Tales of Captain Black was a startling debut, but 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 specially for this album) allows him to cover bass parts as well as guitar leads. Save for the title track, his playing isn't as jagged or fragmented as on past efforts. Part of the reason is his conscious emphasis on the smoother tones of Burnham's amplified violin, which is often fed through a wah-wah pedal; his solos often resemble the faux-orchestral sounds electric guitarists can create by skillfully manipulating their volume controls. It lends an almost pastoral tint to Ulmer's skittering avant jangle, which is otherwise firmly rooted in downtown New York. Few other scenes could have nurtured Ulmer's blend of free jazz, blues