Ezra Collective, the London-based jazz quintet, will release their new album Here Because Of Hope on September 18 through Partisan Records. The album follows their 2024 release Dance, No One’s Watching.
New Collaborations and Musical Direction
The album features collaborations with British-Gambian rapper Pa Salieu, Leona Lewis, Jamaican singer Lila Iké, Cameroonian artist Libianca, and Letitia Wright, known for her role in Black Panther. It explores musical styles from the Black diaspora, including calypso, afrobeat, and grime.
Drummer Femi Koleoso explained the inspiration behind the album, saying, “We considered the many Black genres where the story is painful. And we came up with hope. It's the hope that one day this pain will change and take me to that place. So we’re going to write in anticipation of that place.”
Album Tracklist
- 01 Part I
- 02 Blow Your Trumpet
- 03 Sweet Echo
- 04 Don’t Worry
- 05 Only Love [ft. Pa Salieu]
- 06 Someday
- 07 Part 2
- 08 Birdie Sings
- 09 The Last Stand
- 10 Well Organised [ft. Lila Iké]
- 11 El Corazon
- 12 Bunny On The Rise
- 13 Part 3
- 14 All I Need [ft. Leona Lewis]
- 15 Jubilee Feeling
- 16 Black Flag
- 17 Most High [ft. Libianca]
Upcoming Tour
Ezra Collective will embark on a tour starting in June, covering Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. The tour includes stops at major festivals such as Couleur Café in Brussels, Love Supreme in the UK, and LA Jazz Festival.
Tour Dates
- 06-26 Brussels, Belgium - Couleur Café Festival
- 06-27 Heidelberg, Denmark - Metropolink
- 07-03 Lewes, United Kingdom - Love Supreme Festival
- 07-08 Henley, United Kingdom - Henley Festival
- 07-09 Marseille, France - Jazz Des Cinq Continents Festival
- 07-10 Barcelona, Spain - Cruilla Festival
- 07-18 Köniz, Switzerland - Gurtenfestival
- 08-01 Waterford, Ireland - All Together Festival
- 08-07 Agrigento, Italy - Festivalle
- 08-09 Locorotondo, Italy - Locus Festival
- 08-15 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West
- 08-23 Los Angeles, CA - LA Jazz Festival
- 08-30 Lincoln, United Kingdom - Lost Village
- 10-03 Sydney, Australia - Move My Way SYD
- 10-04 Melbourne, Australia - Move My Way MEL
- 10-08 Seoul, Korea - YES24 Livehall
- 10-13 Tokyo, Japan - Toyusu Pit
Order Here Because Of Hope on Rough Trade for $33.
Source: https://pitchfork.com/news/ezra-collective-share-new-song-with-pa-salieu-detail-new-album-and-tour/
