Soul Legend Bettye LaVette Brings “An Evening With” Show to Cambridge Friday

Seven-time Grammy-nominated soul singer Bettye LaVette comes to Harvard Square on Friday, Sept. 18, for “An Evening with Bettye LaVette” at Arrow Street Arts, presented by Passim.

The intimate performance pairs the 80-year-old vocalist — who once opened for the Rolling Stones — with acclaimed pianist Etienne Stadwijk for a rare duo set spanning LaVette’s career, which dates to her first Billboard-charting recording in 1962. The Cambridge performance is part of a 13-date U.S. tour.

A career spanning generations

LaVette found her calling at 16 while growing up in Detroit and soon signed with Atlantic Records. She has released 12 albums and toured with the Rolling Stones, James Brown and Otis Redding, according to the announcement.

Since her career resurgence in 2000, LaVette has received seven Grammy nominations and multiple Blues Music Awards. She has also been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the R&B Hall of Fame and received the R&B Foundation’s Pioneer Award and the Americana Music Association’s Legacy Award.

A late-career chapter built on reinvention

Her latest album, the self-titled “LaVette!,” was produced by Steve Jordan and features contributions from Jon Batiste, Steve Winwood and Anthony Hamilton.

“When Bettye gets a hold of a song, it becomes her song. It’s like she wrote it,” Jordan said in the announcement. “Bettye LaVette is like a combination of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis.”

Cambridge arts partners expand the audience

The show is part of a partnership between Club Passim, the Harvard Square listening room, and Arrow Street Arts. The two Cambridge arts organizations are presenting a series of curated concerts aimed at bringing live music to a wider audience. Artists previously featured in the series include Jonatha Brooke, Mark Erelli with Liv Green, and Mary Gauthier with Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light.

At a glance