something for everyone

James Blood Ulmer has something for everyone on this recording- both blues and his signature psychedelic rock/funk infused harmolodics (harmolodics = Ornette Coleman�s�s style of free jazz). He also includes 2 standard jazz numbers including a straight ahead version of High Yellow. His guitar is grittier and better than ever. Played alongside to his his 2007 Live from Bonnaroo album, he sounds more like the inheritor of the more experimental side of Hendrix than anyone I have heard.

Different Blood Type

Addict

I agree with the last reviewer. Blood's catalogue is quite diverse and occasionally experimental, more akin to to the avant garde. For funk, try "Blue Blood". For blues, try "Memphis Blood" or "No Escape from the Blues". There's a lot of re-issues being put out recently, and they conveniently but somewhat dismissedly, categorise his recordings by Genre. This release seems to be more in the Jazz mould, but who cares, its blood I want !!

The Roots and Influences are correct!

almanac1951

With all due respect, it's Shelley from the Bay Area who "needs schooling" with regard to Blood Ulmer's four-decades-plus career. Blood was not only influenced by Ornette Coleman, but first came to prominence as a charter member of Ornette's trailblazing Prime Time band. While he's been devoting increasingly more time to blues in recent years, his body of work is remarkably diverse, and quite a bit of it makes it evident that James Brown-inspired funk was a big formative influence. As for the contention that "this guy isn't playing jazz" - well, listen again to the swing of tracks like "High Yellow" and"Backbiter," or the Ornette-line complexity of "Baby Talk" (originally recorded 30 years ago with fellow jazz icon David Murray).

Roots and Influences?

Shelley

Huh? Who puts some or your pages together? Would you really say that a bluesman was influenced by Ornette Coleman of all people, or even James Brown? James Brown played soul, so which came first? The chicken or the egg? Answer: first blues and then soul. And, by the way, this guy isn't playing jazz. I don't think that you've correctly identified his genre. Any number of bluesmen that I can think of would have been better pegged to represent his roots. I won't start. Way off of the mark on your part! This guy plays blues from some hardcore bayou blues roots. Simple as that. To quote Robert Plant "you need some schooling" for yourselves, but also for the people who buy music here who you might mislead. Just get it right please!