Odyssey
Studio album by
James Blood Ulmer
Released1983
RecordedMarch–May 1983
GenreJazz
LabelColumbia
ProducerJames Blood Ulmer
James Blood Ulmer chronology
Black Rock
(1982) 		Odyssey
(1983) 		Part Time
(1984)

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.

Reception

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]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record Guide: The '80sA[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[6]

Track listing

All compositions by James "Blood" Ulmer
  1. "Church" – 4:54
  2. "Little Red House" – 4:45
  3. "Love Dance" – 5:05
  4. "Are You Glad to Be in America?" – 3:40
  5. "Election" – 3:26
  6. "Odyssey" – 5:01
  7. "Please Tell Her" – 4:10
  8. "Swing & Things" – 4:32

Personnel

References

  1. ^ James "Blood" Ulmer discography Archived 2009-11-05 at the Wayback Machine accessed July 12, 2010
  2. ^ a b Huey, S. AllMusic Review accessed January 29, 2013
  3. ^ 1983 Pazz & Jop accessed January 15, 2020
  4. ^ a b Cook R., Morton B. (2006). Penguin Guide to Jazz, 8th ed. London: Penguin Books, p, 1314.
  5. ^ Christgau, R. Consumer Guide accessed January 29, 2013
  6. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 197. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
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