James Blood Ulmer (1940–2026)

“The late music critic Greg Tate once described James as ‘the missing link between Jimi Hendrix and [his favorite guitarist] Wes Montgomery on one hand, and P-Funk and Mississippi Fred McDowell on the other’ ”: from an obituary for the guitarist and singer James Blood Ulmer (Clash ).

Here, from 1980, is how I first heard Ulmer, asking a question that remains timely: “Are You Glad to Be in America?”