Ezra Collective: Dance, No One’s Watching

This is an album of two halves, not side one or side two but, to put it crudely, commercial or heartfelt.
The Ezra Collective – 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 – won best jazz act at last years’ MOBO Awards and became the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, for their last album “Where I’m Meant To Be”.
Like the debut, but more so, this is a collection of tunes infused with beats from all over the world that would sound fantastic at a festival in the sun, pint of Thatcher’s Gold in hand. On an album to sit and listen to, it’s all a bit relentlessly upbeat. It reminds me of the Go! Team, whose debut album was great, and live for the first time were fantastic; after that you’d seen it once and that was that.
Ezra Collective are great musicians and better than that because other parts of the album are more music to listen to.
Opener “The Herald” falls into both camps. Other songs are more jazz based and more satisfying, such as the funky “N29” and the wonderful “Why I Smile”, and the last three tracks are more traditional jazz.
“Streets Is Calling” is jazz meets hip hop. Other songs are more for dancing to, slightly merry and in the sun.
Great if you want a party album, perhaps one you will edit for listening to.
JMC