 The career of Bettye LaVette can be described as a long struggle towards recognition. LaVette grew up in Detroit and in the early sixties toured with Otis Redding and then James Brown. She did Broadway and cut a record with Motown in 1982. Over the past decade there has been a revival in her music and she has released two live albums and one studio album since 2000. With a powerful voice, which is reminiscent of Koko Taylor, and a backing band by the name of The Drive-By Truckers, LaVette delivers an incredibly soulful LP called The Scene of the Crime. Raspy, beautiful, and absolutely heartfelt, LaVette’s voice sears through the speakers on the first track, “Still Want to be Your Baby (Take me Like I am).” The third track, “Jealousy,” shows the backing band’s skill at emphasizing LaVette’s vocal talent. The song “You Don’t Know Me At All,” LaVette sings the blues, as she is truly destined to do. “Somebody Pick Up My Pieces” is a sweet ballad, which has a surprisingly fantastic pedal steel guitar element. The rhythm guitar work done on “They Call It Love” is a joy. It’s great to hear such a stripped down sound with LaVette’s smokey voice. “The Last Time” has a sound that is reminiscent of a slowed down Eddie Van Halen guitar part. The album has its share of ballads, and a few up beat numbers. Bettye LaVette’s voice is the star of the show, and she is quite deserving of it.
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