Bettye LaVette has released her bluesy new ballad “One More Song,” the latest single from the Blues Hall of Fame singer’s upcoming album Blackbirds.
“One More Song” was penned by long-time Leonard Cohen collaborator Sharon Robinson and features all-star session musicians like guitarist Smokey Hormel, keyboardist Leon Pendarvis, drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Tom Barney.
In June, LaVette released her cover of the Billie Holiday standard “Strange Fruit” in solidarity with the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It really is horrifying that nearly 80 years later, through Billie’s lifetime and now my 74 years, the meaning of this song still applies,” LaVette said of “Strange Fruit.” “It might not be men and women hanging from trees, but these public executions are now on video and it feels like they’re doing it for sport. I hope the song will be a reminder that we have had enough, and I support the Black Lives Matter movement.”
Both “One More Song” and “Strange Fruit” will appear on Blackbirds, which was postponed from the spring until August 28th. The LP also boasts covers of Dinah Washington’s “Drinking Again,” Nina Simone’s “I Hold No Grudge” and Nancy Wilson’s “Save Your Love for Me.”
