Bettye LaVette Might Be Just What You Need Today

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Bettye LaVette Joseph Rosen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Joseph Rosen/Courtesy of the artist

Bettye LaVette

Joseph Rosen/Courtesy of the artist

I don't know about you, but over the last few months, there have been some days where it's been hard to get up and get going. The world has felt tumultuous and scary, it can be tough to greet each day with a smile on your face, and that's how I was feeling the day I called up Bettye LaVette. And I'm so glad that I did because talking to her completely turned my day around.

Bettye LaVette has a buoyancy to her, a positive attitude you can feel just through her voice. It's an attitude that's kept her making music through all the ups and downs of her almost 60-year career, and one that seems to keep her from ever slowing down. In 2018, she released an album of Bob Dylan songs, the Grammy-nominated Things Have Changed, and today, she's back with Blackbirds, an album of her reinterpretations of songs popularized by some of her favorite jazz singers like Dinah Washington and Nina Simone.

In this session, you'll hear my conversation with Bettye Lavette, which might be just what you need today. Listen in the audio player above.