Concert Preview: James Blood Ulmer at Colony Theatre

Miami may be in the south but it's about as far from the Blues as you can get.

Thankfully, you can break out the bourbon and revisit the hard times this Saturday when James Blood Ulmer, a high-powered, sharp-picking blues guitarist, blows into town.

The Village Voice has called Ulmer "the missing link between Jimi Hendrix and Wes Montgomery on one hand, between P-Funk and Mississippi Fred McDowell on the other." During the span of his long career, the 65-year-old South Carolina native has played with Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Derek Trucks, Government Mule and Susan Tedeschi among others.

Ulmer's latest album, Bad Blood In The City, is an emotional and often bitter response to the disaster that was and is New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Former Fishbone guitarist Vernon Reid produced the album and played on it too, along with the six other members of the so-called "Memphis Blood Blues Band." -- Rob Jordan

Useful Links:
James Blood Ulmer MySpace
Short Bio of Ulmer
New York Public Radio piece on Ulmer

WHAT: James Blood Ulmer Trio
WHEN: Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 8:30 pm, one night only
WHERE: Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
TICKETS: $35 general admission, $25 seniors/students with I.D. ($5 discount on general admission, seniors/students tickets before 3 p.m. Friday), $50 VIP ticket, priority admission and best seating. Tickets by phone 305 545 8546 or online at www.tigertail.org