JAMES BLOOD ULMER TRIO WITH QUEEN ESTHER / HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT ENCORE? SOUNDBOARD (2CDR)

James Blood Ulmer - guitar, vocals
Mark Peterson - bass
Grant Calvin Weston - drums
Queen Esther - vocals

DISC 1
1. Band Intro
2. PEACE AND HAPPINESS
3. HOUSE OF FIRE
4. I BELIEVE IN YOU
5. BLUES ALLNIGHT
6. LET ME TAKE YOU HOME - Intro for Queen Esther
7. LUSH LIFE (Vocal Solo)
8. BOSS MACHINE
9. BACKWATER BLUES

DISC 2
1. DISASTER AREA
2. WHITE MAN SAIL
3. TOWER OF POWER
4. SONG FOR NUY (Bass Solo)
5. FORBIDDEN BLUES
6. BLACK ROCK
7. CHEERING
8. ARE YOU GLAD TO BE IN AMERICA
9. WHO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG - fades out

This is a live soundboard recording of James Blood Ulmer. A protégé of Ornette Coleman, Ulmer is renowned for his unique "harmolodic" guitar style. While that style reached its most explosive peak on his 1980 album *Are You Glad to Be in America?*, his work from the 2000s onward leaned into a gritty, seasoned blues aesthetic, cementing his status as a true bluesman. Yet, this 2012 live performance reveals a surprising, full-blown return to his harmolodic roots. It features his signature, squelchy, wah-inflected guitar accompaniment and his instantly recognizable vocal delivery. Guest vocalist Queen Esther adds a spiritual dimension to the set. Notably, the drummer is none other than Grant Calvin Weston—the very same drummer from *Are You Glad to Be in America?* While the bass is played by Mark Peterson rather than Amin Ali, Peterson’s "slap" (chopper) groove meshes so perfectly with the harmolodic guitar that one might easily mistake him for Ali himself. Ulmer’s guitar playing is also quite aggressive; his solos explode with an intensity reminiscent of grunge or alternative rock. This unique quality—which defies easy categorization as soul, funk, jazz, or blues—is the very essence of James Blood Ulmer’s music. With excellent sound quality captured directly from the soundboard, this is a great entry point for those new to his work.