James Blood Ulmer • America: Do You Remember The Love?

An odd but very effective album, this release under Ulmer's name could almost have been issued under Bill Laswell's, so strong is the producer's (and bassist's) presence. With Ronald Shannon Jackson in tow alongside Laswell stable regular Nicky Skopelitis, this sounds more than a little like several of Laswell's late-'80s multicultural discs. The gorgeous pre-chorus line in "Show Me Your Love, America," for instance, sounds like nothing previously written by Ulmer and makes one wonder. Although one would think that this would play against Ulmer's strengths (his rawness and irregularity, for two), it makes for a strangely satisfying effort, corralling the guitarist into a somewhat more relaxed mode where the concentration is more on his vocals and song structure than on his guitar work. His singing here is perhaps the best its ever been, still very indebted to Hendrix in both the soft texture of his voice and, especially, in the casualness of his phrasing, but he injects more than enough of his own persona to create a perfect match to his harsh guitar. Jackson and Laswell are both in fine form throughout, providing a rich, varied underpinning for Ulmer's excursions, even if those excursions are a bit more reined-in than listeners had come to expect. The album ends up sounding polished but not slick, each composition standing solidly and offering varied pleasures. Different from Odyssey but situated alongside it as one of Ulmer's best.

1 I Belong In The USA
2 Lady Blue
3 After Dark
4 Show Me Your Love (America)*
5 Black Sheep
6 Wings

•

James Blood Ulmer • Guitar, Vocals

Bill Laswell • 4, 6 and 8 Basses
Ronald Shannon Jackson • Drums
Nicky Skopelitis • 12 String Guitar, Banjo
Bernard Fowler • Backing Vocals
Fred Fowler • Backing Vocals
Muriel Fowler • Backing Vocals

Recorded at Power Station, Quadrosonic and RPM, New York City
Engineer at the Power Station : Steve Rinkoff
Engineer at Quadrosonic : Robert Musso
Engineer at RPM : Mike Krewiak
Mixed by Steve Rinkoff at the Power Station
Administration : Roger Trilling
Produced by James Blood Ulmer and Bill Laswell 

Label: Blue Note – CDP-7-46755-2
Format: 320 
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Blues, Rock, Free Jazz

Material • Live In Japan (1993)

This is part 2 of my Material live trilogy, enjoy.

1 Invocation (Worrell)

2 Leaving Earth (Suso, Laswell)

3 Desert Star (Suso, Laswell)

4 Out of The Dreamtime (Suso)

5 Obsessed (Baker, Dieng)

6 Into The Seventh House (Suso, Laswell, Skopelitis)

7 Dousongonni Song (Suso)

8 The Receiver (Suso, Laswell, Skopelitis)

9 The Creator Has A Master Plan (Sanders, Thomas)

10 The Image of The One (Worrell)

Foday Muso Suso • kora, dousongonni, guitar, percussion, vocal

Bernie Worrell • piano, Hammond organ, clavinet, synthesizer

Nicky Skopelitis • 6 & 12 string guitars

Bill Laswell • bass

Ginger Baker • drums

Aiyb Dieng • chatan, congas, talking drum, percussion

Recorded live at Shinjuku Pit Inn, Kyoto & Imabari on August 2, 5 & 7 1992

Compiled at Greenpoint Studio, Brooklyn, New York

Engineering • Oz Fritz for High Velocity

Assistant • Imad Mansour

Produced by Bill Laswell

Label: Restless Records – 7 72739-2
Format: 320
Country: US
Released: 1993
Genre: Electronic, Jazz, Rock
Style: Jazz, African

Limbomaniacs • Stinky Grooves (1990)

By 1990, the rising success of Punk-Funksters Red Hot Chili Peppers ensured this San Francisco underground outfit would gain a modicum of noteriety. When hot-item-of-the-moment Bill Laswell agreed to produce their debut album Stinky Grooves, bringing along with him funk legends Bootsy Collins and Maceo Parker for cameo appearances, the spotlight got even hotter. Unfortunately, the band collapsed under its own weight (as well as heightened expectations in the wake of the Chili Peppers mainstream success) in late 1992, never to reform. The various members scattered and became involved with such notable Bay Area groups as Primus, Buckethead's Giant Robot, Big City, M.I.R.V., Devil Dub and others.
From Rate your music website

Tony "Butthouse" Chaba • lead vocals, bass
Mark "Mirv" Haggard • guitar
Brian "Brain" Mantia • drums

Additional Crew

Pete Scaturro • Hammond organ, synclavier, synthesizers
Bootsy Collins (1) • vocals
Maceo Parker (3, 6, 8) • sax
T-Bone (1, 5) • percussion
Adrien B. Isabell • additional percussion

Produced by Bill Laswell

Label: In-Effect
Catalog#: 88561-3015-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Hip Hop, Rock
Style: Funk Metal
 

Toshinori Kondo & IMA • Brain War

At last, the third of my Kondo IMA trilogy...


1 Brain War
2 Blue Stone
3 Dry Throat
4 Fly, Jack
5 Invisible Man
6 Fire Makes Darkness
7 Bone Man
8 Marginal Moon
9 Space Radio
10 Ice City


近藤等則 Toshinori Kondo • Trumpet, Vocal
富樫春生 Haruo Togashi • Keyboards
ЯECK (Friction) • Bass, Guitar
酒井泰三 Taizo Sakai • Guitar
山木秀夫 Hideo Yamaki • Drums

Produced by Toshinori Kondo

Label: Jaro Medien – JARO 4161-2
Format: 320
Country: Germany
Released: 1992
Genre: Electronic, Jazz
Style: Free Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Electro

U•M•A• [Ubiquitous Musicians Association] • JA-CK

In the wake of a tremendously great Japanese-only CD featuring Bill Laswell's extreme bass talents in their best light (Akira Sakata's "Fusherman's.com" with Pete Cosey and Hamid Drake) comes another great "blow"! This time another quartet - Laz with 3 great Japanese players: drummer Hideo Yamaki of Toshinori Kondo/IMA fame (whose [now not so] impossible-to-get 1992 CD "Shadow Run" ranks as one of the great recordings featuring the "Laz" as both player and producer outside of his own work); multi-saxman Genji Sawai (remember the 1984 "Sowaka" LP where he's backed by Material?) and madman sampler/synth/keys player Hoppy Kamiyama!. Together they come up with something that straddles various areas of great improv, a unique jazzy take on "jam" bands. A great Rave-Up!
dtmgallery.com

1 Nagare  

(U.M.A.)

2 Wa 

(Sawai) 

3 Mizu 

(U.M.A.,Konda) 

4 Yen  

(Sawai) 

5 Minamoto  

(U.M.A., Konda) 

6 Nagare (Remix Version) 

(U.M.A.) 

7 Ki 

(U.M.A.)

Genji Sawai • alto saxophone, soprano saxophone

Hoppy Kamiyama • digital president, slide geisha, ass hole box, 

scum tape from garbage, klavier, gram pot

Bill Laswell • bass 
Hideo Yamaki • drums

Kiyoto Konda • guitar (3, 5, 6)

Recorded at Sound Dali Studio, Tokyo, Japan
Produced by Genji Sawai
Co-Produced by Hoppy Kamiyama

Label: Tokuma Japan Communications – TKCB-72370
Format: 320
Country: Japan
Released: 2002
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Avantgarde, Experimental
 

Material Live • The Underground NYC • May 13th 1981

I think I snatched this from Dimeadozen some time ago, this will be part 1 of a Material live trilogy. This early Material incarnation with the original three members, Laswell, Michael Beinhorn and Fred Maher aided by Sonny Sharrock and Billy Bang. This is Material playing tracks from the classic Memory Serves album.

1. Upriver

2. Conform To The Rhythm

3. Sharrock Solo/Square Dance

4. Disappearing

5. Unauthorized

Sonny Sharrock • Guitar

Billy Bang • Violin

Bill Laswell • Bass

Michael Beinhorn • Shortwave, Synthesizer,Vocals

Fred Maher • Drums


Label: None
Format: 320
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Free Funk, Avantgarde