Dance, No One’s Watching is the third album from the 5-piece, jazz quintet Ezra Collective. The London band has been around for about 10 years, but released their first album in 2019. I first became aware of shortly after, during the pandemic, in part because of the song “May the Funk Be With You (click link)“. I started binging on their music and then sharing with some friends.
I’ve been hoping to see them embark on a full-scale U.S. tour at some point and I’d definitely catch them on a few dates. To my knowledge, they did a one-stop SummerStage Central Park show in New York and then bounced.
Anyway, the band won the Mercury Prize in 2022 with their second album, Where I’m Meant To Be which was “documentation about being locked up”. They won it again the next year, which I understand is unprecedented for a jazz band.
According to the band’s own social media, this album “… is the documentation of being back outside and free. To everyone who has danced with us, this is a diary entry of our precious moments together. The band’s third album, Dance, No One’s Watching, is an ode to dancing and the many spaces that hold liberation and freedom.” The album was recorded at the great Abbey Road Studios and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one on repeat. Let’s have a listen and join the party.
‘Dance, No One’s Watching’ is an ode to the sacred, yet joyous act of dancing, an album that musically guides you through a night out in the city, from the opening of possibilities as a new evening spans out ahead, to dawn’s final hours as the night comes to a close.
Written during a blistering 2023 which saw Ezra Collective tour the world, and become the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, Dance, No One’s Watching is a documentation of the many dance floors they encountered. From London to Chicago, Lagos to Sydney, dance and rhythm connect us. These songs are a testament to that spirit.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road studios, where the band was surprised by a group of close friends and family, turning the sessions into a live communal celebration of love, music, and dancing.
‘Dance, No One’s Watching’ is a record that speaks to the unifying power of dance. It is a powerful and distinctive addition to a catalogue that continues to blaze a bold new trail in contemporary British music.
— BandCamp.com, Ezra Collective
Track By Track
Intro is of course, the first song on the album, but with the video, sets the theme for everything to follow. With the horn reggae groove playing, the video makes you feel like you just entered the coolest party on the planet, and you did!
The Herald picks up where “Intro” left off with an afrobeat rhythm and the heralding of the opening part of the album, with a horn line signaling excitement. Ife Ogunjobi has a amazing extended trumpet solo and the party is in full gear.
Palm Wine exudes the Caribbean vibe with a catchy horn lead and excellent rhythm section. There’s a fine piano solo bridge bissecting the main theme. It’s a chill, soothing tune.
cloakroom link up. (Act 1) is a brief interlude with strings showing party guests entering the venue and setting up what will be the first of 4 acts.
God Gave Me Feet For Dancing is the first of vocal song on the album and features Yazmin Lacey. It’s a terrific upbeat tune with great horn lines, and a nice sax solo. The video mimics the title and shows the partygoers waiting on line to get in, with two fantastic dancers telling the story in movement. It’s definitely a favorite of mine.
Ajala with a solid horn line and clapping accompaniment and a pulsing 155 bpm Afrobeat. There’s a bright keys solo at the 3/4 mark right over the top of the rhythm before the main theme closes hard.
The Traveller continues without break from Ajala, transitioning to a slower pace initially, with a bit of warped synth for some dreamy feels. It’s another brief segue into the next act.
in the dance. (Act 2) sets the table for the second act with a string ensemble lead into…
N29 has a drum and bass pocket groove downtempo start with some keys and synth layers over the top. It’s a bit reminscent of eary Crusaders work, very chill and relaxed at around 90 bpm.
No One’s Watching Me has a amazingly catchy horn opening that carries through the tune. The vocals from Olivia Dean are so sultry. There’s a great trumpet solo all the while maintaining the great backbeat.
our element (Act 3) has the similar string layer to Act 2 but with a narrator explaining the life of an unpaid dancer. “Dance is life, and you can’t be angry when your dancing.”
Hear My Cry is a call to dance with a compelling beat and majestic horn line. For the final minute of the song, the main theme blasts to new peaks, quite nicely.
Shaking Body is faint at the beginning like you’re just waking into the party and then takes off with a latin flair. After the horn lead, there’s a glistening piano solo that melds into the horn theme again. Midway, there’s a fine jazz trumpet solo perfectly suited for any dance club.
Expensive is Afrobeat all the way and features some excellent bari sax work. The sax solo midway is one of my favorites on the album. It’s followed up by another trumpet solo. The horns accelerate from 135 bpm and pick up the piano along the way for a raucous sprint to the finish.
Streets Is Calling has a clarion call horn opening with M.Anifest speaking the lyrics and Moonchild Sanelly with the additional vox. It’s a gritty albeit, short catchy chant.
lights out (Act 4) is the next and last string section breaker for the final three tunes.
Why I Smile is a chill acid jazz tune with a great horn lead and plentiful piano glissandos. It crests with the piano solos and then settles back for the nice walk in the park.
Have Patience sounds like it’s initally played in the rain before segueing into the solo piano that serves as the body of the song. It’s quiet at first and builds elegantly before settling back down.
Everybody begins with Joe Armon-Jones noodling the head of the tune and is ultimatelyy joined by what sounds like a full orchestra (everybody?) for this absolutely triumphant anthemic ending. The build is led by Ife Ogunjobi on trumpet and James Mollison on sax. The two horn playsrs intertwine superbly. The extended fadeout is a nice album finish to the party.
Ezra Collective Are:
Femi Koleoso (Drums)
Toyosi Jonathan Koleoso (Bass)
Ife Ogunjobi (Trumpet)
James Mollison, (Saxophone)
Joe Armon-Jones (Keyboards)
