(2-LP set) Odyssey stands as James Blood Ulmer's signature masterpiece, the purest and most accessible showcase for his bold, genre-clashing guitar vision. With minimal trio accompaniment - only drummer Warren Benbow and violinist Charles Burnham - Ulmer's guitar is always the meat of the ensemble, especially since his unique tuning (developed for this album) allows him to cover bass parts as well as guitar leads. Odyssey finally gets the audiophile treatment it deserves, in the form of a double LP, mastered at 45RPM from original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman, pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and housed in Stoughton case-wrapped jacket.
