Bettye LaVette and Christian McBride Honor Frank Sinatra & Peggy Lee

Written By Mike Greenblatt

Two of Essex County’s most cherished artists—vocalist extraordinaire Bettye LaVette, 77, and bassist-composer-arranger-educator Christian McBride, 51, will join Aloe Blacc, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paula Cole, Rachael Price and Brian Stokes Mitchell in “A Tribute In Song” February 8 on The Betty Wold Johnson Stage, Prudential Hall, within NJ PAC in Newark. McBride’s “Big Band & Strings” orchestra will back all the performances. 

Sinatra, born Francis Albert Sinatra in Hoboken 109 years ago, and Peggy Lee, born Norma Deloris Engstrom in North Dakota 104 years ago, will have their musical DNA shaken and stirred, reinvented by the level of vocal artistry on display. Expect Lee’s “Fever,” “Is That All There Is,” “It’s A Good Day” and “Let’s Love.” Expect Sinatra’s “Luck Be A Lady,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “One For My Baby” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

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“Learn the story behind these two musical icons who were best friends and creative colleagues for over 50 years,” according to a press release from The New Jersey Performing Arts Center. You can get more information about the show—which was rescheduled from November 21—here: https://www.njpac.org/. 

Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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