I’m off to see Ezra Collective in Manchester tomorrow so time for some revision. For those that are unaware, EC is a British jazz band that infuses afro-beat, hip-hop and soul into their work.
This is the band's latest album and features collaborations with some cool cats including Sampa The Great and Kojey Radical. I’m by no means a fan of rap but I don’t mind ‘Life Goes On’ and ‘No Confusion’ on which they appear.
To be honest, though, I prefer the more pure jazz tracks like ‘Victory Dance’ with its salsa rhythms or the funky ‘Welcome To My World’.
Later on, in the record, Emeli Sandé makes an appearance on the beautifully delicate ‘Siesta’ too.
The album also features snippets of conversations with legendary jazz drummer Tony Allen (one of the founders of the afro-beat movement) and award-winning director Steve McQueen.
If you fancy getting some really good contemporary British jazz into your collection, the album is available all over for about £28 but Rough Trade have their crystal clear, double 140g limited edition version on sale for just £20 at the moment.
Tracks To Try: ‘Victory Dance’, ‘Welcome To My World’, ‘Togetherness’, ‘Smile’, ‘Live Strong’, ‘Love In Outer Space feat. Nao’