BETTYE LA VETTE – INTERPRETATIONS: THE BRITISH SONGBOOK

I think we have Rod Stewart to blame for this string of “songbook” albums. They have certainly feathered his retirement nest. Bettye La Vette is a different artist, thankfully. This Detroit soulstress may not be Aretha Franklin, but she has a set of lungs capable of breathing life into the most morbid of ballads. Thankfully resuscitation is rarely needed here, with some choice British cuts of the last 50 years. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood has been given many a workout over the years, but rarely has it sounded so funky and fresh as it does here; while Nights in White Satin is unrecognisable as a slow, subtle, string-led ballad as La Vette’s nuanced vocal performance shows us a song we never knew was there – and that is one hell of a skill. Of course what British songbook would be complete without a Lennon and Macca work-over, but shunning the more obvious, Bettye take The Word and gives that song the full funk treatment … seriously cool, Interpretations is the key word here, as Bettye takes the most recognisable of old chestnuts and roasts them in ways previously unimagined – what a great voice, what a great gift.

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