The Guardian is partnering with Love Supreme festival this year to host a live question-and-answer session with Ezra Collective, the vanguard of the London jazz scene. The five-piece instrumental group has spent the past decade electrifying stages from Glastonbury to Wembley Arena with their high-energy performances. In 2023, they made history by becoming the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, and they followed that with the Brit Award for Best Group in 2025. Their sound blends jazz tradition with West African melodies and rhythms, influenced by bandleader Femi Koleoso and his brother, bassist TJ Koleoso.
Origins and Early Years
Formed in 2012 after meeting at the grassroots jazz workshop Tomorrow's Warriors, the group spent their early years sneaking into jazz institutions like London's Ronnie Scott's club to see elder greats such as drummer Tony Allen. They began writing music that incorporated Allen's Afrobeat alongside their love of hip-hop and jazz standards. Their debut EP, Chapter 7, was released independently in 2016, coinciding with the rise of a new scene of young players like saxophonist Nubya Garcia and drummer Moses Boyd, who drew a younger audience to jazz.
Albums and Collaborations
Since then, Ezra Collective has released three albums that move freely between spiritual jazz, funk, soul, R&B, and hip-hop, anchored by a thumping dancefloor pulse. Collaborators include rappers Loyle Carner and Kojey Radical, singers Olivia Dean and Jorja Smith, and Arsenal football legend Ian Wright. In September, the band will release their fourth album, Here Because of Hope.
Youth Mentorship and Community Work
During their Mercury Prize speech, the group highlighted the vital existence of youth clubs. They regularly hold mentoring workshops for young musicians and have collaborated with youth groups such as the Kinetika Bloco ensemble at Glastonbury and on stage at the Brit Awards.
How to Submit Your Questions
Now you have the chance to ask Ezra Collective anything about their origins, the state of British jazz, their next album, and how to ensure a pipeline of young talent in the UK. On Friday 3 July at 4pm, a Guardian journalist will be in conversation with the group at Love Supreme festival in East Sussex. The band is especially keen to hear from music students, teachers, and young people. Write your questions in the comments below; the best will be asked on stage, and a summary of the Q&A will be posted online shortly afterward.
