“Dance is life and you can’t be angry when you’re dancing so keep dancing”, states the voiceover on ‘Our Element’, a brief linking track on Ezra Collective’s new album, ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’. While “anger is an energy” as John Lydon once described it, the horrendous fact that he has ended up as a Trump supporter and this summer’s English racist rioters were defined by rage make it clear that dancing is preferable to anger. The joy of dancing has always been a primary element of Ezra Collective’s music. However, they do not exist in a hedonistic void. As was apparent from band leader Femi Keleoso’s victory speech as their previous album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ was awarded the Mercury Prize, in which he championed the role of youth clubs in bringing the group together and developing a sense of purpose, they are strong on practical politics.
As a victory lap and follow-up, ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’ treats dancing as a sacred act and celebrates the dance floors they encountered in 2023 touring the world. The album is structured like a night out, even starting with an ‘Intro’, an instrumental swagger emerging from the buzz of excited chatter. Over the course of the following 18 tracks, it can be divided into four linking tracks, three songs with guest vocalists and the majority of instrumental compositions.
‘The Herald’ sets off buoyantly and emotionally with the interplay between James Mollison and Ife Ogunjobi on saxophone and trumpet, a firm funk groove being set down by TJ Koleoso on bass around which his elder brother, Femi’s, drums shimmer. While Koleoso defined Ezra Collective as a jazz band in that famous speech, they immerse themselves in a range of musical styles throughout the album. ‘Ajala’ is the most vibrant piece on a record that is soaked in energy. The horns set ablaze, there is a Congo funk feel to the bassline while the drums scamper along and Joe Armon-Jones’ keys add an extra flourish. Those keys take their lead on the relaxed jazz-funk groove of ‘N29’. ‘Hear My Cry’ overflows with Soca charm as horns and drums whip the track along. After an overheard voice boasting, “still dancing, love it”, ‘Shaking Body’ bursts out with excitable horns and Armon-Jones’ piano heading off on an Afro-Cuban venture. Arguably, it is up there with ‘Ajala’ as the album’s greatest moment, although the explosive funk rush of ‘Expensive’ is not far behind as it is rounded off with an inspired piano wig-out.
The linking pieces consist of Four Acts, ‘Cloakroom Link Up’, ‘In the Dance’, ‘Our Element’ and ‘Lights On’. They are, with the exception of the third linking piece, instrumentals that serve as brief orchestral chamber pieces but tell the story of a night out through their titles.
Yazmin Lacey is the first vocal guest, her smooth voice the perfect lead for ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’, a celebration of Highlife and basslines. Olivia Dean takes the lead on ‘No One’s Watching Me’, weaving around horns and relaxed keys. The third single from the album, ‘Streets is Calling’, features M.anifest and Moonchild Sanelly. It consummately blends the sounds of Highlife, Amapiano and Afrobeats in its call to the dancefloor.
As the night moves toward its conclusion, there is a winding down rather than a ratcheting up of the sound. ‘Why I Smile’ has a beatific swing to its relaxed horns while Armon-Jones gets an opportunity to display his well-placed virtuosity. ‘Have Patience’ is a short solo piano composition while the closing ‘Everybody’ emerges from the distance and manages to embody the sense of everyone coming together for one final flourish.
While its title suggests a celebration of unselfconsciousness, the music and themes developed on ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’ highlights the communal nature of the dancefloor, the shared exhilaration of joyful faces and exuberant movements therein while soaking up the sounds. No one captures it better than Ezra Collective.
Ezra Collective: Dance, No One’s Watching – Out 27th September 2024 (Partisan)
Collective – Ajala (Official Audio) (youtube.com)
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
