James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940)[2] is an American
jazz,
free funk and
blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a
Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "raggedly soulful".[3]
In the early 1970s, Ulmer joined
Ornette Coleman; he was the first electric guitarist to record and tour extensively with Coleman.[5] He has credited Coleman as a major influence. Coleman's reliance on electric guitar in his
fusion-oriented recordings owes a debt to Ulmer.
Ulmer formed Music Revelation Ensemble around 1980, co-led with
David Murray for the first decade and lasting into the 1990s.[5] Later versions of the band included Arthur Blythe,
Sam Rivers,
Pharoah Sanders, and
John Zorn. In the 1980s he co-led the quartet
Phalanx with saxophonist
George Adams. Ulmer has recorded as a leader, including
blues-oriented albums produced by
Vernon Reid: Memphis Blood, No Escape from the Blues, Bad Blood in the City, and Birthright.
Ulmer was a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent musicians.[6][7]
In a 2005 DownBeat interview, he said guitar technique stagnated after the death of
Jimi Hendrix.[8] He stated technique could advance "if the guitar would stop following the piano" and indicated he tunes his guitar strings to
A.[8]
In 2009, Ulmer started the label American Revelation. In spring 2011, he joined
James Carter's organ trio as a special guest with
Nicholas Payton on trumpet for a six-night stand of performances at
Blue Note New York.
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abMicallef, Ken (December 2005). "James 'Blood' Ulmer: Blues Album of the Year (Birthright)". DownBeat. 72 (12). Elmhurst, IL: Maher: 62.
ISSN0012-5768.