Ezra Collective
London jazz quintet fusing afrobeat with hip-hop and soul.
Ezra Collective are a British jazz quintet formed by members who met through the Tomorrow's Warriors youth programme. The group blends afrobeat, calypso, reggae, hip-hop, soul, and jazz, and won the 2023 Mercury Music Prize. In 2025, they became the first jazz band to win the Brit Award for Group of the Year.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- London, England
- Genre
- Jazz
- hip-hop
- Afrobeat
- Instrument
- Drums
- keyboards
- bass
- tenor saxophone
- trumpet
- Years active
- 2016–present
- Label
- Enter the Jungle, Partisan Records
- Current members
- Femi Koleoso
- TJ Koleoso
- Ife Ogunjobi
- James Mollison
- Joe Armon-Jones
- Past members
- Dylan Jones
Facts from the source article.
Background
The quintet formed in 2012, comprising brothers Femi Koleoso (drums) and TJ Koleoso (electric bass), along with James Mollison (sax), Joe Armon-Jones (keyboards), and Dylan Jones (trumpet), who was later replaced by Ife Ogunjobi. All members met at the Tomorrow's Warriors jazz programme, run by Gary Crosby and Janine Irons. The band's name references the Biblical prophet Ezra, who studied the works of earlier greats, a practice the group sought to emulate. Femi Koleoso noted that he once saw jazz as an elite art form he could not access, and credited the band's success to freely expressing youthful musical influences. Early inspiration came from Robert Glasper and Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly.
Career
In 2019, Ezra Collective's instrumental track "Quest for Coin" was named the "Hottest Record in The World" by Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. That same year, their debut album You Can't Steal My Joy came out, with appearances from Jorja Smith and Loyle Carner. Their second album, Where I'm Meant to Be, dropped in 2022, blending instrumentals with vocal collaborations. Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian described it as an "exceptional album" with the potential to break into the mainstream. The band was announced for the 2023 Glastonbury Festival on March 3, 2023. On September 7, 2023, they won the Mercury Prize for Where I'm Meant To Be, becoming the first jazz act to claim the award in its 31-year history. Femi Koleoso credited the win to people investing time in helping young musicians. Alexis Petridis praised the album for mixing Afro-Cuban rhythms, post-bop, rap, dub, funk, and dance music, and for capturing the band's live energy. Their 2024 single "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" made Barack Obama's list of 25 favorite tracks of 2024. In January 2025, the band came second in the BBC's Sound of 2025 poll. They performed at Glastonbury Festival on June 28, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ezra Collective from?
Ezra Collective originated in London, England.
When was Ezra Collective active?
Ezra Collective has been active since 2016.
Which record labels has Ezra Collective released music on?
Ezra Collective has released music on Enter the Jungle and Partisan Records.
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