We sit down with Femi Koleoso, the enigmatic drummer of Ezra Collective, after he gets off a long haul flight, before the band debut their new album at All Points East Festival. Hailed as a celebration of jazz’s diversity, their ear-shattering live gigs showcase their music as it was meant to be heard; a fizzling fusion of genres ranging from hip-hop to neo soul to Latin influences, infused with vogue-worthy improvisations. We talk about to Femi about his London influences, star signs and of course, his favourite jazz acts.
Gigwise: To get a sense of your story, are you all born and bred Londoners?
Femi Koleoso: TJ and I are from North London, and James is from South London but Joe is from outside of London. But we all met and grew up in London, so that’s the vibe, we’re a London band.
GW: How has the city influenced your music?
FK: Everything I do has a London accent to it if you like, because it’s impossible to go to school in such a multicultural environment, be subject to the aggression and beauty of London and it not have an effect on you. You can’t get on the Central line at 6pm and not be influenced by that in some way. My way of articulating these things is writing these songs and playing the drums, if you see what I’m saying.
GW: Tomorrow’s Warriors was a youth organisation that created some of Jazz’s biggest stars today, and have sadly recently lost their funding. Did being part of that scene affect you in a positive way?
FK: That’s the youth club that made it this thing. I’m a big believer in that everyone is a blank canvas and has the ability for something great and beautiful to grow from someone, everyone’s got that potential. Quite often you need someone who plants the seed and then nurtures it and helps it grow into something and that’s what Tomorrow’s Warriors was for me. Beyond just teaching me how to be a jazz musician, on a deeper level it’s about how to look after yourself, how to look after your friends; that extensive community, that sense of feeling proud to be black, being proud to be a man, being proud to be a woman, whatever you are. You know all of that came from Tomorrow’s Warriors in a big way and a lot of that is in our music. Every interview you’ve ever heard from me, I would have said Tomorrow’s Warriors at some point because it’s so integral and it’s the type of thing that should be championed tirelessly because that to me right there is like absolutely what makes London one of the greatest cities in the galaxy.
I haven’t been in the country for a long time, not gonna lie, but when I am here I plan to help in any way I can, because like I said it’s a triumph of London and the UK and if the funding can’t come from a government perspective, I’m not too fussed about that because I think it should be all of our duty- if you’ve ever enjoyed the artistry that’s come out of London, you should be motivated to support that, you know. I had a lot of love for Giles Peterson when he had the party and the whole thing was fundraising for Tomorrow’s Warriors, I think he might have even run a marathon for them. Yeah I’m a big supporter of anyone championing young people doing something positive with their life whether it’s jazz music, whether it’s drama, whether it’s sports, whether it’s in academics. I’ve got a lot of time for Stormzy’s Merky publishing and trying to get people to read and write books, them kind of things need to be championed.
GW: We attended a panel you were on at BBC Introducing Live Festival…
FK: I think I was really jet-lagged for that actually, my permanent state is jet-lagged, I live in jetlag.
GW: You were talking about when you were younger, you’d go to Ronnie Scotts and it was quite an exclusive place; there wasn’t much representation of yourself or the people around you. do you feel like those spaces still represent what jazz is about today or do you think it’s quite separate from what jazz has become?
FK: That’s a good question, I never get asked good questions. I think Ronnie Scotts is approaching 60/65 years old and I think the innovation of Jazz music in the UK caught them by surprise initially, but they’re making their best efforts to stay relevant and right now in Jazz music staying relevant is showcasing not just the legendary status, but also the things that are happening and bubbling right now. But I think this music and this movement is beyond the venues, you know. Quite often venues are championed and the music is secondary but the venue isn’t anything without the music you know? I think that about every space in London, I see the whole thing as a venue, just whether they’ll let me play or not. So it’s like for me this music and this movement is beyond the venues; there’s a space for Ronnie Scotts, there’s a place for Ezra to play in a club where my mum can sit peacefully, but there’s definitely a space for Ezra to play where people feel free to mosh and jump around and express themselves in that way you know? Anywhere that allows the music and expression to happen is relevant, you just gotta find the right time and place for it you know. But then a lot of jazz clubs aren’t happy to embrace what’s happening, and they’re the ones that close down.
GW: Are there any specific places that are favourites for you to play?
FK: The first time I played in Ronnie Scotts it was special, you idolise that temple. You listen to recordings, Sonny Rollins live at Ronnie Scotts and then it’s on the album Live at Ronnie Scotts. But then again playing at KOKO was special because a lot of people that I’ve grown up listening to played at KOKO and when I played at Brixton Academy- Ezra played a tune with Jorja (Smith) there. Brixton Academy’s iconic, you know? Ezra’s played in the Royal Albert Hall. All of them felt special in different ways. Even The Royal Albert Pub in New Cross Gate is a vibe on Sunday night. So I’ve always just been super open because that’s how I’ve always accessed music. I just roll to a club and see what happens.
GW: It felt like your record has so many influences, you’ve got the stuff with Jorja Smith, you’ve got the stuff with Loyle Carner, again like a collage of classic jazz but knitted together with neo soul, hip hop and also some Latin Influences.
FK: Yeah! Yeah yeah 100%.
GW: Was there anything specific that you were listening to while making the record? Because I remember you once said “I can’t wait to hear non English language music on the radio.”
FK: Yeah man I still look forward to that happening. Nah that’s a great question, I think I take inspiration from a lot of things. One of the things that heavily heavily influenced that album was me going to Brazil for the first time, that party changed my life forever. That party was so bless, it changed the way I thought about music. And other things that have heavily influenced it was that I was having drum lessons from Tony Allen who’s Fela Kuti’s drummer. That heavily influenced everything about it. And other things that happened like Thundercats’ album slapped the whole band. When ‘Drunk’ came out, we were were gassed, man. Lots of different things. But I guess I’m so constantly being influenced by music it’s hard to pinpoint specific things about the album. You know what, Donae’o influenced a lot of my writing on that album. The song ‘Chris and Jane' is directly influenced by the way Donae’o produces funky house music. Funky house was my favourite era of UK music ever, I partied harder than I’ve ever partied when that was a thing. Do you remember that carnival? Like 2010, I wasn’t even a big man then, I was raving hard!
GW: You were talking about the importance of the Jazz community with Tomorrow’s Warriors- do you have any favourite acts in Jazz right now?
FK: That’s a good question, is that UK thing or in the whole galaxy?
GW: In the whole galaxy!
FK: Okay. I’m a big, big, big Kamasi Washington fan.
GW: Okay cool, are you gonna see him play today?
FK: Yeah yeah yeah, you can’t be this close to the Temple and not have a taste! Ife Ogunjobi, he’s a trumpet player, he’s only 18, he’s a badman. He played a gig at Jazz re:freshed the other day and it was live streamed, I was in our tour bus in the middle of America, jetlagged out of my skull, really enjoying it. He’s amazing. I’m also a big Sons of Kemet fan, big Comet is Coming fan.
GW: I found out Shabaka Hutchins has the same birthday as me and I freaked out.
FK: When’s your birthday?
GW: 24 May
FK: That one’s deep man.
GW: The Geminis are taking over.
FK: Them ones there man, I’m not mad about that at all. Don’t worry the Libra season’s coming. You know what, isn’t Jorja a Gemini? When does Gemini finish? Mid June?
GW: In my life, never.
FK: [Laughs] I think Jorja Smith is a Gemini too.
GW: What can I say?
FK: Congrats!
GW: Thank you. Lastly, what would your advice be to a young person who wants to get into Jazz at the moment. Especially if places like Tomorrow’s Warriors aren’t here?
FK: They’re still here though! They’re still here and fighting. But my advice to anyone trying to do Jazz music or more broadly anyone just trying to do music, I just always say be humble enough to receive advice from good people, but then at the same time never be ashamed of what you love and what you believe, and go for it. Once upon a time, I loved Jazz music and that made me super weird, but I ploughed through that love, and suddenly that love became normalised a bit- it’s still a bit weird that I listen to saxophones all the time. But you know believe in what you love because that’s how you innovate things you know. Don’t be ashamed about the fact that you’re a black boy from Tottenham but you love Slipknot, yeah great, love them with passion, wear the t-shirt and go to their gigs! Or love the fact that you know- I’m just saying black boy from North London because that’s what I am- but it’s true like, if the most stereotypical thing you can do is listen to grime music, then listen to grime music and love it, not because it’s what you’re meant to like but because you love it, and just allow all your influences to inspire what you’re doing, you know what I’m saying? That’s my vibe man. And always keep track of your invoices!
GW: Sage advice.
FK: That’s just real life man.
