Ezra Collective

Formed in London, England in 2015, Ezra Collective is a jazz quintet founded by Joe Armon-Jones (keyboards), Dylan Jones (trumpet), James Mollison (saxophone) and brothers TJ Koleoso (bass) and Femi Koleoso (drums). With their mixture of cosmic jazz, afrobeat, funk, and rap, the group built up a following in the local London jazz scene and released their first EP, Chapter 7, in 2016. By the time they had released their second EP, Juan Pablo: The Philosopher, in 2018, they were playing sold-out houses and attracting the attention of DJs including Gilles Peterson. Jazz FM radio in the UK honored Ezra Collective with awards for Best British Group and Stage Experience of the Year. Their debut album, You Can’t Steal My Joy, was released in 2019. The album featured musical assistance from singer Jorja Smith, rapper Loyle Carner and the musicians of Kokoroko. Ezra Collective released their sophomore album, Where I’m Meant to Be, in 2022. The album featured collaborations with Emeli Sandé, Sampa the Great, Kojey Radical, and Nao. Where I’m Meant to Be hit Number 1 on the British Jazz Albums chart and Number 24 on the overall albums chart.