Lavette at Chicago Blues Festival
"LaVette was the brightest surprise of the festival. A dynamic singer, when she periodically dropped the microphone to howl a cappella, she got the lawn crowd halfway across the park to howl back."
"Unlike the first three nights, temperatures bottomed to about 50 degrees Sunday, although the chill set the mood for sultry Detroit soul singer Bettye LaVette. As a teenager in the '60s, LaVette recorded for Atlantic Records, embarking on a career that ultimately won her a niche following in Europe.
Too bad she's not as well-known here. LaVette was the brightest surprise of the festival. A dynamic singer, when she periodically dropped the microphone to howl a cappella, she got the lawn crowd halfway across the park to howl back. Her set's bright spot was "Like a Rock," transforming Bob Seger's macho Chevrolet jingle into a personal testimonial for spiritual individuality.
Mark Guarino, Daily Herald Music Critic
"Bettye LaVette gamely performed in the Sunday chill as well. Backed by a six-piece band that included a horn section, Lavette sang in a raspy, sultry voice that resembled Tina Turner, filling her soul ballads with murmurs, growls and cries.
LaVette used her considerable technique to wrench every ounce of emotion from her songs, particularly as she lifted fellow Detroit native Bob Seger's "Like a Rock" out of truck-commercial hell and turned it into a soaring testimony to inner strength.
By comparison, Shemekia Copeland filled much of her headlining set on Saturday with the sort of pedestrian blues-rock found on Seger's lesser records, and all the energetic showmanship of her crowd-pleasing set couldn't make up for the shortcomings of her material.
Kevin McKeough,
Chicago Tribune
LaVette at Sweetwater in San Francisco
When Bettye LaVette performed with Howard Tate at Sweetwater in San Francisco, fans in the enraptured audience included Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Huey Lewis, Steve Miller, and legendary producer Jerry Ragovoy.
Bettye with Howard Tate / with Jerry Ravovoy, record producer and Howard Tate
Bettye with Huey Lewis / Bettye with Bonnie Raitt
LaVette at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco
"Unashamedly Real & Honest! Just back from seeing one of the most incredible performances I have ever seen in my more-than-30 years of watching live shows by R&B artists and I've seen a whole bunch since 1965! I'm talking about Ms. BETTYE LAVETTE who completely wore me out when she performed at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco. I have struggled to describe Bettye's show to others so for now, I will just say that she truly epitomized the word "soul" in it's highest form with a no-holds-barred, unashamedly real and honest performance."
When Bettye sang "Your Turn To Cry" (her 1970 Atco single), grown men were crying. And when she closed the show with her all-time classic "Let Me Down Easy," it was other-worldly.
Fearless, vulnerable, intense: for my money, Bettye is truly the best "live" female soul singer around. Period. I'm hoping that her San Francisco show will be a springboard to some more national shows; if you get wind that she's in your neighborhood and you call yourself a true soul music lover, catch her at all costs - or turn in your soul music union card!
David Nathan (Author, "The Soulful Divas")
LaVette at the Porretta Soul Festival
This legendary song stylist has a voice timbre that moves from satin to sandpaper, can turn a whisper into a crescendo, and hold a listener's attention for hours on end. When singing jazz, LaVette has a peaceful, spacious way of phrasing, but when working the blues she pays less attention to diction, instead stressing rhythmic agility with a "tell it like it is" delivery.