AS the three day Summertyne Festival at The Sage reached its finale it was fitting that a mouth-watering double bill featuring Bettye LaVette and Booker T Jones brought the event to a close.

Quite how Bettye LaVette is not the household name as her contemporaries Aretha Franklin or Chaka Khan is a mystery. After over half a century in the business however, LaVette is now rightly being feted by the likes of Paul McCartney and Jon Bon Jovi as well as receiving a number of Grammy Nominations for albums such as The Scene of the Crime.

As she approaches her 70th birthday, but looking considerably fitter and younger, her voice remains a real tour de force full of power and passion. Serves Him Right, her pulsating, funky answer to an errant partner and The More I Search (The More I Die), from her latest album Thankful `n` Thoughtful, tells those tales to perfection.

As house band for Stax Records, Booker T played on more hits and classics that you could mention as well as co-writing some of the best loved songs of the era many of which were played during the evening including the brooding Born Under A Bad Sign made famous by Albert King.

Green Onions, powered by Booker T`s trademark Hammond Organ and Soul Limbo, a song well known to cricket fans, with its infectious cowbell and Calypso driven rhythm courtesy of drummer Darian Gray and former Dan Reed Network bassist Melvin Brannon Jr. had the feet tapping.

A few choice covers including Hey Joe and a wonderfully dark take on Muddy Water`s Mannish Boy were a nod to the past while Everything is Everything by Lauren Hill with its monster groove and a lively romp through Outkast`s Hey Ya brought things into the present.

Mick Burgess