Rita Coolidge shot to fame singing cover versions and she has paid homage to her musical heroes throughout her career.

Her pedigree is rock and pop and last year she was in Britain on the Once in a Lifetime country tour with Kenny Rogers and Don Williams. Now she's crossed over to jazz, something she has a longstanding affection for.

Rita's current UK tour, rolling into Bradford next month, showcases her latest album And So Is Love, a collection of popular jazz standards. She will also perform a traditional Cherokee song from her native Indian heritage.

"I've always felt singing is about the spaces left, the breathing space," she says. "Some of the songs I selected are in homage to Peggy Lee. Don't Smoke in Bed is like a little movie, a vignette. I would have done an entire album of Peggy songs if they'd let me!

"I was the first to re-record Fever. I've admired her since I was three years old and it was a thrill to meet her. We became buddies."

Rita, 62, admits to finding the jazz album a challenge.

"It was the greatest of lessons, because I hadn't recorded with hardcore jazz musicians before. I was terrified! I found myself crying and my husband came to get me and said Okay, calm down, you can do this.' I was fine, I just needed reassurance," she says. "The jazz musicians became my mentors. Their approach to jazz is almost mathematical, like a formula. It was an honour to work with them on these songs.

"I've always loved jazz singers, part of the beauty of their work is that they're not limited by age. They're more revered as they become mature," she adds. As testament to that, Rita revisits her 1970s hit We're All Alone on the album, sung from a more worldly perspective.

"In my nation, the Cherokee nation, women are revered as they age. I'm in the middle of the process, trying to embrace it with grace and dignity," she says.

The album features sultry bossa nova classic Estate - a duet with Rita's longtime musical cohort Herb Alpert - and other standards such as Cry Me A River, Sentimental Journey and Come Rain or Shine, often performed by Ray Charles.

"He was amazing," says Rita. "I had a session scheduled with him right after the California earthquake in the early 1970s, I was terrified and Ray called to see if I was still coming. My voice was shaky and he said, You can't have a little thing like an earthquake mess up your day if you're going to live here in California!' The album was co-produced by legendary bassist and founder of the Yellowjackets, Jimmy Haslip.

"He's full of life, full of music, and he's passionate about all of it, from the nitty gritty to the tracking," says Rita.

On the tour she'll also be performing her hits such as We're All Alone, Words, All Time High, One Fine Day, (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher and Superstar. "These are the songs people want to hear, they're the songs we dance to at weddings," she smiles.

Ten years ago she founded native American music trio Walela - meaning hummingbird' in Cherokee - with her sister and niece. "These songs are my heritage. I'll be singing the Cherokee national anthem on the tour, it's a special song," says Rita.

She started out as a backing vocalist for Joe Cocker. When she toured with his Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour Cocker was so taken with her voice that he gave her a solo spot singing Superstar. After touring with Eric Clapton and Leon Russell she became known as the Delta Lady, inspiring Russell to write a song of the same name.

"I was a young girl straight out of college when I worked with Joe Cocker, I'd been in LA less than a year and it was still a new world for me," she says. "My father was a preacher, I'd started singing in church with the family. It was my first language, I was singing before I could speak.

"When I moved to LA I thought I was worldly but I knew nothing. The drug culture was really taking off and there was a pretty wild scene. I was an observer, my head started spinning like the girl in The Exorcist. I call it my rock and roll university.' "I got my big break from Joe Cocker. I was the only friend he had on that tour, I'd sit with him on the plane every night and we talked about everything. I loved his heart."

She married singer Kris Kristofferson in 1973 and the couple recorded several duet albums, including From the Bottle to the Bottom and Lover Please. Her last solo hit was All Time High in 1983, theme for the James Bond movie Octopussy.

Her career is all about musical evolution, and now Rita is excited about her personal evolution too.

"In the last 12 months I've got a new husband, a new grandbaby, and a new record," she smiles. "It's been a damn good year!"

Rita Coolidge is at St George's Hall on Thursday, June 14. For tickets ring (01274) 432000.