Search - Odyssey the Band :: Reunion

Odyssey Band is a reprise of a group that first enjoyed popularity in 1983. Back in the day, James "Blood" Ulmer, Charlie Burnham, and Warren Benbow were the harbingers of great black rock. The essence of Odyssey's sound is in the collusion of Ulmer's droning guitar and Burnham's wailing violin. Eschewing a bass player altogether, the two instruments blend with Benbow's drumming into a wholly aggressive sound. While Odyssey is an instrumental ensemble, Ulmer's mush-mouthed vocals do grace a few songs on this disc. Reunion features several long explorations of passionate interplay between three dedicated musicians. A disciple of jazzman Ornette Coleman's harmolodic theory, Ulmer alternates his distinctive guitar between Eastern-style drones and skittering, stinging lead lines to reveal a commitment to gut-bucket blues. --Mitch Myers