Hiram Bullock
Encyclopedia
Hiram Law Bullock was an American
jazz funk and jazz fusion
guitarist
.
He was born in Osaka, Japan to African American
parents serving in the U.S. Military. At the age of two he returned to Baltimore, Maryland with his parents, and quickly showed a prodigious musical talent. He studied piano at the city's Peabody Conservatory of Music
, giving his first public performance aged just six. After spells playing the saxophone and bass, he took up the electric guitar at 16.
Bullock studied at the University of Miami music college, meeting guitarist Pat Metheny, and bass-players Jaco Pastorius and Will Lee. He paid his way at university by playing nightclub gigs in Florida, before moving to New York. He became best-known for his playing with Pastorius, on Late Night with David Letterman
and work with David Sanborn
and Bob James
. His work can be heard on Steely Dan
's Gaucho (1980), Paul Simon
's One Trick Pony (1980), Sting's ...Nothing Like the Sun
(1987) (solo on the cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing
") and Billy Joel
's The Stranger (1977). He also did work for Harry Belafonte
, Marcus Miller
, Carla Bley
, Miles Davis
, Ruben Rada
(on the album Montevideo) and Gil Evans
.
He recorded as a member of the 24th Street Band, who released 3 albums: 24th Street Band (1979), Share Your Dreams (1980) and Bokutachi (1981).
In 1982, he released his debut album, called First Class Vagabond, which was exclusively distributed for the Japanese music market by the JVC
-Victor Company, and later reissued on CD.
In 1986, Bullock released his first album as a leader for Atlantic Records
called From All Sides, followed by the albums Give It What You Got in 1987, and Way Kool in 1990.
Shortly after the Atlantic albums, he recorded a few tracks from those specific sessions for a live event at the NYC-located Indigo Blues Venue, in order to eventually release it on laserdisc and CD for the commercial market in Japan.
His live band from the Indigo Blues-sessions included: Dave Delhomme (keyboards), Steve Logan (bass guitar), and Steven Wolf (drums).
The setlist of the Indigo Blues-performance:
On May 27, 2004, he teamed up with legendary drummer Billy Cobham
for a performance of the works of Jimi Hendrix
at the University of Cologne in Germany. A CD of this performance was released posthumously in 2008.
He had his own signature model guitar made by Cort
, the HBS-II, which has a humbucker/single coil/humbucker pick-up arrangement and a maple neck. It also has Sperzel tuners and only comes in a tobacco burst finish.
In 2007, Bullock was diagnosed with throat cancer, but responded well to treatment and began touring again. However, longer-term problems related to substance abuse culminated in his death on July 25, 2008. He was honored by David Letterman
on his show.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz funk and jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
He was born in Osaka, Japan to African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
parents serving in the U.S. Military. At the age of two he returned to Baltimore, Maryland with his parents, and quickly showed a prodigious musical talent. He studied piano at the city's Peabody Conservatory of Music
Peabody Institute
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:...
, giving his first public performance aged just six. After spells playing the saxophone and bass, he took up the electric guitar at 16.
Bullock studied at the University of Miami music college, meeting guitarist Pat Metheny, and bass-players Jaco Pastorius and Will Lee. He paid his way at university by playing nightclub gigs in Florida, before moving to New York. He became best-known for his playing with Pastorius, on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
and work with David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
and Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
. His work can be heard on Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's Gaucho (1980), Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
's One Trick Pony (1980), Sting's ...Nothing Like the Sun
...Nothing Like the Sun
…Nothing Like the Sun is a 1987 album by Sting. The title comes from Shakespeare's Sonnet #130 , which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon"...
(1987) (solo on the cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing
Little Wing
"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix. It was first recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on their 1967 album Axis: Bold as Love...
") and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
's The Stranger (1977). He also did work for Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
, Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
, Carla Bley
Carla Bley
Carla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Ruben Rada
Rubén Rada
Rubén Rada is an Afro-Uruguayan percussionist, composer and singer. He is closely associated with Candombe, an Afro–Uruguayan rhythmic style music, which is based on the sound of three types of drums: ´chico´, ‘repique’ and ‘piano’...
(on the album Montevideo) and Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
.
He recorded as a member of the 24th Street Band, who released 3 albums: 24th Street Band (1979), Share Your Dreams (1980) and Bokutachi (1981).
In 1982, he released his debut album, called First Class Vagabond, which was exclusively distributed for the Japanese music market by the JVC
JVC
, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
-Victor Company, and later reissued on CD.
In 1986, Bullock released his first album as a leader for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
called From All Sides, followed by the albums Give It What You Got in 1987, and Way Kool in 1990.
Shortly after the Atlantic albums, he recorded a few tracks from those specific sessions for a live event at the NYC-located Indigo Blues Venue, in order to eventually release it on laserdisc and CD for the commercial market in Japan.
His live band from the Indigo Blues-sessions included: Dave Delhomme (keyboards), Steve Logan (bass guitar), and Steven Wolf (drums).
The setlist of the Indigo Blues-performance:
- Introduction
- Gotta Get Your Jollys
- What About Me
- Angelina
- Another Night
- Cactus
- Never Give Up
- Wolfman
- Show Me
- Them Changes + Funky Broadway / (total time: 60 minutes)
On May 27, 2004, he teamed up with legendary drummer Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham
William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....
for a performance of the works of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
at the University of Cologne in Germany. A CD of this performance was released posthumously in 2008.
He had his own signature model guitar made by Cort
Cort Guitars
Cort Guitars is a guitar manufacturer centered in South Korea. The company is one of the largest guitar makers in the world, and produces instruments for many other companies.- History :...
, the HBS-II, which has a humbucker/single coil/humbucker pick-up arrangement and a maple neck. It also has Sperzel tuners and only comes in a tobacco burst finish.
In 2007, Bullock was diagnosed with throat cancer, but responded well to treatment and began touring again. However, longer-term problems related to substance abuse culminated in his death on July 25, 2008. He was honored by David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
on his show.
Discography
- 1986: From All Sides (AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
) - 1987: Give It What U Got (Atlantic)
- 1992: Way Kool (Atlantic)
- 1994: World of Collision (Big World)
- 1996: Manny's Car Wash (Big World)
- 1997: Carrasco (FantasyFantasy RecordsFantasy Records is a United States-based record label that was founded by Max and Sol Weiss in 1949 in San Francisco, California. They had previously operated a record-pressing plant called Circle Record Company before forming the Fantasy label...
) - 1997: Late Night Talk (Venus)
- 2000: First Class Vagabond (JVC Victor)
- 2001: Color Me (Via)
- 2002: Best of Hiram Bullock (WEA)
- 2003: Try Livin' It (EFA Records)
- 2004: Jam Jam (3D)
- 2006: Guitarman (JVC Victor)
- 2006: Too Funky 2 Ignore (BHM Productions)
- 2009: Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix (BHM Productions)