The fine, young, UK-based players keep coming! Seeing Ezra Collective collecting a BRIT a few weeks ago felt like a great accolade not just for the phenomenal band themselves but also for the brilliantly explosive UK jazz scene that we’ve seen grow and grow over the last decade or so. Just as their forefathers did for them the likes of Ezra, Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd have opened the door for the next-gen and there’s no shortage of talent passing through it. The latest is Allexa Nava. Born in Peru but now based in London she’s studied at Trinity Laban and in the clubs and venues of the city’s vibrant scene.
Her debut EP yields five tracks that display a studied but single-minded approach. I guess you’d call it fusion – but what’s fused feels fresh. Allexa quotes the ‘gritty, muscular funk’ of jazz saxophonist Chris Potter’s ‘Ultrahang’ and the ‘captivating harmonic soundscapes’ of esteemed pianist Brad Mehldau as influences. She was classically trained and there’s a subtle echo of that here too.
It’s an impressive debut and an exciting voice added to the growing UK roll of honour
This is our album of the week for the week commencing 17th March 2025