Ezra Collective - Here Because of Hope [2LP Transparent Ocean Blue Vinyl]

Ezra Collective presents Here Because Of Hope, the most ambitious and personal record of their career. This 2LP set, presented here on striking Transparent Ocean Blue Vinyl, is conceived as a body of work split into three spiritual and geographical movements, tracing the movement of Black people across continents and decades—from the music of Africa to the rhythms of the Caribbean, and home to the streets of London.

Formed in the youth clubs of London, the Mercury Prize and BRIT Award-winning quintet—Femi Koleoso, TJ Koleoso, Joe Armon-Jones, James Mollison, and Ife Ogunjobi—have spent over a decade making jazz joyful, urgent, and undeniable. On this album, they explore the profound question: why does so much Black music born out of pain sound so joyful? Their answer is hope: the belief, carried across generations and oceans, that something better is possible.

• A deeply personal and ambitious concept album exploring diaspora and hope.
• Features collaborations with notable artists including Pa Salieu, Lila Iké, and Leona Lewis.
• The sound anchors itself across the full breadth of the global African diaspora, including influences from America where African and Caribbean roots gave birth to jazz.
• The result is a record of remarkable warmth, ambition, and humanity, showcasing Britain's most vital band at the peak of their powers.

This release is the sound of Ezra Collective pushing their vision further than ever before, delivering a vital statement in contemporary jazz.