Katie Webster plays barrelhouse
boogie-woogie,
New Orleans R&B, Gulf Coast
swamp pop, deep bayou
blues and Southern
gospel-flavored
soul like nobody's business; her 35 years of professional piano work has appeared on at least 500 singles, including the original version of
"Sea of Love," and countless albums. Music critics and fans around the world acknowledge her as the premier female
blues piano player anywhere.
Alligator Records'
Deluxe Edition collects 15 of her very best tracks from her three albums since 1988, and there isn't a filler track to be found.
Webster never once failed to deliver on her sassy and sensuous blend of barrelhouse
boogie-woogie. Some of the high points of
Deluxe Edition include several duets --
"Love Deluxe" with
Vasti Jackson and the classic
"Who's Making Love," which finds
Kim Wilson (the
Fabulous Thunderbirds) and bluesman
Robert Cray jamming with the Boogie Queen.
Wilson also accompanies
Bonnie Raitt and
Webster to wail
"On the Run." Other standout tracks include her remake of
"Sea of Love" and the non-vegetarian
"A Little Meat on the Side." "The Love You Save" and
"Two Fisted Mama" are sure to go down in the music history books as prime examples of
Webster's
swamp boogie styles. But perhaps the best cuts of the 15 are the
blues-rich vocals and sax of
"Try a Little Tenderness," a sure winner, and
"Never Let Me Go," a torch-bearing
ballad.
Alligator's
Deluxe Editions are just that -- the best songs by the best artists in their catalog. And
Katie Webster ranks right there at the top of that rich list. ~ Michael B. Smith
