury-win-finally-acknowledges-a-golden-age-for-uk-jazz|title=Ezra Collective's Mercury win finally acknowledges a golden age for UK jazz|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 September 2023}}
Ezra Collective's 2024 single "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" was selected by Barack Obama for his list of 25 favourite tracks of 2024.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/barack-obama-films-music-books-of-2024-b2668332.html|title=Barack Obama names his favourite films, music and books of 2024|newspaper=The Independent|first=Lydia |last=Spencer-Elliott|date=21 December 2024}}
In January 2025, Ezra Collective were announced as the runners-up in the BBC's Sound of 2025 poll.
Discography
= Studio albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/55497/ezra-collective/|title=EZRA COLLECTIVE – Full Official Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=27 September 2024}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| You Can't Steal My Joy
|
| 70 |
| scope="row"| Where I'm Meant to Be
|
| 24 |
| scope="row"| Dance, No One's Watching
|
| 7 |
= EPs =
- Chapter 7 (2016)
- Juan Pablo: The Philosopher (2018)
= Singles =
- "Samuel L Riddim" (2018)
- "Reason in Disguise" (2018)
- "Chris and Jane" (2019)
- "Footprints" (2020)
- "Dark Side Riddim" (2020)
- "Quest for Coin II" (2020)
- "More Than a Hustler" (2021)
- "May the Funk Be with You" (2022)
- "Lady" (2023)
- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (2023)
- "Ajala" (2024)
- "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" (feat. Yazmin Lacey) (2024)
- "No-One's Watching Me" (feat. Olivia Dean) (2024)
- "Streets Is Calling" (feat. M.anifest & Moonchild Sanelly) (2024)
- "Body Language" (feat. Sasha Keable) (2025)
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Brit British Group}}
Category:2016 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Afrobeat musical groups
Category:English funk musical groups
Category:English hip-hop groups
Category:English jazz ensembles
Category:English musical quintets
Category:Musical groups established in 2016
Category:Musical groups from London