James Ulmer

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This article is about the musician. For the entertainment journalist, see James Ulmer (journalist).
Photo by Christian Sahm
Photo by Christian Sahm

James "Blood" Ulmer (born 2 February 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]

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. Bands who cite Ulmer as an influence in their turn include Man Jumping.

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.

Contents

[edit] Selected Discography

As leader:

  • Revealing (In+Out, 1977)
  • Tales of Captain Black (Artists House, 1978)
  • Are You Glad to Be in America? (Rough Trade, 1980)
  • Freelancing (Columbia, 1981)
  • Black Rock (Columbia, 1982)
  • 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
  • Harmolodic Guitar with Strings (DIW, 1993)
  • Blues Preacher (Sony, 1994)
  • Forbidden Blues (DIW, 1996)
  • Blue Blood (Innerhythmic, 2001)
  • Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions (M, 2001)
  • No Escape From The Blues (M, 2003)
  • Birthright (Hyena, 2005)
  • Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions (Hyena, 2007)

with Odyssey the Band[2]

  • Odyssey (Columbia, 3-5/83) Charles Burnham, Warren Benbow
  • Part Time (Rough Trade, 1983)
  • Reunion (Knitting Factory, 1997) Burnham, Benbow
  • Back in Time (Pi, 2005) Odyssey the Band: Burnham, Benbow

with Music Revelation Ensemble[3]

  • 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

  • Rashied Ali Quintet: Rashied Ali Quintet (Knitting Factory, 1973)
  • Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Columbia, 1979)
  • Arthur Blythe: Illusions (Columbia, 1980)
  • David Murray: Children (Black Saint, 1984)
  • David Murray: Recording N.Y.C. 1986 (DIW, 1986)
  • John Patton: Accent on the Blues (Blue Note, 1969)
  • Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Show Stopper (Gramavision, 1982-83)
  • Larry Young: Lawrence of Newark (Perception/Castle, 1973)

[edit] TV Appearances

  • SOLOS: the jazz sessions (Bravo! Canada 2004)

[edit] References

  • Philippe Carles, André Clergeat, and Jean-Louis Comolli, Dictionnaire du jazz, Paris, 1994.
  1. ^ James Blood Ulmer at the Trouser Press website
  2. ^ Odyssey the Band at Allmusic
  3. ^ Music Revelation Ensemble at Allmusic

[edit] External links

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