For the past few years, the London-born saxophonist and clarinetist Shabaka Hutchings has led three different groups, exploring a distinctive sound with each. The soul prog of the Comet Is Coming gazes ahead; the spiritual jazz of Shabaka and the Ancestors seems to take its cues from the past. Between these bands lies the turbulent, soca-inflected jazz of the Sons of Kemet, which is tied to the present moment. Their latest, Black to the Future, is a propulsive record advocating that change comes from speaking directly about collective oppression. Collective is the key word here, and Hutchings attempts to unite the different strands of the African diaspora, working with vocalists and rappers from both the UK and U.S. Black to the Future is highly accessible, politically engaged jazz that’s more focused on communication than individual experimentation.

Tracklist:
1. Field Negus
2. Pick Up Your Burning Cross
3. Think of Home
4. Hustle
5. For the Culture
6. To Never Forget the Source
1. In Remembrance of Those Fallen
2. Let the Circle Be Unbroken
3. Envision Yourself Levitating
4. Throughout the Madness, Stay Strong
5. Black