James Blood Ulmer RIP

It was sad to hear the news yesterday that the great guitarist and all round cool dude James Blood Ulmer left us last week.

Born in 1940, for the first part of his career Mr Ulmer was a sideman plating with the likes of Art Blakey, Paul Bley and Ornette Coleman. The latter featured heavily on 1979's "Tales Of Captain Black", the first LP released under Mr Ulmer's own name. But it was his next record that first brought him to many people's attention, including mine. 

I may have told the story here previously of how way back in the days of fanzines I wrote to Rough Trade asking whether they could spare any 7" singles for me and my pals to review. In return they sent some goodies by the likes of The Fall and Fad Gadget and a single by someone I had never heard of before. That was James Blood Ulmer, the record was "Are You Glad To Be In America?", and it blew open my then tiny mind.

Many years later I was lucky enough to see Mr Ulmer live in London a couple of times. Despite being well into his 70s by then he still sounded great and it was a privilege to be there.

Here is the record that started it all for me, a track from "Tales Of Captain Black" and one from "Odyssey" (1983) in which he explains that he had to go, as he now has. And if you have 52 minutes to spare you might enjoy the video.

RIP Mr Ulmer.

"Are You Glad To Be In America?" - James Blood Ulmer

"Arena" - James Blood Ulmer

"Please Tell Her" - James Blood Ulmer