Willard's Wormholes

South Delta Space Age (1995)
James Blood Ulmer w/ Bill Laswell & Band

This joint venture between the great James Blood Ulmer and producer/bassist Bill Laswell is a bit different from Laswell’s typical sessioneering, in that he doesn’t rely on an expanded cast of go-to players. Instead, the lineup is a set four or five-piece band consisting of Blood, Laswell, Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste on drums and Bernie Worrell & Amina Claudine Myers sharing B-3 duties. The result is more consistent than many Laswell productions, though, that’s not necessarily a virtue, depending on what you came here for in the first place. The tracks appear largely studio concocted – simple bass and drum arrangements augmented by chorded B-3s & solos, but there’s little in the way of “composition.” Ulmer’s guitar work, though steeped in the blues for the last few decades, is subdued here, while his vocals and lyrics are somewhat sub-standard, since they seem instantly written or largely improvised. Which all means there’s not much to hang your hat on besides the basic blues-based grooves and concept, which I love… but not much really sticks to the cranium. You might dig it for other reasons. Check out the cool instrumental, “Grounded” and Blood’s vocal work on “Itchin’,” to give you an idea. Find it at Amazon cheap (HERE). There’s Tons-O-Laswell (HERE) in the archives, including his work with Funkadelic drummer ‘Bigfoot’ Brailey (Mutiny), three releases with members of The Last Poets, master tape remixes of Bob Marley and Miles Davis (plus a rare remix compendium), The Golden Palominos and out-of-print studio projects, Deadline and Hardware.

Dusted (7:07)
Grounded (4:30)
Funk All Night (4:55)
In The Name Of (5:17)
Please Tell Her (3:57)
Itchin’ (4:49)
Blues March (7:45)
First Blood (5:23)
Lord Thank You (8:05)