James Blood Ulmer – Black Rock (Vinyl LP | EU Original | 1982)

James Blood Ulmer – Black Rock is guitarist James Blood Ulmer's second album for CBS/Columbia, released in 1982. Recorded at the Power Station in New York, it pushes Ulmer's harmolodic guitar playing much further towards rock and funk: two guitars, Amin Ali's bass and, on many tracks, two drummers, G. Calvin Weston and Cornell Rochester. Saxophonist Sam Sanders and singer Irene Datcher appear on individual tracks. Ulmer produced it himself. This copy is the 1982 European CBS edition (cat. no. 25064).

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: CBS 25064
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: EU original
• Country: Europe
• Year of this pressing: 1982
• Genre: Jazz, Jazz-Rock, Funk

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

All tracks composed and arranged by James Blood Ulmer.

Side A

1. Open House
2. Black Rock
3. Moon Beam
4. Family Affair

Side B

1. More Blood
2. Love Have Two Faces
3. Overnight
4. Fun House
5. We Bop

Personnel

James Blood Ulmer (guitar, vocals), Ronald Drayton (rhythm guitar), Amin Ali (electric bass, vocals), G. Calvin Weston (drums, backing vocals), Cornell Rochester (second drums).

Guests: Sam Sanders (tenor saxophone on Moon Beam, alto saxophone on Overnight), Irene Datcher (vocals on Family Affair and Love Have Two Faces).

Production: James Blood Ulmer; engineer: Bill Scheniman. Recorded at the Power Station, New York.

FAQ

How does Black Rock differ from Free Lancing?
Black Rock is rockier and more guitar-driven: instead of the horns on Free Lancing, two guitars and often two drummers take centre stage. The harmolodic approach remains but sounds harder and more direct.

Is this the original pressing?
It is the 1982 first European edition on CBS (25064), made in the Netherlands. In the US the album came out on Columbia.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
VG+ (Very Good Plus) means record and sleeve show light wear and the record plays cleanly. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more James Blood Ulmer records?
Yes, for example the predecessor James Blood Ulmer – Free Lancing from 1981. More titles are in our Jazz-Rock collection.