| Black Rock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James Blood Ulmer | |||
| James Blood Ulmer chronology | ||||
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Black Rock is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1982 and released on the Columbia label. [1] It was Ulmer's second of three albums recorded for a major label.
Robert Palmer of The New York Times praised the album upon its release, writing that "James (Blood) Ulmer's Black Rock actually lives up to its title...On the first side in particular, Mr. Ulmer, his wonderfully deft and mobile rhythm section, and his wife, the vocalist Irene Datcher, conspire to rethink guitar-band rock as radically as his earlier records rethought jazz-rock and funk. In a sense, he is attempting to transform rock much as Ornette Coleman transformed jazz in the 1960's - by opening it up rhythmically and re-emphasizing its roots in country blues and old time gospel music. The most ravishing tune on the album is 'Family Affair,' sung by Mr. Ulmer and Miss Datcher in a loose semi-unison that recalls the early country-gospel recordings of Blind Willie Johnson and features an exquisitely liquid, melodic guitar break that skirts much closer to conventional rock territory than anything Mr. Ulmer has recorded before...On the second side, he unleashes some of the most spectacular guitar pyrotechniques anyone has put on record in a long, long time." [2]
In The Boston Phoenix , Milo Miles wrote: "On his new Black Rock, Ulmer has baited songs with unmistakable funk-rock hooks without giving in to verse/chorus/verse structure, and he’s made his peace with pop. He’s cleared away several layers of intrusive clutter; saxophone parts are pared down (reedman Sam Sanders appears on only two cuts), and Weston and Ali provide lively but linear support. ... It’s the durable, brainy, slightly crazed triumph Ulmer has promised for years." [3]
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek stated: "Black Rock is among Blood's strongest records. As tough as Are You Glad to Be in America? and the Music Revelation Ensemble's No Wave, yet more accessible than either. This is a fitting introduction to Blood Ulmer's unique, knotty, and truly original guitar and composition style. Black Rock is all funk, rock, jazz, and punk, indivisible and under a one world groove". [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [5] |
Trouser Press described both Black Rock and the previous Free Lancing as "technical masterpieces, making up in precision what they lack in emotion (as compared to Are You Glad to Be in America? ). Working to expand his audience, Ulmer concentrates more on electric guitar flash, and actual melodies can be discerned from the improvised song structures (improvisation being one of the keys to harmolodics)." [6]
Jamaaladeen Tacuma is an American jazz funk avant-garde bassist, composer and producer born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in Coleman's Prime Time band.
James "Blood" Ulmer 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".
On the Corner is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis. It was recorded in June and July 1972 and released on October 11 of that year by Columbia Records. The album continued Davis' exploration of jazz fusion, and explicitly drew on the influence of funk musicians Sly Stone and James Brown, the experimental music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, the free jazz of Ornette Coleman, and the work of collaborator Paul Buckmaster.
Punk jazz is a genre of music that combines elements of jazz, especially improvisation, with the instrumentation and performance style of punk rock. The term was first used to describe James Chance and the Contortions' 1979 album Buy. Punk jazz is closely related to free jazz, no wave, and loft jazz, and has since significantly inspired post-hardcore and alternative hip hop.
Political Blues is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released by the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Jaleel Shaw, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Craig Harris on trombone, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, James "Blood" Ulmer on guitar, Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass guitar, and Lee Pearson on drums.
Revealing is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer featuring George Adams, Cecil McBee, and Doug Hammond recorded in 1977 and released for the first time in 1990 on the In + Out label.
Tales of Captain Black is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, featuring Ornette Coleman, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Denardo Coleman, recorded in 1978 and originally released on the Artists House label. It was coproduced by Ornette. The album was remastered and rereleased on CD with a new mix by Joe Ferla approved and co-produced by Ulmer on the Japanese DIW label in 1996.
Are You Glad to Be in America? is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1980 and released on the Rough Trade label in the UK. It was mixed by Ulmer, Geoff Travis, Roger Trilling, and Mayo Thompson. A remixed version, credited to Ulmer and Bob Blank, with a different running order and new cover art, was released by the Artists House label in the US in 1981. The album was released on CD with a new third mix by Joe Ferla, but the original running order, and with a new cover design featuring a recent photo of Ulmer, on the Japanese DIW label in 1995.
Free Lancing is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1981 and released on the Columbia label. It was Ulmer's first of three albums recorded for a major label.
Blues Preacher is an album by the American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1992 and released in Japan on DIW Records and in the US on Columbia/DIW. It was released in North America in 1994.
Forbidden Blues is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1996 and released on the Japanese DIW label in 1998.
No Escape from the Blues: The Electric Lady Sessions is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in and released on the Hyena label in 2003. The album features Ulmer covering ten blues standards and two of his own compositions including "Are You Glad to Be in America?" recorded at Electric Lady Studios.
Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in New Orleans at the Piety Street Recording Studios and released on the Hyena label in 2007.
Lawrence of Newark is a jazz album by organist/keyboardist Larry Young, released on the Perception Records label.
Elec. Jazz is an album by James Blood Ulmer's Music Revelation Ensemble recorded in 1990 and released on the Japanese DIW label featuring performances by Ulmer with David Murray, Amin Ali and Cornell Rochester.
After Dark is an album by James Blood Ulmer's Music Revelation Ensemble recorded in 1991 and released on the Japanese DIW label featuring performances by Ulmer with David Murray, Amin Ali and Cornell Rochester.
Knights of Power is an album by James Blood Ulmer's Music Revelation Ensemble, with guest saxophonists Arthur Blythe and Hamiet Bluiett, recorded in 1995 and released on the Japanese DIW label.
Dangerously Suite is an album by American jazz saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett recorded in 1980 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.
Got Something Good for You is an album by James Blood Ulmer and George Adams' band Phalanx which was recorded in 1985 and released on the German Moers Music label.
Grant Calvin Weston is a drummer best known for his association with Ornette Coleman's band Prime Time.