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Review: Ezra Collective, SWX – ‘Uplifting and danceable in every way’
Tonight saw Bristol welcome a band that, while originating in London, are proud to name Bristol as their adopted home.
As Ezra Collective proclaim to the crowd tonight, their first gig outside the capital was at the Canteen on Stokes Croft, and they have proceeded to fill Bristol with music ever since.
This time we were all here to celebrate their new album Dance, No One’s Watching. The evening felt like an Ezra Collective-curated event, from the smiley signing of merch to the support provided by keys phenomenon Joe Armon-Jones, greeting us with suitably chilled dub/reggae.
is needed now More than ever
The crowd filtered through in time for Selassie to take it up a notch and get the dance floor going. As their album attests, Ezra Collective want us to dance tonight – right down to the ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ t-shirts on sale.
In fact, this album could not make you want to dance more. It’s designed to do that, as TJ Koleoso happily told us: “We wanted to make an album about all our favourite dancefloor moments over the years.” They could not have done a better job. The album is instantly addictive, uplifting and danceable in every way.
God Gave Me Feet For Dancing into Ajala is a perfect live transition – both high tempo bangers that get my feet and arms moving, even a few stray elbows in my direction too.
The place turns into one big magnificent jazzfloor with the set a continuous flow dripping with killer sax solos, orgasmic keys and audacious drums. This band give everything and clearly have every talent to give.
There is an insane amount of proficiency and friendship onstage. Each member sits back and takes time to admire the others’ virtuosity.
I am buzzing, the crowd around me are killing it too, dancing and filling in the lyrics throughout. The band as a unit carry the songs so they have as much weight without the glorious vocalist who feature on the album.
James Mollison beams from ear to ear for 90 minutes straight: clearly the band are proud of their latest achievement.
“Bristol is our second home – it’s 12 years since we played The Canteen!!” he cries, to cheers all around.
“Dance is life, and you can’t be angry when you’re dancing, so keep dancing,” is the spoken word intro to Hear Me Cry, a sunny carnival track filling a dark SWX with light as the sound of sax floats through the air.
The set then takes on a reflective, meditative and healing state as we head into Act 4 with strings, laid-back keys and sax allowing the room to take a deep breath. One fan, head to the sky and eyes shut, is clearly fully enriched by the experience.
Both set and album closer is, fittingly, Everybody – this band makes music for everyone; it isn’t just jazz but so much more, and most importantly it brings people together.
I arrived tired and left enriched and happy. You know a gig’s a cracker when you wake up the next day still buzzing and excited to share the experience. Six stars out of five for joy from me.
Ezra Collective are back to “take” the Bristol Beacon on November 13. You should go.
All images: Matt Barnes
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