James Blood Ulmer - Free Lancing (1981/2015) [HDtracks]

Free Lancing is American guitarist James Blood Ulmer's album recorded in 1981 and released on the Columbia label. It was Ulmer's first of three albums recorded for a major label.

Free Lancing "opens explosively with 'Timeless,' a ripping instrumental showcasing Ulmer at his best, all jagged angles, raw blues feeling, and chainsaw guitar shards. One of several cuts with only the trio of Ulmer, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G. Calvin Weston, it's the guitarist at his most elemental, brutal, and real. Other tracks lean toward the funky side of things, with the leader's vocals (always at least a bit reminiscent of Hendrix) and a few female background vocals that impart a certain simmering sexiness even as they always serve to 'slickify' the final product. But even here, on tracks like 'Where Did All the Girls Come From?,' Ulmer manages to raise the stakes far beyond the standard jazz-punk-funk of the period." — All Music Guide