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Ezra Collective: Dance, No One’s Watching review – new moves with an emotive edge
The Mercury-winning quintet bring high energy to Afrobeat, Latin and soulful grooves – yet it is in the quieter moments that a fresh musicality emerges
Since becoming the first jazz act to win a Mercury prize for their 2022 album, Where I’m Meant to Be, London-based quintet Ezra Collective have cemented their place as one of the UK’s most exciting improvisatory groups. Sibling rhythm section Femi and TJ Koleoso put in a mighty shift throughout the album’s over-long 19 tracks, thumping through fast-paced Afrobeat syncopations on The Herald and Ajala, intricate highlife grooves on Palm Wine, and Latin clave on Shaking Body. Yazmin Lacey feature God Gave Me Feet for Dancing moves into luscious neo-soul territory, while Why I Smile and Everybody play as deeply emotive jazz compositions.
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