Worthy
Making a phenomenal record is an easy task when the vocalist is veteran blues-soul singer Bettye LaVette and the band is loaded with Doyle Bramhall II on guitar and Patrick Warren on keyboards—and the songs come from Bob Dylan (“Unbelievable”), Mickey Newbury (“Bless Us All”), Lennon and McCartney (“Wait”), and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (“Complicated”). It’s as if all producer Joe Henry had to do was turn on the machines and let it happen. LaVette works overtime, bringing determination and grit to Savoy Brown’s “When I Was a Young Girl” and transforming most songs beyond recognition until they\'re her own.
Bettye LaVette doesn't write her own songs, but she doesn't have to -- by the time she's finished singing a tune, LaVette has turned it into something entirely her own, an emotional statement that's original and complete.