Groove-oriented jazz didn't start with the organ combos and soul-jazz groups of the '60s and '70s; plenty of grooving occurred with Dixieland in the '10s and '20s and swing in the '30s and early to mid-'40s. But soul-jazz did remind the jazz world that it was still OK for an improviser to groove -- that not everything had to be as complex and demanding as John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" or Sonny Rollins' "Oleo." And those soul-jazz and jazz-funk grooves of the '60s and '70s continue to hold up well after all these years, which is why Ben Sidran celebrates that era on this 2003 date. Although Sidran is known for his singing, he favors an instrumental setting on Nick's Bump; this time, Sidran uses the Hammond organ and the electric piano to get his points across -- and he savors the funkier side of post-swing jazz whether he is embracing Sonny Clark's "Blue Minor," Donald Byrd's "Black Jack," or three Eddie Harris compositions ("Listen Here," "Mean Greens," and "Cryin' Blues"). If Nick's Bump sounds dated, it is dated in the positive sense -- dated as in remembering how rewarding a particular era was and being faithful to the spirit of that era. Nick's Bump recalls a time when soul-jazz players realized that jazz was losing more and more listeners to R&B and rock -- and that the only way to win over those Marvin Gaye, Rolling Stones, and James Brown fans was to groove and be accessible. Soul-jazz, unfortunately, didn't restore the mass appeal that jazz enjoyed during the Great Depression and World War II, but it was a noble effort -- one that Sidran happily remembers on Nick's Bump, which falls short of essential but is still an infectious, enjoyably funky demonstration of what he can do in an instrumental setting.© Alex Henderson /TiVo

As the Swedish composer's third collaboration with director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan, Ludwig Göransson's original score for Marvel's Black Panther was also his most adventurous and cross-cultural to date. Pushed by Coogler to utilize as much traditional African music as possible, Göransson traveled to the International Library of African Music in Grahamstown, South Africa, where he collected hundreds of sounds that would find their way into the score (such as the tambin flute that was central to Killmonger's recurring theme). Göransson also recruited Senagalese singer Baaba Maal, whose haunting vocals appear throughout the album, most prominently on the grand anthem "Wakanda" and the moving "A King's Sunset." Throughout, tribal chants, a crew of percussionists, and a 40-person Xhosa choir collided with American hip-hop trap beats and Western string orchestration, supporting the multicultural sound of the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, especially on standout moments like "Killmonger's Challenge" and "United Nations/End Titles." Motifs from the triumphant score also found their way onto the Kendrick Lamar-curated soundtrack, like on the Jay Rock single, "King's Dead," which shared vocal samples with the exhilarating "Casino Brawl." In the same week that the soundtrack topped the charts, the score also landed in the Top 100.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

Four years after the release of the twin-threat blockbuster film and album, the team behind Marvel Studios' Black Panther returned with a sequel and its accompanying soundtrack, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Still reeling from the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman -- both in real life and onscreen -- they managed to honor his legacy and push the character's story forward in respectful and appropriately mournful fashion. The songs follow suit, setting a somber and reflective tone that is punctuated by moments of celebration and an eye to the future. Split between two cultures that inspired the fictional kingdoms of Talokan (Mayan) and Wakanda (Nigeria), director Ryan Coogler and producer Ludwig Göransson curated a diverse set to support the film, capturing attention with global names (Rihanna, Future, Burna Boy, Stormzy) and showcasing artists that may be lesser-known outside of their genres (DBN Gogo, Vivir Quintana, Foudeqush, Fireboy DML). On the Talokanil/Mesoamerican side, the glimmering synths of "Con La Brisa" capture the shimmer of Namor's submerged home, while "Laayli' kuxa'ano'one" (by Adn Maya Colectivo, Pat Boy, Yaalen K'uj, and All Mayan Winik) and "Mi Pueblo" (by Guadalupe de Jesús Chan Poot) inject Mayan into the mix. Meanwhile, the haunting "Árboles Bajo El Mar" performed by Mare Advertencia Lirika and Vivir Quintana and the urgent "Inframundo" by Blue Rojo provide two of the most riveting vocal performances on the album. Taking it back to Wakanda and the African diaspora, Tems pulls double duty, first by gifting an un-retired Rihanna with the beautiful ballad "Lift Me Up" and then delivering her own take on the Bob Marley classic "No Woman No Cry." South African producer DBN Gogo also provides a pair of hip-shaking tracks from the amapiano subgenre ("Love & Loyalty [Believe]" and "Jele"). Additional highlights include Fireboy DML's uplifting "Coming Back for You"; the hypnotic "Anya Mmiri" from CKay and PinkPantheress; and the pulse-pounding "They Want It, But No" by Tobe and Fat Nwigwe, which matches a similar standout track/scene from the first movie ("Opps" by Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok). This wealth of diversity makes Wakanda Forever a treasure trove, an immersive experience that uses fictional lands as a means for discovery of real-world cultural traditions.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

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"[T]he two parties complement each other intuitively on this session. Astatke's lyrical piano abuts levee-breaking beats and guitar crunge on 'Masengo'..." © TiVo

A culturally momentous film directed by a black man, featuring a black lead actor and a predominantly black supporting cast, Marvel Studios' Black Panther is augmented with an album powered by Kendrick Lamar. It's an unprecedented convergence of the mainstream film industry with an uncompromising musician thriving commercially and artistically. Director Ryan Coogler sought Lamar out to contribute to the album, but the artist ended up involved with every track, credited in varying combinations as headliner, featured artist, co-songwriter, and co-producer, with long-term producer Sounwave a factor in all but three cuts. Subtitled "Music from and Inspired By," this is not a soundtrack in the strictest sense. Indeed, a significant portion of the content -- from whole tracks like the Travis Scott turn "Big Shot," to the part where Future quotes Juicy J's "Slob on My Knob" -- has no relation to the film, though there's a reflectively militant quality to a high percentage of the verses. Elements that are alternately obvious and subtle, including tribal-futuristic drums, audio-logo-like mentions of character names, and ululations (the last instance via the Weeknd on the despairing but proud finale), are threaded throughout to maintain the connection. They frame Lamar, a central figure as he proclaims his sovereign rank and examines its pitfalls -- not a stretch for him. The set has a major crossover single bid in the form of "All the Stars," an elegantly crafted SZA showcase that sounds at once like a defiant hero's anthem and a love theme. Another canny aspect in the album's assemblage is its inclusion of several artists from South Africa. The most notable appearance is made by Yugen Blakrok, "half-machine" Johannesburg native who boasts of "crushing any system that belittles us," references Millie Jackson, and leaves a pile of smoldering rubble in her wake. Lamar also enlists England's Jorja Smith and James Blake, and a Stateside crew that includes Mozzy, Ab-Soul, and Anderson Paak, as well as SOB x RBE, who, like Coogler, represent the Bay Area. Given the level of the performances, the majority of the guests evidently approached this as a Kendrick Lamar album, not as a soundtrack. Black Panther: The Album serves both purposes well.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

As the Swedish composer's third collaboration with director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan, Ludwig Göransson's original score for Marvel's Black Panther was also his most adventurous and cross-cultural to date. Pushed by Coogler to utilize as much traditional African music as possible, Göransson traveled to the International Library of African Music in Grahamstown, South Africa, where he collected hundreds of sounds that would find their way into the score (such as the tambin flute that was central to Killmonger's recurring theme). Göransson also recruited Senagalese singer Baaba Maal, whose haunting vocals appear throughout the album, most prominently on the grand anthem "Wakanda" and the moving "A King's Sunset." Throughout, tribal chants, a crew of percussionists, and a 40-person Xhosa choir collided with American hip-hop trap beats and Western string orchestration, supporting the multicultural sound of the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, especially on standout moments like "Killmonger's Challenge" and "United Nations/End Titles." Motifs from the triumphant score also found their way onto the Kendrick Lamar-curated soundtrack, like on the Jay Rock single, "King's Dead," which shared vocal samples with the exhilarating "Casino Brawl." In the same week that the soundtrack topped the charts, the score also landed in the Top 100.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo