Bettye Lavette put on a typically thrilling show at The Iridium last night. She highlighted songs from her most recent album Things Have Changed which is up for Best Americana (Americana?) Album Grammy later this month. She has also been nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance (that sounds more like it) for her interpretation of Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight. Things Have Changed is devoted to the songs of Bob Dylan. Clearly this is a no-brainer; a can’t lose proposition.

Bettye spoke about the album (among other things) and performed two songs from it during a WFUV session that you can hear HERE via the WFUV site. While recording an introduction for that session, I heard myself refer to her as my favorite singer. I don’t remember having used that phrase before. As I digested the remark, I became more comfortable with it. Yes, Bettye Lavette IS my favorite singer!

And why not? Does she not dominate all the material that she interprets? Does she not bring guts and fire to the microphone every time she steps in front of it? Hell yes – as confirmed in The Bronx at WFUV as well as downtown at City Winery last year.

I first crossed paths with the Detroit-raised artist, who makes her home in New Jersey, about seven years ago when I had the opportunity to host a concert she was doing at Madison Square Park. At that point, she was on the road supporting her new album Thankful N’ Thoughtful. I had been duly impressed by her albums I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise from 2005 and 2010’s Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook but I had never seen her on stage. I was astounded with the way she transformed and fully inhabited familiar rock songs and was HOOKED. I copped the requisite photo op…
My next brush came in 2015 when Ms. Lavette played a residency at Cafe Carlyle around the time of the release of Worthy. I shot some video and was able to arrange an on-camera chat with her after the show to produce this television piece.

At the intimate Carlyle show after I had put down my camera to sit down and be free to connect with the music, I experienced a rare swelling of feeling elicited by the way her voice seemed to contain infinite amounts of passion, pain, toughness, and experience. Bettye Lavette is an extraordinary vocalist and a seasoned, intuitive entertainer utterly at home on stage. She put on an exhibition that night that I’ll never forget.

Antibalas will be the house band and twenty artists will perform the songs of Aretha Franklin on Monday, March 6th at Carnegie Hall in the 14th annual tribute concert to benefit music education programs.  Here’s the lineup: Melissa Etheridge, Kenny Loggins, Ann Wilson, Todd Rundgren, Sarah Dash, Glen Hansard, Rhiannon Giddens, Taj Mahal with his daughter Deva Mahal, Living Colour, Allen Stone, Bettye Lavette, Ceelo Green, Naomi Shelton, G. Love, Richard Thompson, Ruthie Foster, Ron Pope, Don Bryant, Sam Moore, and Ledisi.

Tickets are available.

As is the tradition, a live rehearsal show will happen at City Winery the night before.  The concert on Sunday night is sold out but you can add your name to a wait list.

The concert has produced some memorable moments in the past.  David Byrne and Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, REM, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell have all been feted and a handful of the honorees have turned up at the shows.  As Michael Dorf recalled while I was chatting with the Knitting Factory and City Winery founder last week, Elton John and Bernie Taupin enjoyed their songs while sitting together in a box overlooking the stage but did not perform. Bruce Springsteen not only made a cameo but did two songs for an encore after his music was  presented in 2007.  David Byrne showed his characteristic flair by appearing in a white tux leading a marching band down the center aisle before taking the stage to put a punctuation mark on the 2015 show.  Last year’s concert for David Bowie expanded to two nights, with a second show at Radio City Music Hall, following the artist’s death in January.  It was an emotional celebration of his legacy that gave artists and fans alike an opportunity to gather and share the loss while immersed in the music that endures.  

Will Aretha put in an appearance?  Who can tell!  In any case, Carnegie Hall is the place to be next Monday and these music education programs will all benefit: Grammy in the Schools, Young Audiences New York, Church Street School of Music and Art, The Orchestra Now, The Center for Arts Education, Little Kids Rock, D’Addario Foundation, Sonic Arts For All, and Midori & Friends.

Bettye Lavette made me cry more than once during the opening show of her run at The Carlyle.  She is among the very highest echelon of vocalists – a masterful interpreter who fully inhabits each song she sings.  The show Wednesday January the 28th served as an album release party for her latest – Worthy, produced by Joe Henry – and was extra special as Ms. Lavette’s birthday, falling on the 29th. kicked in at midnight.

She is also fun as hell to hang out with!

I got to chat with Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens aboard the Rockin’ The River Cruise last night (8/10) and bits of the conversation will be included in next Wednesday’s NY1 Music Report. The Smithereens were fantastic. They ripped through the best songs of their catalog and indulged in a generous handful of covers too including ones by the Kinks, Beatles and Doors. The Who covers were best though – a wicked Shakin’ All Over (Sure, it’s Johnny Kidd but Pat referenced Live at Leeds) plus The Seeker and I’m Free.

Bettye Lavette is a queen of covers and she hit material by Lucinda Williams, Sinead O’Connor, and yes – The Who (her Love, Reign O’er Me is sublime) when she was at Madison Square Park last Wednesday the 8th.

Langhorne Slim recently sat down with me at WFUV for a session that will air on Wednesday the 22nd at 9p. His latest album The Way We Move is killer.