Ezra Collective facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ezra Collective
Femi Koleoso at the 2017 Jazz Manor Festival in Sochi, Russia.
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Jazz hip hop Afrobeat
Instruments	Drums keyboards bass tenor saxophone trumpet
Years active	2016–present
Labels	Enter the Jungle Partisan Records
Members	Femi Koleoso TJ Koleoso Ife Ogunjobi James Mollison Joe Armon-Jones
Past members	Dylan Jones

Ezra Collective is a cool British jazz band. It has five members. They are Femi Koleoso (drums), TJ Koleoso (bass), Joe Armon-Jones (keyboards), Ife Ogunjobi (trumpet), and James Mollison (saxophone). They met at a special jazz program called Tomorrow's Warriors.

This band mixes different music styles. You can hear afrobeat, calypso, reggae, hip-hop, soul, and jazz in their songs. They often work with other talented musicians from London. In 2023, Ezra Collective won the famous Mercury Music Prize. Their song "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" was even on Barack Obama's list of favorite songs in 2024! At the Brit Awards 2025, they made history. They became the first jazz band to win "Group of the Year".

About the Band

The Ezra Collective started in 2012 in London. Brothers Femi Koleoso and TJ Koleoso were part of the original group. James Mollison and Joe Armon-Jones also joined them. Dylan Jones was the first trumpet player. Later, Ife Ogunjobi took his place.

All the band members met at Tomorrow's Warriors. This is a jazz program run by Gary Crosby and Janine Irons. The band's name comes from the Biblical prophet Ezra. He studied the works of great people before him. The band wanted to do the same with jazz music.

The band members have talked about how hard it was to start as young jazz musicians in London. Femi Koleoso once said that jazz felt like a special art form he couldn't reach. He believes their success comes from being able to show their own musical ideas freely. The band says that Robert Glasper and Kendrick Lamar's album To ... a Butterfly helped inspire their early sound.

Band's Journey

In 2019, Ezra Collective released their song "Quest for Coin". It was played as the "Hottest Record in The World" on BBC Radio 1. Later that year, they released their first album, You Can't Steal My Joy. It featured British singers Jorja Smith and Loyle Carner.

Their second album, Where I'm Meant to Be, came out in 2022. This album had both instrumental songs and songs with guest singers. Many critics loved it. Kate Hutchinson from The Guardian newspaper said it was an "exceptional album". She thought it could become very popular.

Ezra Collective performed at the famous 2023 Glastonbury Festival on March 3, 2023.

On September 7, 2023, the band won the Mercury Prize for their album Where I'm Meant To Be. This was a huge moment! They were the first jazz group to win this award in its 31-year history. After winning, Femi Koleoso spoke about how important it is to support young musicians. He said their win showed what happens when good people help young people play music.

Music critic Alexis Petridis praised the album. He said Where I'm Meant To Be mixes many styles. It has Afro-Cuban rhythms, rap, dub, funk, and dance music. It also features artists like Sampa the Great and Kojey Radical. The album even turns Sun Ra's "Love In Outer Space" into a cool jazz-soul song with singer Nao. Petridis noted that the album feels energetic and fun. It's an album that people who don't usually listen to jazz might really enjoy.

Ezra Collective's song "God Gave Me Feet for Dancing" was chosen by Barack Obama in 2024. He put it on his list of 25 favorite songs of the year.

In January 2025, Ezra Collective was named the runner-up in the BBC's Sound of 2025 poll. They also performed at Glastonbury Festival 2025 on June 28.

Music Releases

Ezra Collective has released several albums and singles.

Studio Albums

EPs

• Chapter 7 (2016)
• Juan Pablo: The Philosopher (2018)

Selected Singles

• "Samuel L Riddim" (2018)
• "Reason in Disguise" (2018)
• "Chris and Jane" (2019)
• "Footprints" (2020)
• "Dark Side Riddim" (2020)
• "Quest for Coin II" (2020)
• "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

Ezra Collective has won several important awards for their music.