On a crisp November Tuesday, Sheffield was blessed with an appearance from London-
based jazz outfit the Ezra Collective. Three years after they were supposed to grace the
steel city with a gig at Bear Tree Records (that gig being cancelled when the band got stuck
on the M25 after their tour-manager hired a dodgy van), their experience and the
improvements they’ve made in that time shone brighter than the stage lights.
Hailing from North London, the band met at a youth project named ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors’
aimed at getting young people into jazz instruments who likely wouldn’t have had the chance otherwise. From then on, they’ve practised relentlessly improving both as individual
instrumentalists and as a music collective, and it shows. Their style spans the globe through a multitude of genres from afrobeat to latin to classical jazz with an evident understanding and unique spin on each. Their stage presence on the night can be described as nothing but wholesome, composed and cohesive. The distinct lack of security at the venue for the night hammered home the point that everybody who was there, on stage or in the crowd, was there for great vibes, and even greater music.
Brass pairing Ife Ogunjobi and James Mollinson, on the trumpet and the tenor saxophone
respectively, bounced off each other for the whole set, harmonising and synchronising
without missing a single beat. Mixing in some impressive solos throughout, they formed quite a spectacle at the front of the band. Behind them, bassist TJ Koleoso skilfully plucked back at anything the band threw his way, acting as a true backbone to each track. As a big fan of bass in jazz, I think a solo from TJ was one thing that could have improved the set, though points to improve upon in general were few and far between. Drummer Femi Koleoso, who also acts as a frontman-of-sorts, displayed a mind-blowing show of his craft, switching styles seamlessly and cutting through with some striking solos. Despite this, for me it was keyboard player Joe Armon-Jones who stole the show. At some times, playing as though he was possessed by God himself, Armon-Jones scaled up and down at Mach-speeds as though his hands were detached from his body, drawing huge mid-solo roars from the crowd.
All in all, Ezra Collective at Foundry was one of the most technically impressive and mind-
blowing gigs I’ve seen all year. Though it can’t compare to them on stage, their new album
Where I’m Meant To Be is a great listen and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t
been introduced to their music before.
