The veteran song stylist may have just dropped the best album in her illustrious bounce-back career. After separate themed collections featuring women composers, British Invasion material and Bob Dylan tunes (a remarkable album), LaVette has released a disc of songs by Randall Bramblett, an under-the-radar Georgia singer-songwriter. Featuring such guests as John Mayer and Jon Batiste, “Lavette!” is worthy of an exclamation point for the singer’s usual raw emotion as well as a taste of humor on “Lazy (and I Know It)” and “Plan B.” Bramblett is an underappreciated songwriter and the underrecognized LaVette is the perfect interpreter of his work. (STAR TRIBUNE)
Bettye LaVette
STAR TRIBUNE BIG GIGS