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Vanguards of the London jazz scene, five-piece instrumental group Ezra Collective have spent the past decade electrifying stages from Glastonbury to Wembley Arena with their high-energy antics. Making history in 2023 by becoming the first – and to date only – jazz act to win the Mercury prize, and going on to win best group at the Brit awards in 2025, the group have come to define an improvisatory sound that blends the jazz tradition with the infectious West African melodies and rhythms that bandleader Femi Koleoso and his brother, bassist TJ Koleoso, grew up with.

Formed in 2012 after meeting in the grassroots jazz workshop Tomorrow’s Warriors, the group spent their early years sneaking into jazz institutions such as London’s Ronnie Scott’s club to catch glimpses of elder greats like drummer Tony Allen, and began writing music that incorporated Allen’s afrobeat alongside their love of hip-hop and jazz standards. Their debut EP, Chapter 7, was released independently in 2016, and coincided with the arrival of a whole new scene of young players like saxophonist Nubya Garcia and drummer Moses Boyd, who did away with the stuffy traditionalism of jazz stereotypes to instead draw a newer, younger audience to the music.

In the years since, Ezra Collective have released three albums that veer freely between spiritual jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop, all anchored by the thumping dancefloor pulse of their writing. Collaborators have come flocking to feature with the group, including rappers Loyle Carner and Kojey Radical, singers Olivia Dean and Jorja Smith and even Arsenal football legend Ian Wright. In September, the band will release their fourth album, Here Because of Hope.

Shouting out the vital existence of youth clubs during their Mercury prize speech, the group also regularly hold mentoring workshops for young musicians, and have collaborated with youth groups such as the Kinetika Bloco ensemble at Glastonbury and on stage at the Brit awards.

Now you have the chance to ask Ezra Collective anything you have ever wanted to know about their origins in the band, the state of British jazz, their next album and what it takes to ensure the pipeline of young talent continues in the UK.

On Friday 3 July at 4pm, I will be in conversation with the group at Love Supreme festival in East Sussex, and they are especially keen to hear from music students, teachers and young people – as well as everyone else with a burning query. Write your questions in the comments below and the best will be asked on stage, and a summary of the Q&A session will also be posted online shortly afterwards.