By Lookout Staff

August 19, 2010 – How do you replace a former Rolling Stones guitarist on short notice? You pick a contemporary who may not be a household name, but who commands the stage and combines all of the Stones’ musical influences – soul, blues, rock, gospel, funk and country.

Bettye LaVette, who was tapped to replace Mick Taylor after he cancelled Thursday’s Twilight Dance Series concert on the Santa Monica Pier, has been likened to soul queen Aretha Franklin.

“Ms. LaVette rivals Aretha Franklin as her generation’s most vital soul singer,” wrote the New York Times. “She uses every scrape, shout and break in her raspy voice, with a predator’s sense of timing to seize the drama of a song.”

Since recording her first single at age 16 in 1962, LaVette has been on a career roller coaster ride that peaked in 2005 with her album “I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise” and a “Pioneer Award” the following year from The Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

In May, LaVette made news with the release of “Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook,” which brings the British Invasion home to its American R & B roots and features LaVette’s raw emotional renderings of compositions by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

La Vette, who has shared the stage with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will be coming off a memorable three night run at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this year.

Also sharing the stage will be the Tom Nolan Band, which features a world class rhythm section, first-rate singers and soloists, and an intense stage show. The band is known for bringing people to their feet with a mix of originals and classic dance tunes that blend Soul, Blues, R&B and rock ‘n roll.

The band, which has been a regular at Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the pier for 15 years, released its seventh CD, “Live at Rusty’s” two years ago.