It is time for summing up a music year. Looking back on 2001, I have not had time to indulge in music as much as I usually do. 2001 has been quite busy in many respects of life.
Nevertheless, I have had the privilege to find some new acts as well as re-discover some old records. The old stuff has mainly been jazz music and the new stuff has mostly been in the many different aspects of house music. In house music I would like to highlight Morgan Geist who came up with a number of excellent releases. Using both his own name and the Metro Area guise, Morgan Geist has contributed heavily to a new direction of tech house. It is almost possible to speak about a Metro Area genre with numerous artists creating "Metro Area sounding" music. Check out the stickers on 12" records in the "news" slots in the record stores and you'll see what I mean.
The second person worth extra attention in House music is Maurice Fulton who made a couple of good re-mixes, an outstanding album, Stress Why Put Me Through It and a real cool 12"; The Abdoer, using the Syclops guise.
In view of this I will claim that the most rewarding selections of artists and records are in the Single section.
A short word about the list: it can not be stated often enough that the best music is yet to come, it was not created yesterday or today, it will be created tomorrow and waits for the curious listener on the next record shopping spree. So, it is with great pleasure that I once again can look back on a musical year, and say that the past year of 2001 has been an exceptionally good year for music with lots of quality records for both dancing and listening pleasure. And at the same time feel quite confident that next year will be even more rewarding for the curious listener. Enjoy!
24th of December 2001
Albums
1.
BUGGE WESSELTOFT (New Conception of Jazz)
Moving
2.
LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Essemce
3.
JAHEIM
Ghetto Love
4.
BEVERLEI BROWN
Next To You
5.
CALM
Shadow Of The Earth
6.
ORLANDO CACHAITO LOPEZ
Cachaito
7.
AALIYAH
Aaliyah
8.
ZERO 7
Simple Things
9.
NORMA JEAN BELL
Come Into My Room
Peacefrog Recordings
Norma Jean Bell has been around for a while; she has been playing saxophone with Tommy Bolin Band and Frank Zappa in the 1970s. Today she rules the house music scene together with Moodyman, who has produced her debut album.
11.
BEADY BELLE
Home
10.
JANITA
I'll Be Fine
12.
OSUNLADE
Paradigm
13.
NORKEN
Spring Themes
14.
SLAM
Alien Radio
15.
MAURICE FULTON
Stress Why Put Me Through It
16.
ROMINA JOHNSON
Superbad
17.
KOSHEEN
Resist
18.
FOXY BROWN
Broken Silence
19.
INDIA ARIE
Acoustic Soul
20.
ANGIE STONE
MAHOGANY SOUL
Compilations
1.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Talvin Singh
Back To Mine
2.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Do You Know House?
Volume One
V2
A collection of hard to get house house classics. Spanning from the anthem Pacha'a One Kiss from the "summer of love", 1988 and also included are Alexis P Sutter's Stop! (We Need Each Other), Club Ice's Manhasset, DJ Rasoul's anthem Let Me Love You and Norma Jean Bell's Nobody's Gonna Love Ya. The CD has 12 songs and is mixed, the vinyl has 10 songs and is unmixed.
ABOUT NORMA JEAN BELL-
Norma Jean Bell is the name and driving force behind the mysterious and sought after Detroit based Pandemonium label. A long term player on the US house scene. Norma has built a reputation throughout the music industry as a Detroit legend and is ranked firmly alongside revered producers such as Carl Craig, Mike Banks, Moodyman, Theo Parrish, et al. Having worked very closely with long time friend Kenny Dixon Jr., Norma is one of a few number finally bursting out of the 'house diva' box and coming into their own as a respected producer.
A saxaphonist, singer, songwriter and producer, Norma Jean Bell was once a member of Frank Zappa's touring band, but in the 90's reincarnated herself in the dance world. Bell's breakthrough solo LP "Come Into My Room" was released in 2001 garnering kudos for its simmering house and Bell's own fluent saxaphonist work, she showed the breadth of her experience in funk, disco and pop with a nod to Jazz legend, John Coltrane. I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
Wassup Norma.....how u been? You''re in the my hood but I'll b dam if I can fing yo spot again. We go way back and there's always much love fa life. If this is the final stage( be it good times or bad) let's do it like we do......being the best. Dad always said."When the economy is bad........ entertainment blossom's". Come on back........ we all miss u!
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Hi! Thanks for the add! For me your "I'm the baddest bitch..." was a highlight in real soulful house. A masterpiece! I still own the French 12" plus the remixes, and believe me, I played them as much as I could back in the days. Greetings from Budapest, Hungary!!!
hi, I was listening to an old Tommy Bolin concert again today and thought of how you really made the show! Amazing! I love you and think it's wonderful to have a chance to say it. Thanks for the great Memories and Music. You are spectacular!!!
FlowerWHAT!UP NORMAN JEAN BELL,WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN?I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!HOPE ALL IS WELL YOU ARE THE BEST!SAX PLAYER I'VE EVER HEARD,HOLLA AT ME SOME TIME,WE STILL LOVE YA..
