There are two ways to look at the current jazz-funk and soul revival. You can side with jazz purists who think artists like Us3 and the Brand New Heavies are cannibals who have boiled down elements of the past 50 years, covered them in a slick production goo, and spoon-fed the hodge-podge to audiences in lieu of making something original. Or you can throw down with those who enjoy the new hybrids and appreciate their syncretic approach, acknowledging that, in an ever-shrinking world, traditional, rigid boundaries between musical styles are passé.

New discs from Jazzhole and Groove Collective could feed the argument for either side. Jazzheads are apt to dismiss Jazzhole as one more casualty of a post-pomo world where musicians don't create because they are too busy despising the contemporary wasteland and hiding behind a romanticized tradition. Pomo kids might be kinder. Jazzhole's second effort, . . . And the Feeling Goes Round (Mesa/Bluemoon; it's being followed by the short remix LP The Beat Is the Bomb), is a necessary step in the creation of their own voice. The group borrow from sources as diverse as John Coltrane, Earth Wind and Fire, and A Tribe Called Quest, paying homage to the old school while trying to carve out a niche for themselves. At best, they work toward a polished amalgamation of styles. At worst, the result approximates an unedited jam session.

Jazzhole's funk and rap roots are their deepest; when they rip loose with slow jive guitar and Digable Planet-style mumbly male vocals ("Is It Still Love" and "Do You See What I See"), their prowess is evident. But their preoccupation with their heroes inhibits creativity. Their soulful crooning and amateur sax soloing often come off like uninspired ripoffs. On "Moodness of Cool," the lyrics aspire to the mellow cool of '60s Beat poets but fall short. The laid-back hip seems calculated as the singer fumbles through a clumsy enumeration of jazz greats, chanting their names like a religious affirmation of the group's credibility. Jazzhole's romp across every musical style since jazz's birth is admirable if foolhardy; their sound, however, is still rough around the edges.

Groove Collective fare better in the struggle to appropriate jazz tradition. Instead of getting trapped in references to their forefathers, the group use their rich musical past and some current global inspirations to create a soundscape that complements the New York City landscape. In We the People (Giant Step/Impulse!), they capture both the multiplicity and the cohesiveness of New York through experimental rhythms and catchy beats. The songs weave jazz-pop fusion, uptempo Latin, R&B, and a healthy dose of '70s funk with a New York-style irreverence that celebrates diversity while refusing to be pigeonholed. The 10-piece outfit explores the tension between different neighborhoods through an interlacing of musical textures, traveling from the South Bronx on a sticky summer day to uptown Manhattan at the stroke of midnight, with subway stops along the way.

Whether they are baritone-soloing ("Jay Wrestles the Bariconstrictor," parts I and II), pushing electric jazz à la Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters ("Sneaky" and "Everybody") or laying down the love vibes ("Loisaida"), these musically diverse players merge their sounds into an infectious groove that's often confusing but never boring. The vibe is well-crafted and hypnotic, with as much energy as the metropolis itself.