James “Blood” Ulmer, born February 2, 1942 in St. Matthews (South Carolina), is an American avant-garde blues and jazz guitarist and singer. Ulmer’s guitar sound is described as “jagged” or “stinging.” His singing is described as “raggedly soulful.” Ulmer started his career in soul jazz, where he recorded his first recordings with John Patton in 1969. Ulmer moved to New York in 1971 and played with Art Blakey.
