Review: Bettye LaVette’s ‘Blackbirds’ celebrates Black women

Bettye LaVette, “Blackbirds” (Verve)

The wise intuition and emotional commitment of Bettye LaVette’s interpretative skills find an ideal setting on “Blackbirds,” a collection of songs mostly associated with Black women, from Nina Simone to Billie Holiday.

Supported by a quartet including producer-drummer Steve Jordan, keyboardist Leon Pendarvis, guitarist Smokey Hormel ...