| CD REVIEW |
 |
| TO RETURN TO THE CD REVIEW INDEX, |
| I first heard this 60-year-old Detroit blueswoman, in March 2006, performing live with Buddy Guy at beautiful Hamilton Place in this otherwise dreary Southern Ontario steeltown, and her innovative interpretations of various female recording artists continues to send chills down my spine after repeated listens of this CD.
It begins with a souful a capella version of Sinead O�Connor�s �I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got�, and the CD just gets better and better on the following tracks, notably a funked-up version of Lucinda Williams� �Joy�, sadly forgotten Joan Armatrading�s �Down to Zero�, a surprisingly haunting entry by Dolly Parton called �Little Sparrow�, and Fiona Apple�s �Sleep to Dream� (the latter containing the title reference). My overall favourite was a stunning collaboration by a couple I wasn�t familiar with � Catherine Ann Maciejewski and John Scott Sherill � and their beautifully emotive and heartbreaking �Just Say So�. Ms. LaVette�s voice has a lot in common with Tina Turner�s, so I�m kind of surprised none of her songs was included here, especially since Turner recorded a rendition of 16-year-old LaVette�s top-10 r & b hit, �My Man�He�s a Loving Man�. Also covered on the CD are Sharon Robinson�s unforgiving country waltz, �The High Road�, a laid-back psychedelic flavouring of Rosanne Cash & Jimmy H. Tittle�s �On the Surface�, Aimee Mann and Jon Brion�s slightly but appropriately profane �How Am I Different� and Toni Brown�s �Only Time Will Tell�. No two songs on this recording sound alike, and the versatility in playing and vocal styles is very much appreciated. Bettye is variously joined on guitars by Chris Bruce and Doyle Bramhall II, on piano/organ and Wurlitzer electric piano by Lisa Coleman, on electric bass by Paul Bryan, on drums by Earl Harvin, on upright bass by David Piltch (on �Joy� and �Sleep to Dream�) and on backing vocals by Niki Haris and Valerie Watson. The flawless production comes courtesy of Andy Kaulkin, S. Husky Hoskulds and Jason Mott, with mastering by Gavin Lurrsen at The Mastering Lab in L.A. Although I�m not familiar with the tune, Dee Dee Ford�s �Let Me Down Easy� has become LaVette�s finale selection (described in the liner notes as a �gut wrenching showstopper�) in her live performances, but I found the woefully under-exposed Apple�s �Sleep to Dream� much more memorable as a closing tune, as it appears here. Whether you prefer the funkier, rocked-up productions or the mellower selections, this album is guaranteed to satisfy the hell-raiser in every woman. Kudos to Buddy Guy for turning me onto Bettye LaVette! |
| I've Got My Own Hell to Raise - Bettye LaVette (2005) |
 |
 |