| Odyssey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Recorded | March–May 1983 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James Blood Ulmer | |||
| James Blood Ulmer chronology | ||||
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Odyssey is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded and released in 1983 on the Columbia label. [1] 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.
The AllMusic review by Steve Huey stated that "Odyssey stands as James Blood Ulmer's signature masterpiece, the purest and most accessible showcase for his bold, genre-clashing guitar vision... All the pieces come together to produce not only Ulmer's finest album, but a certified classic of the modern jazz avant-garde." [2] It placed at No. 20 in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll. [3] The album was listed as part of a suggested "core collection" by The Penguin Guide to Jazz . [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s | A [5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [6] |
Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."
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".
Buhloone Mindstate is the third studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul. It was released on September 21, 1993, through Tommy Boy Records, and was the group's last record to be produced with Prince Paul.
In All Languages is a 1987 double album by Ornette Coleman. Coleman and the other members of his 1950s quartet, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins, performed on one of the two records, while his electrified ensemble, Prime Time, performed on the other. Many of the songs on In All Languages had two renditions, one by each group.
Ask the Ages is the final album recorded by jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock during his lifetime. It was recorded with producer Bill Laswell and released in 1991; It featured Sharrock alongside saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Elvin Jones. Sharrock died on May 25, 1994.
Dancing in Your Head is a studio album by jazz artist Ornette Coleman, released in 1977 by Horizon Records.
In Full Gear is the second studio album by American hip hop band Stetsasonic, released in 1988 by Tommy Boy Records.
Pangaea is a live album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was originally released as a double album in 1976 by CBS/Sony in Japan.
Song X is a collaborative studio album by American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman. It is a free jazz record that was produced in a three-day recording session in 1985. The album was released in 1985 by Geffen Records.
Lanquidity is a 1978 studio album by American jazz musician Sun Ra.
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.
Black Rock is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1982 and released on the Columbia label. It was Ulmer's second of three albums recorded for a major label.
Solid is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green, containing performances recorded in 1964 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1979. McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Bob Cranshaw from Green’s previous session are joined by alto saxophonist James Spaulding and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson.
Multiple is an album by American saxophonist Joe Henderson, released in 1973 on Milestone. It was recorded mainly on January 30–31, 1973, but producer Keepnews stated there had also been a couple of additional recordings in February and April. The musicians involved include keyboardist Larry Willis, guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette.
Seize the Rainbow is an album by American jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock which was recorded in 1987 and released on the Enemy label.
Highlife is a studio album by American jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock. It was recorded at Jersey City's Quantum Sound Studio in October 1990 and released later that same year by Enemy Records.
Reunion is an album by Odyssey the Band featuring guitarist James Blood Ulmer, violinist Charlie Burnham and drummer Warren Benbrow which was recorded in 1997 and released on the Knitting Factory label. This album reunites the musicians who originally recorded Odyssey in 1983 for the Columbia label.
Back in Time is an album by Odyssey the Band featuring guitarist James Blood Ulmer, violinist Charles Burnham and drummer Warren Benbow which was recorded in 2005 and released on the Pi label. The band is named after Ulmer's 1983 album, Odyssey.
Part Time is a live album by the guitarist James Blood Ulmer with the violinist Charlie Burnham and the drummer Warren Benbrow, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1983 and released on the Rough Trade label.