Bette Smith The Good, The Bad And The Bette (LP, 180g Vinyl)

(Ruf Records) 10 tracks

According to wild rock & soul singer Bette Smith, the roots of her new, life-affirming album The Good, The Bad & The Bette lie partly in her childhood in the harsh environment of Bedford-Stuyvesant in the New York borough of Brooklyn. Both the gospel music she heard in church and the soul music of the streets echo in her songs today. If you are looking for the perfect party record, you will definitely find it here!

While working at the recording studio Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, Mississippi, the Brooklyn-born singer was supported by two producers Matt Patton of Drive-By Truckers and sound engineer/drummer Bronson Tew. We wanted to explore her more rocky side, even in the ballads, thinking of older recordings of Ike & Tina Turner, Betty Wright, Betty Davis and the like, Patton says. As far as songwriting is concerned, Smith wanted to dig deep and deal openly with a traumatic experience from her childhood.