REVIEW: Bettye Lavette Performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall Friday Sept 25

If you look up the term "soul survivor" online, you might just stumble across a biography and picture of Bettye Lavette waiting for you to peruse since her career trajectory could lead to her being aptly labeled as such. Lavette started recording in the early 1960's at age sixteen, but she flew beneath the pop culture radar for a number of years before a revival at the turn of the century sparked a resurgence of interest in her work. A scorching rendition of "Love Reign o'er Me" at the Kennedy Center in 2008, along with her subsequent appearance at the Inaugural Celebration for President Obama to sing Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come", has brought her back into the public eye in stunning fashion. Lavette took to the stage of the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis this Friday (September 25, 2009), to cap off a nearly ten year "comeback" with a triumphant performance that crackled with intensity.

It's hard to believe that Ms. Lavette is a self-proclaimed 62 years of age because she looks great and projects the energy of someone more than twenty years her junior. She certainly didn't waste any time in displaying that vigor as she shook and moved to the solid groove her band was laying down. It's always a joy to watch someone in their element, and when Lavette is on stage singing her heart out she's clearly enjoying every single moment. And, unlike a lot of contemporary blues and R&B singers, Lavette doesn't showboat or wail out of context just to show off her range, instead she's a savvy veteran who serves the material by pouring her emotions into each and every phrase.

A tight and fast-paced 90-minute setlist featured songs from throughout Lavette's career including: "My Man - He's a Lovin' Man" and "Let Me Down Easy" from her early years at Atlantic; the aforementioned "A Change is Gonna Come"; and some hot selections from her 2005 album like "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise" and the Lucinda Williams penned "Joy". These choices blended together well, with some tender ballads offsetting the the more uptempo tunes to create a nice overall balance of material. Lavette's band was strong throughout, and even though they were playing with a fill-in guitarist, you wouldn't have known if it hadn't been mentioned.

Lavette completely captivated the crowd, winning them over from the moment she took the stage. The ovations she received may have been a long time in coming, but they were richly deserved.

Dee Dee Bridgewater is next in the Sheldon/Absolut Concert Series with "Lady Day - A Tribute to Billy Holiday" on October 3, 2009.

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