The 60’s soul singing sensation Bettye LaVette has been bursting out on the music scene repeatedly since her first R&B hit at sweet sixteen while growing up near the music city Detroit. Her stunning legacy continues today as her timeless music & deep captivating raw vibrance keep her warmly in the hearts of her fans everywhere. Bettye’s slow burning rise wasn’t as visible or strong as many of her peers coming up during the Motown era Northern Soul explosion. Yet, deservingly she is determined to keep emerging into the spotlight again & again with remarkable live shows & heartfelt recordings.
As a longtime admirer & fan, I am thankful for Bettye’s still very active career & her fierce determination along the way as well as her unique personal style, highly creative approach & always profound delivery.
The Dakota patriarch Lowell Pickett brought her to his Twin Cities stage over a decade ago & now her frequent Minneapolis shows always brazenly beam with power, passion & uplifting intensity. They are now friends & hang late into the night at times after the show. Bettye’s many performances at the Dakota over the years have all been breathtaking & very well received.
LaVette has the thrilling ability to take any song in any musical genre & present it & truly make it her own stylized rendition. Bettye does this live & on recordings. It seems as if she mostly picks songs that she can relate to her life while then subtly merging her own translated emotions within the songs. Therefore; the covers are more like translations in her realm according to her. She likens the songs to lovers she wants to explore love with.
“ … what I’m presenting is not a sound; it’s a feeling. People aren’t just liking me because I sound good. They’re accepting me because of the way I feel. So that’s actually better.” ~Bettye LaVette (on her voice)
As music lovers, we are constantly drawn to & attracted to the most passionate music to our senses & subsequently to a truly real moving story of spirit lifting inspiration & hard fought sustained rise to greater success. This is what you’ll find with Bettye LaVette.
Please join me (& Lowell among others) for this intimate summer evening show at the Dakota Jazz Club on Mon. August 24, 2015 beginning at 7pm.
~Timothy Paul Smith :: timmy @ chateaulafreak . com
Dakota Jazz Club: Box Office 612-332-5299