Ezra Collective
Ezra Collective became the first jazz band to win the Brit Award for Group of the Year in 2025, following their receipt of the 2023 Mercury Music Prize. The London quintet brings together drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi and tenor saxophonist James Mollison.
The musicians met through Tomorrow's Warriors, the jazz youth programme, and formed Ezra Collective soon afterwards. Their music draws afrobeat, calypso, reggae, hip-hop and soul into a jazz framework, reflecting the cross-pollination of London's jazz community. The group has also worked with fellow London musicians including saxophonist Nubya Garcia and drummer Moses Boyd.
In 2024, Ezra Collective released the single “God Gave Me Feet for Dancing”, which Barack Obama selected for his list of 25 favourite songs of that year. Alongside their award recognition, the choice placed the band's work in a wider international conversation while retaining the collaborative, rhythm-led approach that has defined their music.
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Details
- Also known as
- エズラ・コレクティヴ
- Members
- James Mollison, Joe Armon-Jones, Femi Koleoso, TJ Koleoso, Dylan Jones, Ife Ogunjobi
- Origin
- London, United Kingdom
- Labels
- Partisan Records, Atlantic Records UK, COLORSxSTUDIOS, JOY (Anonymous), War Child Records
- Releases
- 22 tracked
- Spotify
- 471.3K followers64%
Discography
Credits & Roles
- Producer (2)
Frequently Appears With
- Joy Anonymous
- Annie Gasiorowski
- CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso
- COLORS
- Daniela Sicilia
- David Wrench
- Ebeneza Blanche
- Fela Kuti
- Femi Koleoso
- Fred again..
Related Artists
- Novelist
- Stush
- Greentea Peng
- War Child Records
- Joe Armon-Jones
- David Wrench
- Ty
- Femi Koleoso
- Stuart Hawkes
- Freddie Light
