Bettye LaVette's relative obscurity is a cryin' shame. The lady has sung soul, jazz, and blues with an unparalleled raw intensity for more than 40 years. But unlike a lot of her peers who got their starts on Sunday morning, LaVette is pure Saturday night. She cut her first single, "My Man, He's A Loving Man," in the Motor City in 1962. The record made Top 10 on the R&B charts. She hit the charts again in 1965 with "Let Me Down Easy," a song she still performs. She uses delicate phrasing - with a little oomph - to slither around songs, where others might steamroll right through. This precision, coupled with her ability to ease your heartache, is what will blow you away - along with the shame of not having heard her before.

Bettye LaVette performs Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m. at the Lilac Festival Stage in Highland Park, off Highland Avenue. The show is free. For more information visit lilacfestival.com.