Article Contributed by CK Communications Group
Published on 2026-09-13
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Passim will present soul legend Bettye LaVette at Arrow Street Arts on Friday, September 18. The “Great Lady of Soul” will be accompanied by Etienne Stadwijk on keyboards for a rare duo set that will take the audience on a marvelous journey through her incredible 64-year career. Tickets are on sale now.
Lauded as one of the best remaining soul vocalists of her generation, LaVette found her calling at age 16 while growing up in Detroit and soon signed with Atlantic Records. Over her six-plus-decade career, she has released 12 albums and toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Otis Redding, and more.
Since her resurgence in 2000, LaVette has been nominated for seven GRAMMY Awards, won multiple Blues Music Awards, been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the R&B Hall of Fame, and received the R&B Foundation’s Pioneer Award as well as the Americana Music Association’s Legacy Award.
Her latest album, the self-titled LaVette!, was produced by Steve Jordan of The Rolling Stones and John Mayer Trio and features contributions from Jon Batiste, Steve Winwood, and Anthony Hamilton. According to Jordan, who produced her last three albums, “When Bettye gets a hold of a song, it becomes her song. It’s like she wrote it. Bettye LaVette is like a combination of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis.”
At 80 years old, LaVette is a shining example of what perseverance and determination can bring. One of her many gifts lies in her ability to strip every song down to its emotional core, reshaping familiar material with the raw honesty and fearless artistry that have defined her since her first Billboard-charting recording in 1962.
Over the past year, Passim has developed a partnership with Arrow Street Arts, bringing together two of Cambridge’s premier independent arts organizations. This new venture connects Club Passim, the legendary Harvard Square listening room, with Arrow Street Arts, a new state-of-the-art venue, for a series of highly curated concerts with the goal of bringing amazing music to an even wider audience. Other artists presented this year have included Jonatha Brooke, Mark Erelli with Liv Greene, Mary Gauthier with Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light, and more.
The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, nurture artists at all stages of their careers, and build a vibrant, inclusive music community. Passim does so through its legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants, and community programs.
As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of its predecessors—the historic Club 47, which operated from 1958 to 1968, and the for-profit Passim, which operated from 1969 to 1994. Passim cultivates a diverse mix of musical traditions, emphasizing the relationships between performers and audiences and between teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national, and international artists. Its ultimate goal is to help the performing arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of community members. For a complete schedule, visit passim.org.
Bettye LaVette at Arrow Street Arts
Friday, September 18, 2026
Doors: 6:00 p.m. | Show: 7:00 p.m.
Arrow Street Arts
2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets: $60 | Passim members: $52
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