Black Dynamite (Original Motion Picture Score)

iTunes Review

Several ‘70s Blaxploitation films had great soundtracks, and some of them — Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly, Isaac Hayes’ Shaft, Marvin’s Gaye’s Trouble Man — became at least as famous as the movies they graced. So it’s no surprise that Adrian Younge’s music for 2009’s Black Dynamite plays a key role in director’s Scott Sanders’s feature-length homage to the genre. The composer brings a period fetishist’s devotion to the score, which is played on old-school instruments and recorded on analog gear. “Black Dynamite Theme” uses the warmth of Hammond organ, flute interjections, chattering percussion, and other sounds to accompany singer LaVan Davis’s introduction of the film’s hero. “Man with the Heat (Superbad)” has a clock-like beat and a wah-wah guitar that evokes Curtis Mayfield, but Loren Oden’s vocals have their own soul flavor. “Jimmy’s Dead (Interlude)” opens with a harpsichord solo before drums and heavy fuzz guitar enter. “Chicago Wind” also begins with harpsichord, but it has the familiar earmarks of ‘70s R& B: husky horns, crisp guitar accents, and nice vocals by Toni Scruggs.