Ezra Collective has officially released their third studio album Dance, No One's Watching. The 19-track project saw the band continue to experiment with different genres. Although the album is jazz in its simplest form, it's a far cry from strictly classical jazz: instead, it's body-moving music that draws from the band's wide range of influences from Fela Kuti to dub, hip- hop, and calypso, all brought together by strong rhythms, catchy grooves, intense horns, and great solos. As written on the back of the album's vinyl, Dance, No One's Watching was “written for the dance floor.”
The rhythm section of drummer Femi Koleoso and bassist TJ Koleoso provide catchy grooves throughout the project while trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi and tenor saxophonist James Mollison III offer strong lead horns and the keyboardist with Joe Armon-Jones accompanying before suddenly bursting into striking staccato solos. Highlight songs include the high-energy “Ajala” and the warm vibe of “God Gave Me Feet For Dancing” featuring Yazmin Lacey — both of which were released as singles — while “Hear My Cry” and “Expensive” is the first time hearing the songs that have become staples on Ezra Collective's recent tour. It's not just all parties, as songs like “Why I Smile” and “Everybody” have deep and soulful themes.
"We live in a world that has become one big performance," the band said in their "statement of freedom" accompanying the album. “Whether it's on your phone, or in society in general, we're losing the ability to be true to ourselves. There is a constant desire to gain the approval of other people. This record is a statement that you can be whoever you want to be, no matter what's around you, no matter what people say, because on a deeper level — no one is watching. Don't let the judgment of others steal your joy. Focus on being you. Who you are called to be. And when you reach that, you will experience true happiness. See you on the dancefloor. This is where you are meant to be and this is where we will all feel free.”
Stream Dance, No One's Watching now, and visit the Ezra Collective webstore to purchase the album on vinyl or CD. Note that the album has 19 tracks on streaming services, while the vinyl has 15 tracks — this does not include the four interludes as stand-alone songs.
