Willy Porter
Willy Porter has toured with the likes of Jeff Beck and Tori Amos, and has been a Madison favorite for nearly 20 years!...(more)
Maia Sharp
She's toured with Bonnie Raitt, and won praise from the likes of Carole King and Keb Mo, but Maia Sharp has a sound all her own...(more)
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
Cory is a Wisconsin native and has a new album coming on September 22, Mockingbird. Expect a blend of 60s soul, New Orleans swagger, and good old rock n’ roll...(more)
Natty Nation
These local favorites will be bringing 100% independent Roots, Rock, Reggae, Dancehall, Dub, and more--this is the unique blend of music that is NATTY NATION...(more)
Mike Droho
Winner of Triple M's first-ever reality show, Project M, this Wisconsin native proved his musical chops week after week with his unique style blending rock, indie and hip-hop...(more)
Who is Bettye LaVette you ask? The simple answer is Ms. LaVette is one of the greatest soul singers in American music history, possessed of an incredibly expressive voice that one moment will exude a formidable level of strength and intensity and the next will appear vulnerable, reflective, reeking of heartbreak. Unfortunately, it says much about the vagaries of the popular music industry that, although LaVette has been recording for over four decades, up to this point she has remained criminally unknown.
Born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1946, LaVette grew up in Detroit. Despite the palpable level of emotion and fire breathing intensity that permeates the essence of her vocal art, LaVette is one of the very few soul singers who did not get her start singing in the church. “Discovered” at the age of 16 by the legendary Motor City music raconteur Johnnie Mae Matthews, LaVette’s first single was the insouciantly swinging “My Man--He’s a Loving Man.” Recorded initially for Northern in the fall of 1962, the record was quickly picked up by Atlantic for national distribution. The net result was a Top 10 r&b hit that just missed the pop Hot 100 and would be eventually covered by both Tina Turner and Ann Peebles.
Bettye has always had big ears and a wide open mind, preferring to fulfill the role of a song interpreter, rather than attempt to write her own material. “I’m a better editor,” insists the diminutive singer. “If you make a statement, I can make it a stronger statement. And, if you write a story, I can make it a stronger story. But, I rarely think of a story I ever want to write myself.”
Bettye’s near mystical ability to get inside a song’s lyric, melodic line and harmonic implications, in the process invariably making anything she covers her own, stems from the tutelage and guidance of her late manager Jim Lewis. A veteran of the big band era having played with the screaming and stomping Buffalo-based Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, Lewis managed LaVette for ten years beginning in 1968 and constantly harped on her to listen to master song interpreters such as Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra, pointing out the intricacies of phrasing and timbre manipulation that are part and parcel of the sonic art of any truly great vocalist.
“I’m a soul singer,” concurs Bettye. “If I did an aria, it would be being done by a soul singer. I don’t know how to sing any other way. If it’s me and my singing you like, this is what I’m singing today.”
The result is a blessing to us all.
- Rob Bowman, Anti- Records
[Recommended] Live Music at Atwood Summerfest this Weekend
This Saturday the 2000 and 2100 blocks of Atwood Avenue (in front of the Barrymore Theatre) will be rockin' with great live music on two stages...that's right, it's Atwood Summerfest time again.It's one of the city's best neighborhood festivals..with yummy ethnic food, icy cold beer..and fun for the kids too with face painting, arts and [...]
[Music News] Willie Nelson and Farm Aid 25 Will Be In Milwaukee October 2, 2010
As Mr. Willie Nelson's website explains, there has been a "Willie-leak." Earlier today Willie Nelson had a slip of the tongue while on The Bill Mack Show on XM radio (Willie's Place is Willie's XM channel) when he revealed that the location for Farm Aid 25 will be Milwaukee, WI. The date of Farm Aid [...]
[Recommended] John Eddie, High Noon Saloon, July 31
John Eddie with The Rowdy Prairie DogsSaturday July 31, 9pm, 21+High Noon Saloon, more infoAmerican folk-rock singer John Eddie will be taking the stage Saturday night at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI. Eddie is a skilled guitarist and songwriter who has plays rock ‘n' roll with folk country influences. Originally from Virginia, Eddie [...]
Cheer on the ACT 8 Riders!
Around 130 riders started off this morning on the ACT 8 Aids Ride from Olin Park in Madison and are on their way to Baraboo where they'll spend the night.The 4-day 300-mile ride also has overnight stops in Spring Green and Albany before thy end up back in Madison for the emotional closing ceremony on [...]
[Free Download] Vanguard Records Sounds of Summer!
Another free summer music sampler is available to you Triple M fans and listeners! Vanguard Records has released a free .mp3 sampler that includes some great tracks from an eclectic assortment of artists. Fans can head over to Amazon and download the entire Sounds of Summer mix free of charge.Sounds of Summer includes:1. Blue Giant [...]
Vince Cannova
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