by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer

Bettye LaVette
July 15
Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

It was a night to remember. Every seat in the house was taken - upstairs, downstairs, and the bar area at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley was packed to capacity. A line formed at the door as people hoped to squeeze in, but they were eventually turned away. The occasion was an intimate evening with Grammy-nominated diva Bettye LaVette, and concertgoers most definitely got their money's worth.

The Michigan native, who will tour later this year with rock 'n' roll icon Robert Plant, came to Seattle for this one-night stand to perform a selection of music that stretched over a few genres - R&B, blues, jazz, and rock. LaVette's newest work is a collection of covers from overseas artists called Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, a soulful tribute to England's '60s and '70s marquee acts.

Like squeezing the juice out of an orange, LaVette can extract the raw emotion from any song, as she did on "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a 1964 classic written for Nina Simone, and then on a riveting version of George Harrison's "Isn't It a Pity."

"It is good to be with you again," said LaVette, who was dressed in a slim pair of black pants and matching sleeveless top with gold stripes down the sides. "We don't know if you like us or not, but you guys treat us so good."

She was perfection on "A Woman Like Me," the title track from her 2003 album, and was flawless again on "Before the Money Came (The Battle of Bettye LaVette)," from the 2006 standout The Scene of the Crime. Another number from that album made it onto the set list was the sultry ballad "They Call It Love."

But the night's crowning moments were pluckings from Interpretations - a passionate and show-stopping rendition of the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin" and a near tearful delivery of The Who's "Love Rain O'er Me," which she performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in front of Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend. Two additional tracks from the album were wonderfully flavored: a gorgeous redo of The Rolling Stones' "Salt of the Earth" and a stripped-down, R&B take on Led Zeppelin's "All My Love."

There were chuckles throughout the venue when LaVette admitted to being a 65-year-old black woman performing songs written by 20-year-old white guys, but no one laughed when she announced that she's celebrating her 48th year in the business - instead, loud cheers erupted from all corners. In 2008, she participated in President Obama's inaugural festivities at the nation's capital alongside Jon Bon Jovi, who she referred to as a "cute little baby."

LaVette climaxed her 90-minute appearance by belting out the title cut from 2005's I've Got My Own Hell to Raise. As if she'd break down and cry at any moment, it's her unique style to sing in dramatic fashion - not for theatrics, but because she truly bleeds the insides from the often tragic stories attached to each song.

On a night like this, the only thing that could've made it better was LaVette announcing she'd return the following evening.

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