Ezra Collective announce new album Dance, No One's Watching

British jazz quintet Ezra Collective have announced their upcoming album Dance, No One's Watching, set to release 27 September on Partisan Records.

The band have also released the second single from the project featuring London singer Yazmin Lacey, 'God Gave Me Feet For Dancing', following on from the first single ‘Ajala’.

The accompanying music video for ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ was directed by Tajana Tokyo (Beyoncé, Janelle Monae) and shows a young couple locking eyes and beginning a dance number outside of a pub.

Ezra Collective’s third studio album Dance, No One’s Watching is described by the band as “an ode to the sacred, yet joyous act of dancing.”

Drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso said that he, bassist TJ Koleoso, and trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, all grew up in church which played a large role in their view of the purpose of dancing.

“Dancing is a community thing, dancing is a spiritual thing, and ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ is like a window into that element of Ezra Collective for the five of us,” He said.

“There’s a story in the Bible that talks about ‘David dancing before the Lord’, and that’s always been something that has inspired me. So, ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ is meant to look at dancing in a more spiritual capacity, like it’s our God-given ability to shake away the badness of life and dance instead.”

In 2023 Ezra Collective became the first ever jazz act to win the Mercury Prize in its 31-year history for their album Where I’m Meant To Be, and also won Best Jazz Act at the MOBO Awards.

The jazz group performed at Daniel Lee’s Burberry x Harrods takeover and launched the British Library’s upcoming Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British music exhibition on May 11 this year.

In their upcoming tour, Ezra Collective will be performing in the 3Olympia, Dublin on November 11 2024.

Tickets are available here. Check out ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ below.