James "Blood" Ulmer & Phalanx

"Not for fainthearted fans of fusion" was how the Washington Post described Phalanx, the electric jazz project that was fronted – for a few funky and fantastic years in the 1980s – by saxophonist George Adams and guitarist and singer James "Blood" Ulmer. Their stylistic roots lay with Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Art Blakey, but as Phalanx they cut loose with their own electrically powered, soul-infused style. And on this one night in Munich in 1985 – right at the start of their collaboration – they're fresh out of the box and striking sparks off each other. This film captures the moment: live, wild and deliriously inventive.