James Blood Ulmer - Disc of the day

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James Blood Ulmer
Black Rock

(CBS, 1982; reissued Sony Japan, 1995)

OK, that’s enough folk. Let’s go free jazz guitar rock nuts in No Wave New York!

“Jazz is the teacher, funk is the preacher!” proclaims James ‘Blood’ Ulmer on his MySpace page. At the age of 66, the guitarist has straddled both camps – first in the ‘60s when, after cutting his teeth in his father’s gospel band, he played with organist John Patton before moving to New York in ’71 to play with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Larry Young and, most significantly, Ornette Coleman. Striking out on his own in ’77, he released three independent albums before signing to CBS in ’81 where he recorded the thunderous triumvirate of Free Lancing, Black Rock and Odyssey. Of the trio, Black Rock is the most satisfying, a unique blend of free jazz, deep soul and latter day funk-punk that saw Ulmer share stages with everyone from PiL to Coleman. Ulmer’s fiery invective is exemplified by Black Rock’s uproarious title track (think: Band Of Gypsies, The Stooges’ LA Blues and Sonny Sharrock’s playing on Miles’s Jack Johnson), but as a player he is too tasteful to rely merely on bombast. For all the Hendrix-styled guitar avalanche of Open House, the rich soul of Family Affair and the reflective Love Has Two Faces provide counterpoints that showcase Ulmer’s discipline and melodic sensibilities. In recent years, Ulmer has returned to his blues roots in the company of Vernon Reid, one of his staunchest disciples, but Black Rock remains his most sulphurous outing. Criminally, along with Odyssey and Free Lancing, it has yet to be fully reissued on CD other than in a limited Japanese run.

Phil Alexander

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 06/05/2008

Further Listening

Stanley Clarke – Journey To Love (CBS, 1975)

James ‘Blood’ Ulmer – Odyssey (CBS, 1983)

Sonny Sharrock – Ask The Ages (Axiom, 1991)

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Click here for House Rules

oh they dont make them like dis kid no more.........oh the shame.....kool kat keep it dirty and funky soldier jones!!!!!

Posted by jimi hendrix plays beethoven on xylophone at 4:56 AM GMT 07/05/2008 Report Abuse

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