Search - James Blood Ulmer :: Blues All Night

Originally issued in Germany in '90, Blues Allnight presents Ulmer as a blues and funk singer and guitarist and is every bit as underwhelming as the all-instrumental "In the Name of..." is overwhelming. Ulmer may be one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation, but he's a mediocre vocalist and an inept lyricist. When he's not serving up transparent rip-offs of Sly Stone ("Calling Marry") and Otis Redding ("Changing Times"), he's offering tuneless vamps such as "Baby Snatcher" or tedious sermons such as "Peace and Happiness." If you stripped away the croaking, off-pitch vocals, the excessive synthesizers added by Winnie Leyh, and the conventional blues rock rhythms played by bassist Ali, drummer Grant Calvin Weston, and second guitarist Ronnie Drayton, you might find some interesting guitar licks by Ulmer. But it's hard to believe it would be worth the trouble. --Geoffrey Himes