http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6655&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rssThough his career has been inconsistent, Ulmer's had enough "on" moments to rank as one of the most exciting jazz guitarists of the past twenty years. He's instantly recognizable for his jagged, knotty phrasing and unique harmonic sense. Comfortable working in a wide variety of genres, from Funk and rock to Bop and Soul Jazz, Ulmer is best known as an exponent of the so-called "Free Funk" genre spawned by saxophonist and mentor Ornette Coleman's mid-1970s electric band Prime Time. <I>Tales of Captain Black</I> (1978) and <I>Are You Glad to Be in America?</I> (1980) are prime examples of this style, blending aggressive rock/Funk dynamics with frantic, constantly morphing group interplay. Their success, however, painted Ulmer into an avant-garde corner he didn't want to be in; his inclusion of more "straight" blues and R&B-oriented songs (featuring his own gravelly vocals) on subsequent records alienated many listeners who found the results unfocused. By the late '90s, he shifted to a more compartmentalized approach to releasing records, and in doing so has regained some of the momentum he lost in the mid-1980s. - Will YorkAvant Garde Jazzen720Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:42:04 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6655&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss Though his career has been inconsistent, Ulmer's had enough "on" moments to rank as one of the most exciting jazz guitarists of the past twenty years. He's instantly recognizable for his jagged, knotty phrasing and unique harmonic sense. Comfortable working in a wide variety of genres, from Funk and rock to Bop and Soul Jazz, Ulmer is best known as an exponent of the so-called "Free Funk" genre spawned by saxophonist and mentor Ornette Coleman's mid-1970s electric band Prime Time. <I>Tales of Captain Black</I> (1978) and <I>Are You Glad to Be in America?</I> (1980) are prime examples of this style, blending aggressive rock/Funk dynamics with frantic, constantly morphing group interplay. Their success, however, painted Ulmer into an avant-garde corner he didn't want to be in; his inclusion of more "straight" blues and R&B-oriented songs (featuring his own gravelly vocals) on subsequent records alienated many listeners who found the results unfocused. By the late '90s, he shifted to a more compartmentalized approach to releasing records, and in doing so has regained some of the momentum he lost in the mid-1980s. - Will York http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17752166&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss Blues Sun, 6 Dec 2009 09:55:09 -0800 Playlists Featuring James Blood Ulmer on Rhapsody Online 17752166 ply.17752166 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17752166&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17731455&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss Jazz Fri, 22 May 2009 17:06:46 -0700 Playlists Featuring James Blood Ulmer on Rhapsody Online 17731455 ply.17731455 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17731455&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.12018373&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss Jazz Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:19:19 -0700 Playlists Featuring James Blood Ulmer on Rhapsody Online 12018373 ply.12018373 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.12018373&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.9175119&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss Jazz Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:43:17 -0700 Playlists Featuring James Blood Ulmer on Rhapsody Online 9175119 ply.9175119 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.9175119&variant=play&rws=%2Fjames-blood-ulmer%2Fplaylists.rss