Ezra Collective’s momentous win at the Brits Awards (2025) re-affirmed that UK Jazz was here to stay and grow. It shouted across the UK that loving jazz is trendy.
The Brits more associated with ‘pop acts’ gave their award to a jazz group-the first time ever. The win was a significant and powerful water shed moment. Despite the drastic cuts to UK “arts and music” it highlighted people and organisations fostering the next generation of young jazz musicians are still very much here.
“I came through Tomorrow’s Warriors, and I strongly believe we couldn’t have this amazing jazz scene (which had an explosion around 2018) without them
“Tomorrow’s Warriors do not get enough credit for the rise of UK Jazz” the talented saxophonist Camilla George tells me when I interviewed her recently, “I came through Tomorrow’s Warriors, and I strongly believe we couldn’t have this amazing jazz scene (which had an explosion around 2018) without them. You have to remember through TW names like; Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, Shabaka, and of course Ezra Collective were created and formed”
It’s no secret that UK Jazz was (and perhaps still is to an extent) an elitist and at times snobbish genre. You get the picture- a white male, with a comb-over held in place by lacquer, having an aneurysm as a young black female incorporates some grime elements into her jazz composition “what the fuck is she doing dear god!” Of course I jest-to a degree. Now some might be offended but there is veracity in this description. Also I don’t give a damn.
Formed in 1991 by the inspirational figures of Janine Irons OBE and Dr Gary Crosby OBE, Tomorrow’s Warriors has indeed supported the next generation of jazz musicians to create their brand of music.
Camilla George (who plays at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2026) has lit up UK jazz with three amazing albums since 2017. Her debut was a warm celebration of her roots-the reception however was chilly.
“I remember when I brought out my debut album Isang (2017). People made fun of the title because it was hugely different then. People were saying ‘why are you talking about stuff to do with ‘slaves’.”
Such visceral reactions points to something deeper. It’s a damning indictment. In a telling recent report, Black music has contributed £24.5billion out of a total £30billion in the last three decades to UK music.
Camilla adds, “There was a fair degree of jazz snobbishness but also this lack of space to fully explore, express and indulge in ‘your’ heritage then”
Tomorrow’s Warriors has embraced and championed with vigour-gender equality, diversity and rich cultures whether black, white, Latin and all in between. It’s helped to see great names emerge (not necessarily from TW) creating delectable jazz. From Yussef Dayes, Emma-Jean Thackray, Blue Lab Beats, Theon Cross, Yazz Ahmed, Soweto Kinch and more. It’s telling when names like US artist Kamasi Washington shines a light on UK jazz!
a white male, with a comb-over held in place by lacquer, having an aneurysm as a young black female incorporates some grime elements into her jazz composition
For Camilla her most recent album co-produced with her best friend from college Tom Harrison is Ibio- Ibio (2025). It’s an album proudly celebrating her Nigerian roots and black music.
“Tomorrow’s Warriors became (and still is) a platform for black musicians and female musicians. Our jazz scene has been created by them with other people like Jazz Refreshed, Gilles Petersen and others as the catalyst for this explosion of UK Jazz” she adds, “The thing with TW is it is free allowing for grass roots, helping young kids into music. You get people from all backgrounds learning together. Tomorrow’s Warriors is the starting point for the amazing UK Jazz scene we have and indeed they continue to launch the next generation of kids into jazz”
Camilla George plays at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 30th Anniversary 29.04.2026
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