James Blood Ulmer
James Blood Ulmer |
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James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 2, 1942 in St. Matthews, South Carolina) is an American jazz and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer's distinctive guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging." His singing has been called "raggedly soulful."[1]
Biography
Ulmer began his career playing with various soul jazz ensembles, and first recorded with organist John Patton in 1969. After moving to New York in 1971, Ulmer played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Joe Henderson, Paul Bley, Rashied Ali and Larry Young.
In the early 1970s, Ulmer joined Ornette Coleman; he was the first electric guitarist to record and tour extensively with Coleman. He has credited Coleman as a major influence, and Coleman's strong reliance on electric guitar in his fusion-oriented recordings owes a distinct debt to Ulmer.
He formed a group called the Music Revelation Ensemble with David Murray and Ronald Shannon Jackson, with whom he recorded throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Different incarnations of the group also featured Julius Hemphill, Arthur Blythe, Sam Rivers, and Hamiet Bluiett on saxophones and flutes. In the 1980s he co-led, with saxophonist George Adams, the ensemble Phalanx.
1983's Odyssey, with drummer Warren Benbow and violinist Charles Burnham, was described as "avant-gutbucket," leading writer Bill Milkowski to describe the music as "conjuring images of Skip James and Albert Ayler jamming on the Mississippi Delta."
Ulmer has recorded many albums as a leader, including three recent acclaimed blues-oriented records produced by Vernon Reid.
Ulmer was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.[2] [3]
In a 2005 Down Beat interview, Ulmer opined that guitar technique had not advanced since the death of Jimi Hendrix.[4] He stated that technique could advance "if the guitar would stop following the piano," and indicated that he tunes all of his guitar strings to A.[4]
In Spring 2011, Ulmer joined saxophone luminary James Carter's Organ Trio as a special guest along with Nicholas Payton on trumpet for a six-night stand of performances at Blue Note New York, NY.
Discography
As leader
- Revealing (In + Out, 1977)
- Tales of Captain Black (Artists House, 1978)
- Are You Glad to Be in America? (Rough Trade, 1980)
- Free Lancing (Columbia, 1981)
- Black Rock (Columbia, 1982)
- Odyssey (Columbia, 1984)
- Live at the Caravan of Dreams (Caravan of Dreams, 1986)
- America - Do You Remember the Love? (Blue Note, 1987)
- Blues Allnight (In + Out, 1989)
- Black and Blues (DIW, 1990) Drayton, Ali, Weston
- Blues Preacher (DIW/Columbia, 1992)
- Harmolodic Guitar with Strings (DIW, 1993)
- Live at the Bayerischer Hof (In + Out, 1994)
- Music Speaks Louder Than Words (DIW, 1995)
- Forbidden Blues (DIW, 1996)
- Blue Blood Innerhythmic, (2001)
- Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions (Hyena Records, 2003)
- No Escape from the Blues: The Electric Lady Sessions (M, 2003)
- Birthright (Hyena, 2005)
- Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions (Hyena, 2007)
- In and Out (In & Out Records, 2010)
With Odyssey the Band
- Odyssey (Columbia, 3-5/83) Charles Burnham, Warren Benbow
- Part Time (Rough Trade, 1983)
- Reunion (Knitting Factory, 1997) Burnham, Benbow
- Back in Time (Pi Records, 2005) Odyssey the Band: Burnham, Benbow
With Music Revelation Ensemble
- No Wave (Moers, 1980)
- Music Revelation Ensemble (DIW, 1988)
- Electric Jazz (DIW, 1990)
- After Dark (DIW, 1991)
- In the Name of... (DIW, 1993)
- Cross Fire (DIW, 1996)
With Phalanx
- Phalanx (Moers, 1985)
- Original Phalanx (DIW, 1987)
- In Touch (DIW, 1988)
with Third Rail
- South Delta Space Age (Antilles, 1995)
As sideman
- Hank Marr: Sounds from the Marr-ket Place (King, 1967, rec.1964)
- John Patton: Accent on the Blues (Blue Note, 1969)
- John Patton: Memphis to New York Spirit (Blue Note, 1970)
- Larry Young: Lawrence of Newark (Perception/Castle, 1973)
- Rashied Ali Quintet: Rashied Ali Quintet (Survival/Knitting Factory, 1973)
- Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Columbia, 1979)
- Arthur Blythe: Illusions (Columbia, 1980)
- Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Show Stopper (Gramavision, 1982–83)
- David Murray: Children (Black Saint, 1984)
- David Murray: Recording N.Y.C. 1986 (DIW, 1986)
- Riot: The Privilege of Power (CBS, 1990 / Collectables, 2003)
- Rodolphe Burger: Guitar Music (Dernière Bande Records, 2003)
- J. Cortez & the Firesplitters: Borders of Disorderly Time (2003)
- James Carter: Out of Nowhere (Half Note, 2004)
- World Saxophone Quartet: Political Blues (Justin Time, 2006)
TV Appearances
- SOLOS: the jazz sessions (Bravo! Canada 2004)
References
- ^ James Blood Ulmer at the Trouser Press website
- ^ PRLog
- ^ Independent Music Awards - 8th Annual IMA Judges
- ^ a b Micallef, Ken (2005). "James 'Blood' Ulmer: Blues Album of the Year (Birthright)". Down Beat. 72 (12). Elmhurst, IL: Maher: 62. ISSN 0012-5768.
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External links
- James Blood Ulmer at AllMusic
- Hyena Records
- A 1998 Interview
- James Blood Ulmer Online Archive including detailed discography
- Free funk musicians
- Soul-jazz musicians
- American blues guitarists
- American jazz guitarists
- American jazz singers
- American blues singers
- American male singers
- People from New York City
- People from Calhoun County, South Carolina
- 1942 births
- Living people
- Pi Recordings artists
- DIW Records artists
- Columbia Records artists
- Moers Music artists