“Ms. LaVette now
rivals Aretha Franklin as her generation’s most vital soul singer. She uses
every scrape, shout and break in her raspy voice, with a predator’s sense of
timing, to seize the drama of a song.” - New York Times
Bettye LaVette celebrates her 50th anniversary
in the music business (note: can someone check this - there must be some
mistake!) with the release of her new album, "Thankful N'
Thoughtful", on ANTI- Records - as well as the publication of her
long-time-coming book, variously described as 'engrosing', 'riviting',
'hair-raising' and only suitable for over 18s - the tell-it-like-it-is
autobiography: "A Woman Like Me", co-written with David Ritz, the
highly-regarded author of books on R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Smokey
Robinson, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye.
"Thankful N' Thoughtful" turned out
to be a companion piece to her autobiography as while she was writing the book,
she was also recording the songs.
"When most other artists do them, they’re cover versions. But when Bettye LaVette
does them, they’re “interpretations”, such is her talent for getting
inside a song and extracting a depth of soul and meaning that might even
surprise the original artists.[...]It’s a marvellous, spine-tingling journey around some not-so-obvious
American songs, and also a stunning tutorial in different American music
styles, strung together by LaVette’s sensuous singing. With each of her
albums improving on the last, Thankful N’ Thoughtful continues the
upward curve. It is, possibly, the best set of songs she’s ever
recorded." - Lloyd Bradley (BBC Music)
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