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
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
. Some of the high points of
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
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"
"Two Fisted Mama"
are sure to go down in the music history books as prime examples of
's
swamp boogie
styles. But perhaps the best cuts of the 15 are the
-rich vocals and sax of
"Try a Little Tenderness,"
a sure winner, and
"Never Let Me Go,"
a torch-bearing
ballad
.
Alligator
Deluxe Editions
are just that -- the best songs by the best artists in their catalog. And
ranks right there at the top of that rich list. ~ Michael B. Smith