Norma Jean Bell
I had already known who Norma was long before I got the gig with her, because I had seen her in concert at Cobo Arena in Detroit, with Frank Zappa, way back around 1974. I was a real Zappa freak and had gone to see his Overnight Sensation tour (repertoire included "Dynamo Humm", "Zombie Woof", "I am the Slime", etc.) The first time I saw Norma Bell she was onstage with Napoleon Murphy Brock and George Duke, and, of course, Zappa himself. I was immediately fascinated by this funky saxophone playing soul sister who could hang with the likes of Frank Zappa. Zappa had been my musical idol and main inspiration since adolescence. I always wondered about her after that concert, didn't hear of her again for a while but I remembered her name: Norma Bell. Later to be known as Norma Jean Bell. I later found that Norma had worked not only with Zappa but also with Carlos Santana, Tommy Bolin, Narada Michael Walden, even the Mahavishnu Orchestra. As her tune claims, she is definitely "the Baddest Bitch" LOL!
So when I heard that she needed a bass player, I jumped on the phone and called for an audition. When I learned that not only Trenita Womack, the spirited singer / percussionist / flautist from locally and nationally famous Detroit disco funk band Brainstorm was on the gig, but also Belita Woods, Brainstorm's stupendous lead singer, I was absolutely thrilled. With them also on keyboards, was the incredible David Lee Chong (David Spradley) of Parliament / Funkadelic, who had created the music tracks for George Clinton's hit, "Atomic Dog", among others. In addition, Randall Jacobs was brought into the group on guitar. Randy is well known for having been the lead guitarist for Michael Henderson's recording releases, as well as his road tour. Henderson songs to which Randy had contributed include the 1978 hit dance tune, "Wide Receiver". He also played on and helped write the song "Walk the Dinosaur" when he was with Was Not Was. Randy, an incredible showman in his own right, currently tours with Dave Koz. I ended up getting the gig with Norma after the audition, I guess they liked me. So I worked with them all at Axel's for close to a year. Axel's was like a speakeasy. A single building built on the road frontage of Detroit's central Eight Mile Road, you entered through the front door and paid a cover. Once you were inside, you were seated at one of the 60 or so tables inside the building's main 50x150ft room which was the main nightclub area. At the back of the room was the stage -- an actual elevated stage with footlights and a curtain, from behind which the band would enter, dramatically, for each of three shows a night. Lighting effects and sometimes even smoke machines were used at the opening of each show to give a concert-like effect for the patrons of the speakeasy. Said patrons included nightlife afficionados of the Detroit area, party people who appreciated good music and good shows. And with a little money, as it cost a generous cover charge to get in, and a two drink minimum per show. Frequently the entire audience would change between shows, excluding the die-hards who would pay twice or three times just to hang out with Norma for the entire evening.
Norma was a visionary when it came to putting together shows. Not just another band that plays one tune after another, hers -- but an entire world-class concert performance wrapped up in each show. She would not have it any other way, her standards were very high, admirably so. But then she'd cut her musical teeth on Frank Zappa, so there you go.
So asides from a master of her instruments, the soprano and alto saxophone, and a shining vocalist, I also consider Norma Jean Bell to be a choreographer and an architect. Three sets were played each night, and Norma designed each one with a different story arc, having a beginning, a middle, and an end, with lots of fireworks and surprises in between. Besides delivering Detroit style funk-fueled excellence in the hard driving music we played, she was not afraid to have the band completely freak out with artistic noise for ten minutes, if it got us where we were going (as you will hear on the tape!) She painted pictures with sound and lights; she was equally disposed to putting on dramatic space-opera type theatrics, involving things like simulating spaceships landing (probably a Funkadelics-influenced theme) and simulated nuclear war -- which was a real possibility at the time. (just to put the story in historical context, this was Reagan's year of "The Day After" and the KAL 007 incident, among other cold-war antics.)
And Norma schooled us sidemen in attitude before she sent us onstage. We were to remain aloof and "cool". At one point, she had me put down my bass and come out front to sing David Bowie's "Let's Dance" as a frontman. She instructed me exactly how I was to play it, what poses to strike, suggested I wear sunglasses, really built a persona. Not that I don't have one, it's just that Norma had a concept and applied it to me, and it worked, all right... I had women giving me their phone numbers on napkins from the front row -- but I was already promised to the Thai girl, remember...
At any rate, working with Norma Jean Bell, and putting on her show, was a charismatic multimedia funk and soul experience -- a pleasure to work every night, as Norma would charm and captivate the audience with her saxophone stylings as well as her commanding "ringmaster" attitude.
When I first joined with the band, our opening number was Vanity 6's "Do You Think I'm a Nasty Girl?", flirtily sung by the three ladies at the front -- Norma, Belita, and Treaty. What can I say, it was a sassy, titillating opening for the show, a real pleasure to view and listen to, let alone be a part of. Then the band would go into a very original arrangement of an old Burt Bacharach classic, "Walk On By", entreatingly sung by the great Treaty Womack, to be followed by Michael Jackson's "Beat It", which featured a huge synthesizer opening by Chong followed by Van-Halenesque guitar work from Randy Jacobs.
The most amazing number that I can remember the ladies doing, is David Sanborn's "Love Will Find A Way". This tune, if you are not familiar with it, provides an opportunity to at once become very intimate with an audience during the quiet and endearing verse sections, and at the same time a chance to express the intensity of feelings during the wide open chorus sections. Norma easily outdid Sanborn in emotionally beautiful saxophone emanations, only to be almost outdone by Belita's heart-wrenching interpretation of the vocals. Truly a transcendental memory, thanks ladies, for that. Too bad I don't have a recording of that! Don't think so, anyway... but the jury's still out, as there are still many tapes for me to go through and maybe I'll find something else.
I was able to dig up a recording of one of our shows from 1983. I think it is wonderful. I cannot post it on this blog so please click here to go to the article on my home page where you will be able to listen (with a sound-enabled computer).
David Spradley, or David Lee Chong (he's known by either name) played the role of the spaceship's captain and navigator onstage, and Norma's main musical support during the shows. Working with David was such a pleasure, as he is a very nice, laid back dude, but he commanded attention and respect from his central command and control module. Onstage and off, his relaxed, funky attitude probably came from working with the Funkadelics. Originally from California, he's of Korean-american extraction and (at the time anyway) married to a Detroit woman who sometimes made extra money at Axel's by selling food she prepared.
David's keyboard array was perched at the front-most corner of the elevated stage, overlooking both the patronage and the rest of the band. "Commander David, requesting permission for landing," Norma intones during a simulated alien invasion. After the landing occurs, Commander David advises the audience: "We are not going to hurt you, we only want you to have -- some -- FUN!!" Then is unleashed a fury of girlish squeals, spacey synthesizer patches, and guitar feedback, explosively leading into the Prince song "1999". Another time, one can hear in the opening to the Police's "Spirits in the Material World", David chants "Wake up, man! And take a look around you." Really very evolved, simple, and elegant.
The recording was made inside Axel's one night in March of 1983. The listener can pick up the lively speakeasy atmosphere of Axel's in the ambient noise on the tape. The listener can also get a feel for the showmanship of the group and the architecture of the show. There are only three tunes, about 15 minutes worth, and some theatrical fireworks that Norma liked to put on in the show. It's really quite good so please check it out.
Randy Jacobs
at the end of the recording, Randy Jacobs is featured on a guitar solo at the end of the song "1999". Randy was famous for his histrionics during shows, and this one was no exception, as you will hear. As the band builds up to a climax at the end of Randy's guitar solo, and as the sound reaches a frenzied pitch, Randy unplugs his guitar chord, grabs his guitar tight and makes a running leap off the stage into the audience and runs out the front door of the club with his guitar! Then re-enters from backstage. You can hear on the recording the huge applause when he makes his flying leap -- it was always a real crowd-pleaser and it's hard to miss the audience's reaction! The tape is about 15 minutes long, if you listen to the whole thing you will hear it right at the end.
Band Personnel:
Norma Jean Bell
Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Vocals, MC
Belita Woods
Lead Vocal
(Belita currently tours with George Clinton and P-Funk)
Trenita Womack
Vocals, Timbale & Cymbals, Flute
Randall Jacobs
Lead Guitars
(currently with Dave Koz)
David Lee Chong
Keyboards, Vocals, MC
Bruce Parker
Drums
Hugh Jarvis Hitchcock
Bass, Vocals
I'm not crazy about the album cover, I guess he was trying to appeal to the urban R&B audience, whereas he had previously catered mainly to the New York creative jazz audience. Before going with Paul Reiser, he'd been produced by Dave Grusin (also one of my favorites!)