FORT WORTH— By all rights, the current music scene has no place for a Jonatha Brooke. She’s not 19, she doesn’t dress like a tart, she doesn’t have dancers writhing around her, and she writes intelligent songs.

That the Boston native is not what pop music is looking for was underscored a few years ago when, after a number of CDs, she was dropped from a major label — and this amid the buzz, generated by the likes of Alanis Morissette and Joan Osborne.

So Brooke did it herself by putting out two CDs on her own Bad Dog Records label and, quite recently, her own DVD —and by touring constantly. Critics responded, and her core audience remained strong.

She may be pouring every dime back into paying the band and buying groceries. as she told a Caravan of Dreams audience last night, but such adversity has not hurt her art or her sense of humor one bit.

Thus, last night’s show felt like a victory party after a hard-fought game. And between her voice, her accessibly witty songs and her between-song banter, Brooke proved herself be a wonderful live performer.

On the ballad Your House she brought the club down to the level of intimacy as a tiny coffee house — but just before that, on the new How Deep Is Your Love?, she made enough noise for any rock club in Deep Ellum. Brooke’s roots, of course, are in folk, but she has more spunk and humor than about 95 percent of the young songwriters (male and female) out there right now.

She also has, in lead guitarist Goffrev Moore, a player who adds just the right sonic touches to give a song an extra kick - or the subtlest of shadings when needed.

And if anything, Brooke’s current music is better than anything she’s done before. I refer to her Bad Dog CD, Steady Pull, most of which was played last night. Steady contains some of Brooke‘s best songs - and some interesting touches, such as dabs of funk and duets with Crowded House‘s Neil Finn and Spearhead‘s Michael Franti.

It’s the CD Brooke was born to make. And as a performer, she rewards adventurous music fans over and over.