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ULMER, JAMES “BLOOD” (1942– ). Ulmer learned to play guitar as a teenager and played with a variety of groups throughout his early career including Rhythm and Blues (R&B) and Soul groups in the Pittsburgh area. Ulmer teamed up with organist Big John Patton in Detroit and went with him to New York to record several albums for Blue Note Records, including Accent on the Blues (1969, Blue Note), and decided to bring his own band to New York. After several successful months of working in New York, Ulmer decided to permanently relocate there and was hired by a variety of different musicians including Rashied Ali, Art Blakey, and most importantly, Ornette Coleman. Ulmer became an important member of Coleman’s groups during the 1970s and 1980s and was highly influenced by Coleman’s approach to Free Jazz. Throughout the next three decades, Ulmer would work as a sideman in groups like the Music Revelation Ensemble and Phalanx, and he would lead his own groups which at times included horns and sometimes worked as a trio. Ulmer has recorded as a leader several times, including America: Do You Remember the Love? (1986, Blue Note) and Black Rock (1982, Columbia).

UNION DEUTSCHER JAZZMUSIKER. A jazz organization based in Germany and founded in the early 1970s with the intention of establishing a reputable jazz presence in Germany. The Union Deutscher Jazzmusiker created its own performance ensemble, the German-French Jazz Ensemble, and was affiliated with several other jazz groups including the International Jazz Federation. Free Jazz trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff was a highly influential member of the Union Deutscher Jazzmusiker. See also EUROPE.

UNITED. Created by Lew Simpkins, the United Recording Company was in existence for six years: between 1951 and 1957. The record label produced very few jazz records, the biggest hit being an album by Jimmy Forrest called Night Train (1951, United Artists).

UNITED ARTISTS. Created in 1958 as a record label offshoot of the United Artists motion picture company, the United Artists record label produced many classic jazz recordings during the late 1950s and 1960s. Artists to record for United Artists included John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Kenny Dorham, Billie Holiday, and Oliver Nelson. The Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Orchestra recorded several albums for the Solid State label, which was a subsidiary of the United Artists label. These recordings were reissued on the Mosaic box set The Complete Solid State Recording of the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis Big Band (1970, Mosaic). United Artists was acquired by Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI) music in the 1980s, and EMI has since then reissued many of the classic recordings made during that time.

UNITED HOT CLUBS OF AMERICA. A short-lived record label during the late 1930s and early 1940s founded by Milt Gabler that issued albums from other companies including Vocalion and Commodore.

UNITED JAZZ AND ROCK ENSEMBLE. Founded by Wolfgang Dauner and made popular by recurring television appearances, the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble was created in 1975. Members changed throughout the years but included many jazz legends such as trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, trumpeters Kenny Wheeler and Ian Carr, bassists Dave King and Eberhard Weber, and saxophonist Charlie Mariano.

UPCHURCH, PHIL (1941– ). Originally from Chicago, Upchurch began his professional guitar career as a teenager playing and recording with Rhythm and Blues (R&B) groups. Despite having great success in the R&B genre including a Top 40 hit with his own group, Upchurch began recording with jazz artists including Jimmy Smith and Brother Jack McDuff, and touring with Quincy Jones and Cannonball Adderley. Upchurch recorded many albums in a variety of styles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In the early 1980s, Upchurch relocated to Los Angeles and began to focus primarily on studio work instead of touring, while also leading his own groups.

UP TEMPO. A term used by jazz musicians to describe the tempo of a song that is considered to be fast, often performed at over 240 beats per minute.

URBANIAK, MICHAL (1943– ). Originally from Warsaw, Poland, Urbaniak would spend much of his formative years learning violin with many different jazz groups across Eastern Europe until receiving a scholarship to study at the Berklee College Of Music in 1971. Urbaniak was proficient in both Classical and jazz settings and created a very reputable following in Europe. After spending several years in Boston at the Berklee College, Urbaniak moved to New York and began experimenting with Free Jazz and electronic music, eventually forming his own band, Fusion. Fusion recorded one album Fusion (1975, Columbia). During the 1980s, Urbaniak worked with many top jazz musicians including John Abercrombie, Kenny Kirkland, Steve Gadd, Archie Shepp, and Miles Davis. Urbaniak recorded for several labels during this decade, producing albums such as Take Good Care of My Heart (1984, SteepleChase) and Cinemode (1988, Rykodisc). Urbaniak is credited with being a proficient violinist in a variety of jazz settings ranging from Straight-Ahead to Free Jazz.

URSO, PHILIP (1925–2008). Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Urso took up the clarinet at a young age, changing to tenor saxophone at the age of 13. Urso moved to New York at the age of 22 and played with several bands during the late 1940s, including groups led by Elliot Lawrence, Woody Herman, and Jimmy Dorsey. One of Urso’s first major breaks came when he was invited to play with Miles Davis in 1952. Urso and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer led a quintet featuring jazz stars Horace Silver, Kenny Clarke, and Percy Heath, which recorded the album Urso-Brookmeyer Quintet (1954, Savoy). Urso recorded two albums under his own name, Philosophy of Urso (1954, Savoy) and Sentimental Journey (1956, Regent). Despite his growing popularity, Urso elected to withdraw from any major visibility and moved to Denver, Colorado, in the late 1950s. Urso would play locally and not record much as a leader.

URTREGER, RENÉ (1934– ). A pianist at the age of four, Urtreger honed his technique studying Classical music while growing up in France. Urtreger began his professional jazz career at the age of 19 playing with American jazz musicians who were on tour in Europe. He played regularly in Europe for most of the 1950s, including regular engagements with Kenny Clarke in Paris. Urtreger’s playing was not captured on many recordings; however, he was documented on the Miles Davis recording Ascenseur Pour L’échafaud (1957, Fontana). Urtreger was a first-call pianist for musicians touring through Paris and bolstered his resume during the late 1950s and early 1960s by working with Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Lester Young, and Dexter Gordon.

Urtreger’s relationship with Clarke was of special importance, and Urtreger continued to tour and perform with Clarke in the 1960s. Urtreger took a sabbatical from performing for many years but did make guest appearances when musicians of note toured through France. Urtreger reemerged as a solo artist when he decided to return to performing jazz full time in the late 1970s. During his resurgence, Urtreger toured and recorded in both solo and small-group settings. Urtreger continues to play professionally although he still has not had a significant recording output.