Worthy

by Bettye LaVette

Overview

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. Since LaVette reminded American listeners that she was still working at the top of her game with the 2003 live set A Woman Like Me, she's been releasing a steady stream of new albums confirming her status as one of the strongest and most individual interpretive vocalists in the 21st century. LaVette's first studio album after A Woman Like Me was the outstanding I've Got My Own Hell to Raise, produced by Joe Henry, and for 2014's Worthy, LaVette has teamed up again with Henry and several of the same musicians who played on those sessions. Henry is a producer whose approach is less about studio technique and more about setting a mood and letting artists go where they will, and LaVette is the sort of artist who responds best to this treatment; on Worthy, LaVette sings with strength and passion, but she understands dynamics, knowing when to go full-out and when to rein herself in, and her tough but thoughtful approach to the material is powerfully effective and full of keen emotional intelligence and her soulful, sweet and sour voice. Worthy finds LaVette covering songs by the Beatles ("Wait"), the Rolling Stones ("Complicated"), Bob Dylan ("Unbelievable"), and Beth Nielsen Chapman (the title cut), but if LaVette doesn't necessarily make you forget the originals, each time she takes them to a place that's clearly of her own making. LaVette discovers something fresh and deeply personal in every number here, and the backing band on these sessions (including Doyle Bramhall II on guitar, Chris Bruce on bass, and Patrick Warren on keyboards) works with her beautifully, with a give and take that's a master class in how to accompany a vocalist. Worthy is another impressive release from an outstanding singer, and if it follows the pattern of some of her recent albums, nothing here sounds rote; this is the sound of an artist doing what she does best, and she is far more than worthy of this great music. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	01/27/2015
Label:	Cherry Red
UPC:	0760137687221

Tracks

1. Unbelievable
2. When I Was a Young Girl
3. Bless Us All
4. Stop
5. Undamned
6. Complicated
7. Where a Life Goes
8. Just Between You and Me and the Wall, You're a Fool
9. Wait
10. Step Away
11. Worthy

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bettye LaVette   Primary Artist
Patrick Warren   Piano,Chamberlin,Organ (Hammond)
Chris Bruce   Bass,Guitar (Acoustic)
Doyle Bramhall II   Bass,Guitar
Jay Bellerose   Drums,Percussion
Levon Henry   Sax (Tenor)
Ben Chapoteau-Katz   Sax (Baritone)
Linton Smith   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Paul McCartney   Composer
Sol Marcus   Composer
Beth Nielsen Chapman   Composer
Bettye LaVette   Producer
Brian Mitchell   Composer,Composer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Bob Seger   Composer
J. Simon   Composer
Chris Youlden   Composer
Joe Henry   Producer,Liner Notes
James H. Brown Jr.   Composer
Bennie Benjamin   Composer
Fiona Apple   Composer
W. T. Davidson   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Ryan Freeland   Mixing,Engineer
Johnnie Mae Matthews   Composer
Linford Detweiler   Composer
Mary Gauthier   Composer
Neil Young   Composer
Randy McCormick   Composer
Mickey Newbury   Composer
Sinead O'Connor   Composer
Keith Richards   Composer
Kim Rosen   Mastering
Lucinda Williams   Composer
Randall Bramblett   Composer
Christine Santelli   Composer
Mick Jagger   Composer
Gloria Caldwell   Composer
Levon Henry   Horn Arrangements
Carol Friedman   Photography,Cover Design
Evan Vidar   Studio Assistant
Kevin Kiley   Advisor
John Clifforth   Composer
Dave Gross   Engineer
James Bennett   Composer
Vicky Powell   Coordination
Julian Cubillos   Engineer
Joseph Lee Henry   Composer
Jan Bidewell Buckingham   Composer
Mark Powell   Project Coordinator
Rene Gayer   Composer