{"id":1286,"date":"2019-02-06T05:10:09","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T05:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/?p=1286"},"modified":"2019-02-06T05:10:09","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T05:10:09","slug":"ezra-collective-juan-pablo-the-philospher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/2019\/02\/06\/ezra-collective-juan-pablo-the-philospher\/","title":{"rendered":"Ezra Collective \u2013 Juan Pablo: The Philospher"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Ezra Collective \u2013 Juan Pablo: The Philospher<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Released: October 6, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>At this year\u2019s Winter Jazz Fest in New York City, Ezra Collective closed out a BBC Music Introducing showcase at (Le) Poisson Rouge with stunning energy, saving an evening that never quite caught fire until the quintet set the stage ablaze. In particular, bandleader and drummer Femi Koleoso\u2019s aggressive approach that evening showed he came with something to prove (he did announce that after a terribly long wait, they had finally secured year-long visas). In addition to bassist TJ Koleoso\u2019s gift for constantly keeping the proceedings groovy, the interplay between Koleoso and pianist Joe Armon-Jones \u2013 especially when the band stepped back so the two could face off \u2013 carried a palpable intensity that elicited shouts from the crowd. Relentless from start to finish, the group kept their crowd dancing well into their encore.<\/p>\n<p>On record, late 2017 EP <em>Juan Pablo: the Philospher <\/em>is the most recent statement from the group, founded in 2012. Along with fellow scenesters Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective is part of London\u2019s new, young wave that\u2019s taking the promise of live jazz in energetic new directions.<\/p>\n<p>Compared to jazz stateside, Britain\u2019s deep Caribbean influence means the polyrhythms of calypso and Afrobeat and the heavy low in reggae are embedded in UK jazz\u2019s modern DNA. There\u2019s still virtuosity, but there\u2019s also a key focus on danceability, all of which is present on the brief but promising <em>Juan Pablo<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJuan Pablo\u201d arrives with a triumphant brass call backed by an Afrobeat shuffle. \u201cDylan\u2019s Dilemma,\u201d a breathy aside from trumpeter Dylan Jones, slows down the energy before leading into \u201cPeople in Trouble\u201d with a slow, somber introduction aided by strings. Armon-Jones\u2019 keys cascade into a four-on-the-floor chasm, their fall mourned by Koleoso\u2019s marching toms and intermittent cymbal crashes. Jones\u2019 solo is likely the most straight-ahead moment on the EP, a nervous mix of fast flourishes and jagged chords and movement, his hands never sitting comfortably in a zone for more than an instant. Jones squeals his way into the musical mix, and Armon-Jones makes way for a conversation with his bandmate. The moment feels akin to a dance, a musical give and take with neither ever stealing the spotlight from the other.<\/p>\n<p>Similar to \u201cDylan\u2019s Dilemma,\u201d \u201cJames Speaks to the Galaxy\u201d is a brief solo from saxophonist James Mollison that intros into Ezra\u2019s funky take on Sun Ra\u2019s \u201cSpace is the Place.\u201d It\u2019s a stand-out on the EP, and a tribute to the group\u2019s key influence. The quintet spruces up the tune in their own image, adding a rhythmic urgency that duels with the laid-back brass, resulting in a satisfying musical tension. Special guest Theon Cross shines on tuba, adding a heft and grit to the song\u2019s rugged chug.<\/p>\n<p><em>Juan Pablo: the Philosopher <\/em>works well in two ways. For jazz heads, it\u2019s a fascinating modern insight into the art form\u2019s current global relevance and mutability. It\u2019s also a great entry point for new listeners looking for something with a little more heat and energy than older \u201cclassic\u201d jazz.<\/p>\n<p>Words by: Brandon Roos &#8211; 2018<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ezra Collective \u2013 Juan Pablo: The Philospher Released: October 6, 2017 \u00a0 \u00a0 At this year\u2019s Winter Jazz Fest in New York City, Ezra Collective closed out a BBC Music Introducing showcase at (Le) Poisson Rouge with stunning energy, saving an evening that never quite caught fire until the quintet set the stage ablaze. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1286"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}