| Black Rock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James Blood Ulmer | |||
| James Blood Ulmer chronology | ||||
| ||||
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.
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". [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [3] |
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)." [4]
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".
Kwanza is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! in 1974. The album contains tracks recorded from September 1968 to August 1969 by Shepp with four different ensembles.
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.
Odyssey is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded and released in 1983 on the Columbia label. It was Ulmer's final of three albums recorded for a major label. The musicians on the album later re-united as The Odyssey Band and Odyssey The Band.
Blues Allnight is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1989 and released on the In + Out label.
Black and Blues is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1990 and released on the Japanese DIW 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.
Live at the Caravan of Dreams is a live album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1985 at the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth, Texas, and released on the Caravan of Dreams label. It was Ulmer's only album recorded for the label.
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.
Music Speaks Louder Than Words is an album by James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1995 and released on the Japanese DIW 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.