DURHAM HERALD-SUN  (January 11, 2002)

Best of 2001 - by Philip Van Vleck - The time has come once again to list my favorite albums of the year. The year 2001 offered no shortage of great CDs, and, as usual, this list is not confined to a fixed number.

Alejandro Escovedo’s album, "A Man Under the Influence," gets my vote for best album of 2001. Escovedo connects with his audience on an emotional level that endows this album with an uncommon resonance. I doubt any producer made a more crucial contribution to an artist’s work than Chris Stamey’s effort on behalf of Escovedo’s superb songs.

Beyond "A Man Under the Influence," I heard a lot of special albums and I’ll note as many as I can here. The following list is alphabetical. As in past years, I’ve ruled out compilations and reissued albums and, of course, this is a pop music listing.

Doug Hoekstra: "Around the Margins" (Inbetweens Records). Distinctive songwriting, brilliant production values. Bottom line? A lot of people write songs; Hoekstra writes five-minute worlds.

Afro Celt Sound System: "Volume 3: Further in Time" (RealWorld). A convincing and conceptually masterful album that stretches the ACSS vibe in all the right directions.

Ashley Stove: "All Summer Long" (Merge). This is Ashley Stove’s second album for Merge and it’s a little gem of a guitar pop record. Produced by Brian Paulson, "All Summer Long" is highlighted by "Blue Crop Duster," an original tune that bristles with energy and hooks the listener with an unforgettable vocal refrain.

Marcia Ball: "Presumed Innocent" (Alligator). An awe-inspiring pianist, Ball delivers her best vocal work to date here, thoroughly establishing her credentials as one of the true all-around talents in blues and New Orleans-style R&B.

Libbi Bosworth: "Libbiville" (Ramble Records). Bosworth is a writer of killer country songs and she’s blessed with an interpretive gift that perfectly complements her Texas tunesmith vibe.

Luis Delgado: "El hechizo de Babilonia" (Nubenegra). The album is the complete realization of a great idea. Delgado, a virtuoso string player and a collector of period instruments, has taken a group of poems written by women in Moorish Spain in the 11th-13th centuries and set them to music.

Lila Downs: "Border (La Linea)" (Narada World). Downs is arguably the most compelling female vocalist in world music today and "Border" drives home her skill in dramatic fashion.

Trilok Gurtu: "The Beat of Love" (Blue Thumb). One of the most dynamic, virtuoso, world fusion projects in recent memory, it’s a beatific fusion of Asian underground and African grooves.

Buddy Guy: "Sweet Tea" (Silvertone). Guy takes a crack at country blues, with Jimbo Mathus leading the band in the studio. The result is vivid, earthy music.

Hadacol: "All in Your Head" (Slewfoot). This crew’s sophomore effort puts them right at the forefront of the alternative country pack.

James Mathus & His Knockdown Society: "National Antiseptic" (Mammoth). Raw, passionate, Mississippi hill country blues from a guy who knows what he’s doing with this music.

Cyril Lance: "Stranger in My House" (DogTalk Music). An absolutely startling blues album from a local blues guitarist/songwriter, abetted by a powerful collection of contributing musicians.

Phil Lee: "You Should Have Known Me Then" (Shanachie). Durham native Phil Lee, caught between country and rock, knocks down a memorable record.

James Leva: "Memory Theatre" (Copper Creek). A beautifully realized traditional music album that reinvigorates a number of hand-me-down tunes from Virginia and North Carolina.

Long Beach Dub Allstars: "Wonders & World" (Dreamworks). A reggae-ska-punk sound infused with a healthy dose of rock and an equally happening hip-hop inclination.

Lúnasa: "The Merry Sisters of Fate" (Green Linnet). This album is a fabulous array of Celtic music.

Buddy & Julie Miller: Self-titled (Hightone). Buddy and Julie’s first album together. Is it country? Is it rock? Does it matter? This is a marvelous album.

Professional Murder Music: Self-titled (Geffen). The band name is a comment on the intensity level of the music and metalheads will find it an accurate assessment of what’s happening with this act.

Susheela Raman: "Salt Rain" (Narada World). Raman is a consummate vocalist who travels effortlessly between styles as seemingly diverse as Carnatic music and American folk. Her voice is as alluring as it is agile.

Charlie Robison: "Step Right Up" (Columbia/Lucky Dog). Texas country music at its best.

Matthew Ryan, "Concussion" (WaxySilver). Ryan went with elemental instrumentation and a batch of songs that cut to the bone. One of the profound musical statements of the year.

Taraf De Haïdouks: "Band of Gypsies" (Nonesuch). Wild men from Romania who play their music with a rare zest and amazing skill. "A Stork Crosses The Danube, In The Company Of A Raven" is one of the coolest songs I heard in 2001.

3 Doors Down: "The Better Life" (Republic/Universal). This southern Mississippi rock band debuted with a slightly grungy, Gulf Coast variety of hard rock, tempered by several melodic tunes, including their hit single "Be Like That."

Trailer Bride: "High Seas" (Bloodshot). Trailer Bride’s strange take on rockabilly, roots rock and country, matched with Melissa Swingle’s dissonant vocal style and her out-of-plumb storytelling gift, amounts to the most easily identifiable sound in pop music today.

Rokia Traoré: "Mouneïssa" (Indigo). A collection distinguished by the simple beauty achieved through the interplay of traditional Malian instruments like the n’goni, balafon and djembe. Traoré sings from a very calm center, and this quality gives her music its distinctive, spellbinding vibe.

Jim White: "No Such Place" (Luaka Bop). White’s material dances with the afflictions of being and nothingness, love and indifference. He’s one of the most distinctive songwriters out there. "The Wound That Never Heals" is the darkest tune of the year.

Michelle Willson and the Evil Gal Festival Orchestra: "Wake Up Call" (Bullseye). Willson probably comes closer to living in Dinah Washington’s bluesy/jazzy groove than any female artist currently cutting tracks and this collection certainly argues her case effectively.

Philip Van Vleck charts our world’s music from digs in Cary. Reach him at vanvleck@nc.rr.com

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