A duet with George Jones on his 1988 hit “If I Could Bottle This Up” introduced Shelby Lynne to the country establishment, but they had no idea what to do with her. For years, Lynne was shoehorned into all styles of contemporary country music, usually with awkward results. The tables turned, though, with 2000’s declaration of independence, I Am Shelby Lynne, a self-assured roots-rock album that refashioned the singer as a fierier, more-rustic Sheryl Crow. Subsequent albums have continued down the same independent path, giving Lynne ample space to do whatever she wants, as on her most recent release, Just a Little Lovin’, where she sings nine torchy songs popularized by Dusty Springfield. Lynne plays an 8 p.m. show tonight at the Turner Hall Ballroom.
