Returning to Bluesfest and two very special sideshows to celebrate a staggering 50 years in the music industry, Bluesfest are both thrilled and honoured to welcome back Grammy Award nominated soul singer, Bettye LaVette.
“Miss LaVette now rivals Aretha Franklin as this generation’s most vital soul singer”
New York Times
With declarations such as this from the New York Times, it is not surprising that her 2012 Bluesfest performance captivated festival headliner John Butler and kept the audience transfixed for her entire set: at times reducing herself, and a great number of her audience, to tears with her soul-baring, gut-wrenching delivery.
Despite being discovered and signed at the age of 16 with the infamous MOTOWN label, her rise to superstar status has been nothing short of what Bettye has described as “….a scramble. The scramble is my story”.
To mark this triumphant year for Bettye, she has released two major creative endeavours – a brilliantly reflective album, Thankful N’ Thoughtful and a riveting autobiography, A Woman Like Me. Together they present Bettye at the top of her form, an artist with the unflinching courage to confront her past while reshaping her future.
“You’ve got a singer here who is willing to stretch and is not content to live in the safety zone” – Elvis Costello
An exceptional interpreter of song, Bettye delivers through her rough yet tender, sensuous voice. Her dynamic power seethes throughout each song, wringing out the sorrow, sharing her hard earned wisdom and story throughout these tales of reinvention. By the time Bettye’s finished recording a track, she has fully inhabited its body and soul.
Bettye’s new album, Thankful N’ Thoughtful features a selection of contemporary tracks written and previously recorded by Bob Dylan, The Black Keys, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Patty Griffin, Gnarls Barkley just to name a few. Bettye rearranges deep within her soul and exorcises as her own through her voice filled with longing, rage, desire, despair, survival and victory. The album has attracted rave reviews.
“She sings, she smoulders, she testifies… standouts included a shiver-inducing cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, as well as re-workings of songs by the Beatles, Ray Charles and her old friend Otis Redding. LaVette still brings a world of pain to every note”.
Dimitri Ehrlich, Uptown Social.
“LaVette’s nuanced singing evokes prime Tina Turner with even more command.”
Rolling Stone.
An artist, a story and a woman not to be missed!
Supporting Bettye at THE CORNER HOTEL will be Texture Like Sun
