Bettye Lavette : Scene Of The Crime

Absolutely phenomenal. People are not making music like this these days. Classic style made more enjoyable by modern recording equipment. The Drive-By Truckers backing her are at the top of their game as well, immortalizing this sweet soul singer from da ys gone by. Get this record!
- Craig Kimble, 06/03/2008, USA

Her soulful, worn, ragged voice infuses these songs with so much emotion it hurts.
- Charles Ralston, 11/12/2007, Canada

Full title is: Scene of the Crime

Her 2005 acclaimed release, 'I've Got My Own Hell To Raise', brought well-deserved recognition to this R&B maverick who's been recording since the early 60s. Now comes the almost autobiographical 'Scene Of The Crime'. To make music this raw and direct, Bettye enlisted 'dirty south' rockers The Drive By Truckers as her backup band. With swampy guitars, slippery Wurlitzer piano, and a driving backline, this record conjures up the spirit of great loose 70s bands like the Faces while offering Bettye an urgent, vital setting for her razor-sharp vocals. Recorded in Muscle Shoals, AL, where she recorded 'Child Of The Seventies' in 1972 - a masterpiece that was shelved then released 30 years later. Returning to Muscle Shoals was like returning to the scene of a crime; thus the album title, and the intense, personal music within.