Support: Connor Selby.

Celebrated by The New York Times as a premier soul interpreter, Bettye LaVette, now in her stellar 61st year in show business, continues to astonish at 78. This concert offers a rare opportunity to witness this living legend live, within the intimate, personal and unique setting of Cadogan Hall, performing songs from her latest albums as well as older favourites.

Launching her career at 16 in Detroit, she soared with her first hit on Atlantic Records and shone on Broadway in ‘Bubbling Brown Sugar’. LaVette, honoured with the R&B Foundation’s Pioneer Award, multiple Blues Music Awards, a Blues Hall of Fame induction, the Americana Music Association’s Legacy Award, and seven Grammy nominations, still captivates with her latest album LaVette!, featuring songs by the acclaimed Randall Bramblett.

Steve Jordan, producer of her recent albums, lauds her as a blend of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis. Join her and her full band for an unforgettable live performance featuring her latest hits and timeless classics, showcasing why she remains a true icon of soul music.

Bettye LaVette was hailed by The New York Times as ‘one of the great soul interpreters of her generation’. George Jones said, ‘Bettye is truly a singer’s singer.’

Her career began in 1962, at 16 years old, in Detroit, Michigan. Her first single, ‘My Man – He’s A Lovin’ Man’, was released on Atlantic Records. Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, she recorded for several major labels and appeared in the Broadway musical Bubbling Brown Sugar, alongside Honi Coles and Cab Calloway.

The 2000s marked the start of what she calls her ‘fifth career’. She received the R&B Foundation’s Pioneer Award, won several Blues Music Awards, was inducted into The Blues Hall of Fame, received the Legacy Award from the Americana Music Association, and has received seven Grammy nominations.

Her most recent release, LaVette!, consists of songs all written by Randall Bramblett, whom she considers ‘the best writer I have heard in the last 30 years’. The album is released on Jay-Vee Records, co-owned by Steve Jordan and Meegan Voss.

According to Steve Jordan, who produced her last three albums: ‘When Bettye gets hold of a song, it becomes her song. It’s like she wrote it. She’s a great messenger, a communicator, an interpreter. Bettye LaVette is like a combination of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis.’

Now, at 78 years old and in her 61st year in show business, she is one of the very few of her contemporaries who were recording during the birth of soul music in the 1960s and are still creating vital recordings today.

Age recommendation: 14+ (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)