Ms Bettye LaVette - The Great Lady of Soul
If you have not heard Ms LaVette sing (and chances are you have not), then
you need to. Really. Take a deep breath, prepare to be enthralled, and
immerse yourself in the videos below.
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Sophisticated. A killer interpretation of "Love Reigns O'er
Me" blows Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey and Barbra Streisand away.
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Rocking. "Joy" gets straight to the point, and then
hammers it home, just the way rock should.... They took my joy. I want it back!
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Raw, powerful, and mesmerising. A searing version of "Little
Sparrow". So this is what music is supposed to be like.....
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Unplugged. An intimate and intensely personal rendition of "It
Don't Come Easy" for an NPR tiny desk concert.
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Luscious. "Let Me Down Easy", backed by Jools' and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Smooth and silky, with a hard centre. Thank you Bettye!
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"What next?" you ask. Well, let me tell you! Time to shift focus from
individual songs to the narrative arc of a complete performance.
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Authoritative. Prepare to be awestruck. This incredible 30-minute concert in the
Netherlands places the performances of "Joy" and "Little Sparrow" in
context: parts of a greater whole.
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All of the above. Experience the heroic sweep of a Bettye LaVette concert at the Bridgestone Music Festival in 2009.
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Now go see the real thing!!
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Last modified: 23 February 2015
Author: Mark Wardle
(mark.wardle@mq.edu.au).
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