The Jazz Interview Podcast

Ezra Collective just won a freaking Brit Award for Best British Group!

Talking to drummer and leader Femi Koleoso, we trace the history of band, from its inception as competition-winning teens in 2012, to coming up in the fabled “UK jazz explosion” of 2016-18 alongside contemporaries and friends Moses Boyd, Kokoroko and Nubya Garcia

We also talked at length about how helpful or unhelpful that media buzz was, as well as the role of famous Steam Down club night the seminal We Out Here compilation.

Koleoso also revealed his dream collabs – from Little Simz and Erykah Badu to Herbie Hancock, Mos Def, and even Tame Impala.

And talked about that time he refused to stage a gig for the New York Times, and why he might break up the band and keep all the money …

To mark the 85th birthday of Ralph Towner, we share a recent interview with the legendary guitar virtuoso and pianist. From his home in Rome, Towner talks us through his 50-plus-year recording career with ECM Records – from classic album Solstice, recorded with Jan Gabarek – to recent solo release At First Light. Ralph also shares his writing and improvisation process, and recounts memorable encounters with Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and Bill Evans. He opens up about his fears of ageing and losing some of his musical versatility, talks about why the legendary fusion supergroup have retired from touring for good – and why he's never owned an electric guitar.

Parts of this interview were quoted in a profile feature I wrote for Issue 10 of We Jazz magazine, kindly posted online by Ralph himself here.