BETTYE LaVETTE
Blackbirds
Verve
o argument here if you thought , Bettye LaVette’s 2018 tribute to Bob Dylan, deserved its two Grammy nominations, and perhaps even a mantle-size, the 74-year-old vocalist’s remarkable follow-up. Reuniting her with drummer/producer Steve Jordan, provides an unwaveringly soulful excursion into R&B, jazz, and pop waters. What’s more, because so many things have indeed changed in 2020, for better or worse, some of the album’s most compelling tracks now resonate in ways that LaVette and Jordan couldn’t possibly have imagined during their collaboration.
