Blues

Bettye Lavette ‎– Let Me Down Easy In Concert (2000)

2018-10-10T14:44:55Z

Bettye Lavette ‎– Let Me Down Easy In Concert (2000)


1 	My Man 	4:50
2 	Damn Your Eyes 	9:43
3 	Right In The Middle 	4:33
4 	You'll Never Change 	5:25
5 	Almost 	3:10
6 	Your Turn To Cry (Your Time To Cry) 	4:07
7 	He Made A Woman Out Of Me 	3:38
8 	Let Me Down Easy 	8:40

Bettye LaVette 	Vocals 
Gail Barker 	Vocal Harmony
Guy Barker 	Guitar
Rayse Biggs 	Horn, Trumpet
David Brandon 	Drums
James Chaney 	Saxophone
Greg Cook 	Drums
Gregory Cook 	Bass
Edward Gooch 	Horn, Trombone
Pat Lewis 	Vocal Harmony
Rudy Robinson 	Keyboards
Jerome Shavers 	Vocal Harmony

This German import captures the essence of Betty Lavette, Detroit's most underrated female singer. Betty approach to recording was similar to the way pugilists Sugar Ray Leonard, and Muhammad Ali approached boxing rounds -- dance and parry the first two minutes or so then crank it up the last 30 seconds. The first two minutes of a song was just a means to get to the juicy part near the fade for Betty, where she goes into her hiccups, vocal gymnastics, oh yeah's, and sermonizing. Philadelphia International Records was tailor-made for Betty's style (since they let singers "go off" on the songs' tail), but she never got a chance with PIR. She should have been one of the original Motown artists, she toured with nearly everybody there, but didn't get on the label until the company relocated to Los Angeles.

The eight songs represent Lavette at her best delivering emotionally unstable southern jerkers like "Your Turn To Cry," "Let Me Down Easy," and "You'll Never Change"; there's nothing bubble gum or innocence about her. A neglected Motown single "Right in the Middle," "He Made a Man Out of Me," and "Damn Your Eyes" are equally as captivating. Betty immense, deep soulful delivery never translated into high chart notches, heavy sales, or cushy gigs, and that's a cotton pickin' shame. Her soulful alto deserves bottling, it's like Mavis Staples', but sharper and grittier. ---Andrew Hamilton, AllMusic Review

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Bettye LaVette - Things Have Changed (2018)

2018-04-04T13:16:20Z

Bettye LaVette - Things Have Changed (2018)


1. Things Have Changed 06:56
2. It Ain’t Me Babe 05:30
3. Political World 04:03	(feat. Keith Richards)
4. Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight 05:07
5. Seeing The Real You At Last 05:07
6. Mama, You Been On My Mind 03:46
7. Ain’t Talkin’ 05:40
8. The Times They Are A-Changin' 05:08
9. What Was It You Wanted 04:42		(feat. Trombone Shorty)
10. Emotionally Yours 05:24
11. Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others) 03:36
12. Going, Going, Gone 04:05

Bettye LaVette - vocals
Larry Campbell - guitar
Pino Palladino - bass
Leon Pendarvis - keyboards

Three time Grammy nominee Bettye LaVette is no mere singer. She is not a song writer, nor is she a "cover" artist. She is an interpreter of the highest order. Bettye is one of very few of her contemporaries who were recording during the birth of soul music in the 60s and is still creating vital recordings today. To quote the late, great George Jones: "Bettye is truly a 'singer's singer'." ---bettyelavette.com

Legendary Soul singer Bettye LaVette takes on the songs of Bob Dylan with her new album Things Have Changed, released by Verve Records on 30 March.

Things Have Changed is the iconic singer’s tenth album and first album on a major label in nearly thirty years, and she tackles Dylan’s songs with the grit and experience that makes her one of the greatest living soul singers. Things Have Changed spans more than five decades of Dylan songs, from 1964’s immortal ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ up to ‘Ain’t Talkin’,’ the epic final track on his 2006 album Modern Times.

“Other people write songs, but he writes vignettes, more prose than poetry,” Bettye LaVette says of Bob Dylan. I didn’t find his words to be pretty so much as they are extremely practical or extremely logical. He can work things like ‘go jump off a ledge’ into a song.”

Things Have Changed sees Dylan’s songs seriously transformed: “I had never really listened to ‘It Ain’t Me Babe,’” she says, “But I had to make it more dismissive—not fast and hard, but like a Jimmy Reed tune. And ‘The Times They Are A-Changin,’ I had to flip that all the way around, so we worked up the groove on a beat box. That just made it extremely surprising.”

To pull off these transformations, LaVette needed a producer who was up to the challenge, and, through Executive Producer Carol Friedman, she found the perfect collaborator in Steve Jordan, former drummer in David Letterman’s house band, who has worked with everyone from Chuck Berry to John Mayer. “Steve was absolutely brilliant,” she says. “He remembers everything he has ever heard in his entire life, and he was able to interpret for the musicians everything I said to him.”

The album’s title track is also its first single. It initially premiered on Rolling Stone Country, who said of the track: “It’s a foreboding song…and LaVette rips into it with bluesy grit, as though she’s unashamed of her own confessions.” Grammy nominated singer Bettye LaVette has been in show business for nearly six decades. Her first single ‘My Man – He’s A Lovin’ Man’ was released on Atlantic Records in 1962, when she was only 16 years old. She continued recording until her resurgence came in the early 00s with a series of albums of interpretations, and in

2008 she wowed the audience at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony with a heart-wrenching rendition of The Who’s ‘Love Reign O’er Me.’ Her voice is like no other, and taking on the tricky canon of one of the most substantial songwriters alive is no small feat – but if anyone can match the heart of Bob Dylan, it’s Bettye LaVette. ---Tim Peacock, udiscovermusic.com

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Betty LaVette - Child of the Seventies (2006)

2014-04-18T16:29:19Z

Betty LaVette - Child of the Seventies (2006)


01. It Ain't Easy 
02. If I Can't Be Your Woman 
03. Fortune Teller 
04. Your Turn to Cry 
05. Soul Tambourine 
06. All the Black and White Children 
07. Our Own Love Song 
08. Ain't Nothing Gonna Change Me 
09. Outside Woman 
10. TheStealer 
11. My Love Is Showing 
12. Souvenirs 
13. Waiting for Tomorrow 
14. Livin' Life on a Shoestring 
15. Your Turn to Cry (Mono Single Verstion) 
16. Soul Tambourine (Mono Single Version) 
17. Heart of Gold 
18. You'll Wake Up Wiser 
19. Here I Am 
20. You'll Never Change 
21. My Man - He's a Lovin' Man 
22. Shut Your Mouth

Bettye LaVette – vocals

Exemplifying that it is truly "better late than never," it has taken over 30 years to finally get soul diva Bettye LaVette's oft-rumored Child of the Seventies out to eager ears. Granted, much of the material was released as Souvenirs on the French indie Art & Soul label in 2000. However, this CD sounds markedly better and the project is served up in its entirety alongside four 45s that the artist recorded during two distinctly different periods of her career. She was credited as "Betty LaVett" in 1962 when "My Man -- He's a Lovin' Man" b/w "Shut Your Mouth," and (the following year) "You'll Never Change" b/w "Here I Am" were licensed and distributed internationally by Atlantic Records, with the former title making it all the way to a very respectable number seven on the R&B charts. LaVette joined forces with producer Brad Shapiro, and in late 1972 found herself signed to the Atlantic Records spinoff Atco, recording what should have been her great breakthrough album at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Yet, when all was said and done, only her cover of Neil Young's " Heart of Gold" b/w "You'll Wake Up Wiser," which was followed several months later by "Your Turn to Cry" b/w "Soul Tambourine," would make it onto store shelves. Originally planned for inclusion on Child of the Seventies, for years the latter two songs remained the album's only remnants; finally, they are presented in their original context as well as in separate mono mixes. Had wiser heads prevailed, Child of the Seventies may have meant Bettye LaVette's name would be as universally acclaimed by R&B lovers as that of, say, Aretha Franklin. --- Lindsay Planer, Rovi

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Betty LaVette - Change Is Gonna Come Sessions (2009)

2013-08-27T15:47:34Z

Betty LaVette - Change Is Gonna Come Sessions (2009)


1. Change Is Gonna Come 
2. Round Midnight 
3. God Bless the Child 
4. Lush Life 
5. Ain t No Sunshine 
6. Ain t That Lovin You

Personnel:
Bettye LaVette- Vocals
Alan Hill- Piano
Hohn Heard- Bass
Danny Frankel- Percussion
Tom Hagerman- Strings & String Arrangements

The greatest moment of the Obama inaugural concert was when Bettye LaVette dueted with a surprisingly simpatico Jon Bon Jovi on Sam Cooke’s timeless “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Here, the tough veteran soulster does another impassioned version of the song. Elsewhere, LaVette and a small jazz combo put a bluesy R&B spin on a batch of standards, old and new. Lady Day’s “God Bless the Child” is lean and mean, Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” is backed with delicate violins and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” is brought back to the hardscrabble landscape of LaVette’s youth. ---Nick Dedina, whoisthemonk.wordpress.com

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Betty LaVette - Interpretations - The British Rock Songbook (2010)

2013-08-23T16:17:21Z

Betty LaVette - Interpretations - The British Rock Songbook (2010)


01. The Word 
02. No Time To Live 
03. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood 
04. All My Love 
05. Isn't It A Pity 
06. Wish You Were Here 
07. It Don't Come Easy 
08. Maybe I'm Amazed 
09. Salt Of The Earth 
10. Nights In White Satin 
11. Why Does Love Got To Be So Bad 
12. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me 
13. Love Reign O'er Me (Live)

Personnel: 
Bettye LaVette (vocals); 
Rob Mathes (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, background vocals); 
Shane Fontayne (electric guitar); 
Aaron Heick (alto saxophone); 
Andy Snitzer (tenor saxophone); 
Jeff Kievit (trumpet); 
Mike Davis (trombone); 
Zev Katz (upright bass, electric bass); 
Charley Drayton (drums, percussion); 
James "D-Train" Williams , Tabitha Fair, Vaneese Thomas (background vocals).

At first glance, Bettye LaVette's 2010 album Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, would appear to be just another collection of covers. But “interpretations” is the key word here, because LaVette, a Detroit soul veteran and a contemporary of more famous peers like Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson, is no run-of-the-mill singer, and she takes these classic British Invasion tracks and gives them new dimension, making them in every sense and nuance her own. That’s not an easy task, since every one of these tracks is a well-known song, seemingly immutable in the original version, but amazingly, LaVette steals each and every one of them. John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s “The Word,” which leads things off, for instance, becomes the gospel stomper the Beatles always intended it to be, while Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy” becomes a swampy, haunting, and profoundly wise blues song in LaVette’s capable hands. And she’s not afraid to make changes to these classics, either, updating the Rolling Stones’ “Salt of the Earth” to include references to the HIV epidemic. She rearranges things in song after song here, moving choruses, swapping out verses, all in the name of claiming the song and placing it in new emotional territory. The idea for this album came after she performed the Who’s “Love Reign O’Er Me” in 2008 at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for the band, and her version that night (it is included here as an extended bonus track) is nothing less than stunning, pulling a depth of emotion from the song that the Who could only dream of, as fine as the band’s original version was. Now in her mid-sixties, LaVette is singing better than ever, and if she isn’t a household name, she ought to be. This is a remarkable album because this lady is a remarkable singer -- that’s the bottom line. ---Steve Leggett, Rovi

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Betty LaVette - A Woman Like Me (2003)

2013-08-19T16:02:23Z

Betty LaVette - A Woman Like Me (2003)


01. Serves Me Right 
02. The Forecast 
03. Thru The Winter 
04. Right Next Door 
05. When The Blues Catch Up To You 
06. Thinkin' Bout You 
07. A Woman Like Me 
08. It Ain't Worth It After A While 
09. When A Woman's Had Enough 
10. Salton My Wounds 
11. Close As I'll Get To Heaven 
12. Hey, Hey Baby (Betty's Blues)

Musicians:
    Bettye LaVette - Vocal
    Cynthia Bass - Vocal Backing
    Alan Mirikitani - Rhythm & Lead Guitar
    Mike Turner - Acoustic & Rhythm Guitar
    Bobby Murray - Rhythm Guitar
    Rudy Robinson - Keyboards
    Richard Cousins - Bass
    Lee Spath - Drums
    Bruce Paulson - Trombone
    Tom Peterson - Baritone & Tenor Sax; Horn Arrangements

"I can feel the pain, Lord, it's raining in my heart," Bettye LaVette howls on "The Forecast," and it sounds like it. On this stunning comeback -- her first American release in over 20 years -- the feisty soul singer rips through an hour of music with the pent-up hunger of a caged tiger at feeding time. Helped immeasurably by producer/songwriter Dennis Walker, best known for his breakout work with Robert Cray, LaVette moans, screams, shouts, pleads, and growls her way through a dozen tracks that'll leave even the most jaded R&B fan begging for more. One of the casualties of music biz politics, LaVette has a style that has only sharpened with age. In her mid-fifties at the time of this recording, the singer has a husky voice that tears at the edges, adding deeper emotion. Although the production leans toward the slick side, it leaves room for the singer to dominate each track. Walker, who wrote or co-wrote nine of these tunes, provides heart-tugging yet defiant material perfect for LaVette's take-no-prisoners approach. The singer plays the part of the scorned, aggressive woman, left behind but strong enough to know she's better off without that no-good scoundrel. Song tiles such as "Salt in My Wounds," "Serves Him Right," and "It Ain't Worth It After a While" tell the story without having to hear a lyric. LaVette squeezes every ounce of emotion from this material, lashing into it with a barely contained explosive delight. Like a stage actress, she builds up the tension gradually until igniting in a shower of yelps and repeated phrases similar to Otis Redding at his most impassioned. This is a powerful album -- moving, intense, and honest -- from an artist desperately making up for lost time. It's a success for everyone involved, and deserves to put Bettye LaVette back on American stages where she belongs. ---Hal Horowitz, Rovi

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Betty LaVette - I've got my own hell to raise (2005)

2013-08-14T18:58:01Z

Betty LaVette - I've got my own hell to raise (2005)


01. I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got 
02. Joy 
03. Down To Zero 
04. The High Road 
05. On The Surface 
06. Just Say So 
07. Little Sparrow 
08. How Am I Different 
09. Only Time Will Tell Me 
10. Sleep To Dream

Musicians:
Bettye LaVette 	- Vocals
Doyle Bramhall II - Guitar (Electric)
Chris Bruce - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Paul Bryan - Bass (Electric), Guitar (Bass)
Lisa Coleman - Organ, Piano, Wurlitzer
Niki Haris - Vocals (Background)
Niki Harris - Vocals (Background)
Earl Harvin - Drums
David Piltch - Bass (Upright), Double Bass
Valerie Watson - Vocals (Background)

What can be said about Bettye LaVette that hasn't already been said? Like James Carr before her, LaVette has toiled behind the smoke and glitz of the limelight for decades. Her last regular recording contract was in the 1980s, and she hasn't cracked the R&B Top 20 in over three decades. The 21st century has seen LaVette's activity increase, but it is this recording, produced by Joe Henry -- who did wonders with Solomon Burke -- that once more unveils to a large audience LaVette's singular gifts as a singer. She's backed here by a wondrous slate of musicians including bassists Dave Pilch (acoustic, stand-up) and Paul Bryan (electric), Lisa Coleman on organ and piano, and guitarists Chris Bruce and Doyle Bramhall II. I've Got My Own Hell to Raise begins innocently enough with an a cappella read of Sinéad O'Connor's "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got," radically reinterpreting the song as a gospel number. It's chilling. But it kicks right into a hard soul version of Lucinda Williams "Joy," and careens into another hard soul, straight-from-the-gut interpretation of Joan Armatrading's "Down to Zero." One will be tempted to take the disc off right here; these three cuts are enough to take the listener into the small, unspeakable spaces in the mind and large terrains of the heart where emotion becomes nearly overwhelming. But there's so much more, like the hard, guitar-drenched, Southern-fried funk roiling boil of Rosanne Cash's "On the Surface"; the dark, edgy groove of Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow"; the gritty, rusty-edged knife funk of "Only Time Will Tell Me," and the glorious closer, a radically re-imagined take on Fiona Apple's "Sleep to Dream," with its deep tom toms, loose-wristed snare, and wah-wahed guitars. LaVette is fortunate to have found a producer with Henry's guts, vision, and sensitivity. He gets a lot of credit here, not only for presenting LaVette in a stripped down and directly emotive context, but also for his arrangements of these songs that feel almost like cinema in their dynamic and dramatic settings. In each case, the constructive reworking of these cuts from the ground up -- everything begins with rhythm here -- finding and embracing the angularity hidden in them and putting them in front of a singer who can roll and shapeshift while remaining true to herself is simply wondrous. Hopefully, the attention this garners will lead to more than a one-off collaboration between Henry and LaVette. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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Betty LaVette - Souvenirs (1973)

2013-08-12T15:30:46Z

Betty LaVette - Souvenirs (1973)


01. It Ain't Easy 
02. Fortune Teller 
03. Owr Own Love Song 
04. Soul Tambourine 
05. Your Turn To Cry 
06. Ain't Nothing Gonna Change Me 
07. All The Black And White Children 
08. If I Can't Be Your Woman 
09. Outside Woman 
10. The Stealer 
11. My Love Is Showing 
12. Souvenirs 
13. Heart Of Gold 
14. You'll Wake Up Wiser 
15. My Man - He's A Lovin' Man 
16. Shut Your Mouth 
17. You'll Never Change 
18. Here I Am

If the Billboard charts were sufficient to tell the complete story of an artist's career, you'd write off Betty Lavette in a heartbeat -- after scoring a Top Ten R&B hit with her 1963 Atlantic debut "My Man -- He's a Loving Man," Lavette never again returned to the same commercial heights, and the label soon terminated her contract. But she went on to make a series of devastatingly powerful deep soul records for a number of small independent labels, capped off by the 1965 cult classic "Let Me Down Easy," and by 1972 she was back in the Atlantic fold, this time signing to Atco to record a cover of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" followed by an album's worth of material cut at Muscle Shoals with producer Brad Shapiro. But after the first single "Your Turn to Cry" flopped, the planned LP Child of the 70s was shelved, and Lavette was once again dropped. With the release of Souvenirs, the French Art & Soul label has done what Atlantic failed to do even with a mulligan: pay Lavette and her prodigious talent the respect they deserve. Compiling 18 tracks spanning both of her Atlantic tenures, including Child of the 70s in its entirety, Souvenirs proves Lavette once and for all a singer with the gutbucket grit and intensity of prime Aretha and Tina -- you can't listen to these songs without wondering what might have been if Atlantic had fully supported her career. ---Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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