Lindsey Webster - Reasons

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:24
Size: 141,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:52) 1. I Didn't Mean It (Feat. Brian Culbertson)
(5:50) 2. Love Of Your Life (Feat. Nathan East)
(4:34) 3. Just The Night
(5:43) 4. Stay With Me (Feat. Randy Brecker & Kev Choice)
(5:47) 5. Wish You Well
(4:52) 6. The Way
(1:46) 7. 4am
(5:39) 8. Twin Flame
(5:28) 9. You Take Me
(5:18) 10. Reasons
(6:06) 11. I'm Ok (Feat. Nicholas Payton)
(4:24) 12. Stay With Me (Soul Jazz Mix) (Feat. Randy Brecker)

Chart-topping vocalist and songstress Lindsey Webster emerges from lockdown and the end of marriage stronger than ever. Reasons, her fourth album since her 2016 breakout, shows both artistic growth and resiliency.

Now a consistent hit maker in the crossover jazz realm, Webster has the luxury of getting the very best sessionists available to take her songs a bit higher still. Indeed, she enlisted help in guest spots from the likes of Brian Culbertson, Nathan East, Randy Brecker and Nicholas Payton. But as it’s always been, the Lindsey Webster Sound starts with Webster and long-time songwriting partner & keyboardist Keith Slattery, a musical partnership that is going strong as ever even after the marital partnership ended.

We got an early exposure to the advance single “I Didn’t Mean It” that gets the album off on the good foot, putting all of Webster’s strong suits as a vocalist and composer up front.As you go through Reasons, it becomes clearer that this is as much of an RnB record as it is a smooth jazz record, and Webster has fluency in both camps and knows how to put it together into her own personal genre.

For instance, “Love of Your Life” goes deep into Quiet Storm territory, but with lush jazz chords helped along by tasteful synth backing and a vocal bass scat from East. “Twin Flame” is more of that Quiet Storm, reaching its apogee when Webster hits those really high notes. That lushness carries over in the intro “The Way” and settles into a satisfying Philly soul sway. This “Reasons” isn’t the one made into hit by Earth, Wind & Fire but is nevertheless a similarly sweetened slice of soul.

Webster’s slow tunes are equally effectively at setting the right mood: “Just The Night” is a ballad that gets the job done solely off of Webster’s aching vocal delivery. But that segues right into another a snappy mid-tempo funk number “Stay With Me” that nods to the current scene with a guest rap turn from Kev Choice and an historical horn presence via Brecker’s flugelhorn (another mix of the song takes out the rapping).

“Wish You Well” has Webster singing a low, sultry and sassy voice, and Steely Dan-smooth horn backing. More horns add a suave touch to the lightly funky “I’m OK,” and Payton is on hand to deliver a flawless trumpet solo.

Lindsey Webster has been going through a change as she adjusts back into the ups and downs of the single life, providing a lot of fodder for her latest set of songs. But thankfully nothing has changed fundamentally in her craftsmanship and style; it’s still quality soul-satisfying music for grow-nups. https://somethingelsereviews.com/2022/10/07/lindsey-webster-reasons/

Reasons

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Lindsey Webster - A Woman Like Me

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:30
Size: 148,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:30) 1. Feels Like Forever
(5:34) 2. Close To You
(5:37) 3. Only You
(5:18) 4. One Step Forward
(7:08) 5. Perspective
(5:07) 6. Running Around
(6:40) 7. A Woman Like Me
(5:16) 8. Rain
(5:19) 9. The Unknown
(6:12) 10. Always Love Me
(6:45) 11. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

The increasingly longer hiatus’s of Sade and Basia has left a big void for an audience that craves that smooth, urbane style of music that comes from a soul-jazz songstress, and Lindsey Webster has stepped in to fill that void. In a span of two years Webster has gone from a virtual unknown to being arguably the new queen of crossover jazz. And now, the reign extends with the impending release of A Woman Like Me.

That roll get started with a single “Fool Me Once.” That song reached #1 in 2016 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Charts, a chart that had been topped by instrumentals for six straight years since Sade’s last release. Later in ’16 came Lindsey Webster’s first album for Shanachie Entertainment Back To Your Heart (2016), which spun off three more top three singles for that chart. And proving that she was no fluke, her 2018 follow-up Love Inside placed two more songs in the top ten.

This might sound a bit like being in the right place at the right time, but Webster’s talents merit her status. Starting with her voice, which is the soulfully sensual, smoky and unforced delivery that seduces with an earnest reading of the lyrics rather than hitting you on the head with over-the-top technique.

With the third album into her imperial period, we can now spot some big time session players on A Woman Like Me absent on prior records; imagine having a rhythm section like Nathan East (bass), Vinnie Colaiuta, (drums) and Luis Conte (percussion) on your album. While these guys might add a touch more polish to the overall musicianship not that it was ever lacking the winning formula remains, which is the production and songwriting team of Lindsey and her keyboardist and one-time husband, Keith Slattery.

Thus, there’s really nothing that’s going to set A Woman Like Me too far apart from two prior Shanachie records, which speaks more to her consistency and staying within her strengths, so Lindsey Webster fans will be quite pleased with it.

A song like “Feels Like Forever” validates why it was wise to stick with the formula. As is usual with a Webster song, it’s a melody with pop-catchiness and suffused with urbane jazz chords, played with real instruments and rich backing vocals (all done by Webster). All this paired with the timeless topic of romance means it’s a song that will never age.

Though Webster-Slattery often draws some cues from Bacharach-David, “Close To You” isn’t that Carpenters song but rather an attractive mid-tempo funky number that’s looks the part of another high-charting single, capped off by a George Benson-ish guitar solo by regular Webster guitar sideman Mike DeMicco. “Running Around” has that same kind of groove, but Tony DePauolo’s guitar has the bite of rock instead of jazz.

The production is so clean and, refreshingly, not cluttered. The backing track to a cut like “Only You” leaves plenty of breathing space for Webster’s singing and her lyrics, where the focus belongs. The instrumentation is peeled back even further on “One Step Forward,” (video above) by temporarily sidelining East and Conte, and though Slatterly’s piano aside won’t scare off Chick Corea, its delicate touch fits the easy-going groove of the song.

Other songs aren’t necessarily contemporary jazz per se, but close cousins to it, and Lindsey Webster’s got a great finesse of those styles as well. “Perspective” has a lusher, Quiet Storm sort of mood (as does “Rain”) and Webster’s vocal moans toward the end of the track smoothly hands off to Ken Gioffre’s saxophone. “Always Love Me” is a prototypical soul ballad tailor-made for slow dancin’.

But can Lindsey Webster do ballads? “A Woman Like Me” emphatically says ‘yes’; this is where her knack for delivering emotion in the right dose serves the song so well. In a bit of a surprise, East’s bass solo is paired with him scatting over it, though he’s done this before.

The album closes with the only non-original, the ubiquitous “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” Personally, I would have preferred to hear her take on a Joni Mitchell or Carole King song, but Webster does treat this classic with due reverence.

Webster succeeds not by keeping up with current trends but instead through mastering the little time-honored things that latch people onto her music today and decades from now. This is why the roll Lindsey Webster got on in 2016 will continue with A Woman Like Me. By S. Victor Aaron https://somethingelsereviews.com/2020/03/23/lindsey-webster-a-woman-like-me-2020/

A Woman Like Me

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Lindsey Webster - Love Inside

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:45
Size: 132,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:18)  1. Love Inside
(4:26)  2. A Love Before
(4:10)  3. Bad Grammar (Me & You)
(4:57)  4. Free To Be Me (feat. Norman Brown)
(4:42)  5. Dream
(4:01)  6. Don't Give Up On Me
(4:12)  7. One Last Time
(1:40)  8. Even If He Lied
(5:52)  9. Walk Away
(5:27) 10. It's Not You, It's Me (feat. Rick Braun)
(5:27) 11. Opportunity 2.0
(4:29) 12. By My Side

Lindsey Webster is the first vocalist to score four #1 Smooth Jazz radio hits in a row and was recently named the #1 Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs Artist for 2017. She's been on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart for an amazing 60 weeks. Her swift rise has been nothing short of spectacular! Love Inside promises to be Lindsey Webster's breakout album. The album's first single, "Love Inside," is quickly following the suit and making it's way up the chart!. Other highlights such as the sensuous "It's Not You, It's Me" (featuring Rick Braun) and the soulful "Free To Be Me" (featuring Norman Brown) help make Love Inside a must have release for Lindsey's growing legion of dedicated fans! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Love-Inside-LINDSEY-WEBSTER/dp/B078X679P2

Love Inside

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Rick Braun - Around The Horn

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 2017

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 52:17

Size: 120,4 MB

Art: Front

(5:03)  1. So Strong

(4:20)  2. Pool Dancer

(5:16)  3. Love Take Me

(4:03)  4. We Don't Talk Anymore

(4:38)  5. Everything Is Alright

(4:22)  6. In Common

(5:10)  7. I Love You More

(4:57)  8. Around The Horn

(4:26)  9. Vila Vita

(4:48) 10. Yellow

(5:10) 11. One South Beach Night

There's only so many ways you can go in jazz with the trumpet. Straight ahead and then a sharp left turn into more experimental improvisation paging (Miles Davis), a technically proficient if somewhat rigid traditionalist (Wynton Marsalis) or become a tasty, if unmemorable ingredient in the smooth jazz gumbo (Chuck Mangione). These are the career choices Rick Braun may have faced at one time. He chose to go the path of least resistance and play it safe and make no mistake about it, Around The Horn is as safe as it gets. Braun is thoroughly professional and a polished trumpet player, but he's more in the vein of Mangione than Davis and that's fine because there's room for the mainstream as well as the trend setters. Braun is not going to go off on a ten-minute free-form solo blowing, bleating and squawking his brains out. That's not what he does so he does what Rick Braun does and make solid, workmanlike music. What Braun does do is make perfectly acceptable mainstream jazz music. The songs are catchy and rarely memorable. The arrangement and production doesn't break new ground as much as it covers a well-trod path. Braun's playing never veers into into outright parody of jazz like Mangione, but the unvarying sameness of the songs means its usually the soloists like newcomer Lindsay Webster's vocal turn on "Love Take Me" or old pro Peter White stopping by to add some guitar sweeteningto "We Don't Talk Anymore" and "Vila Vita," but it doesn't lift the overall recording beyond competent to exceptional. "Pool Dancer" is lively, but its not as lively as Braun thinks it is and "We Don't Talk Anymore" is nice, but the psuedo-funk of "Everything Is Alright" is just plain corny. The cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" is pretty and so is the closer, "One South Beach Night" until you realize it sounds just like "Love Take Me" and only the title is different, which is sort of pulling a fast one by Braun, but hey, whatever. All n' all, Braun has made a perfectly acceptable album of contemporary smooth jazz and if you're into that sort of thing you might even enjoy it, but will you remember any of it after it stops playing? If your expectations are this will be pleasant, but not particulary adventuresome, those expectations will be met with Around The Horn. It's not bad enough to actively dislike and not good enough to merit a rave. This one Is okay and sometimes okay is as good as it gets. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/around-the-horn-rick-braun-shanachie-records-review-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Rick Braun: trumpet, valve trombone, flugelhorn, keyboards, synth bass; John Stoddart: keyboards, synth bass; Gerey Johnson: guitar; Third Richardson: drums; Lindsey Webster: vocals (3); Peter White: nylon string guitar (4, 9); Til Bronner: muted trumpet (8); Kenny Wild: acoustic bass (10)

Around The Horn

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Lindsey Webster - Back To Your Heart

Styles: Vocal 

Year: 2016
File: MP3@192K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 83,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:06)  1. Back to Your Heart
(5:35)  2. Where Do You Want to Go
(6:32)  3. I Know You Well
(4:51)  4. Those Three Words
(5:11)  5. One at a Time (feat. Kirk Whalum)
(5:14)  6. On Our Way
(5:24)  7. Somehow
(4:21)  8. Living a Lie
(4:39)  9. Aint It Funny
(6:14) 10. Next to Me
(6:58) 11. Fast and Slow

Originally a cellist singer/songwriter Lindsey Webster found her musical way to the vocal interpretation in the Soul, Pop and R&B genre. With her self titled debut album (2013) she won “Best Acoustic Song” in the Independent Music Awards. Her second album You Change (2015) aroused the attention of the listeners and increased the degree of awareness. With the third album Back To Your Heart (2016) she is designated to achieve her international breakthrough as an artist of the contemporary jazz genre.

Musicians on this album are beside vocalist Lindsey Webster on selected tracks Keith Slattery (keyboards), Mike DeMicco and Tony DePaolo (guitar), Fred Doumbe (bass), Dan Hickey (drums), Foluso Mimy (percussion), Ken Gioffre and Kirk Whalum (sax) and the additional horn section on Ain’t It Funny with Jay Collins (baritone sax & horn arrangements), Ken Gioffre (tenor sax), Joe Fiedler (trombone) and Chris Pasin (trumpet).

Back To Your Heart is scheduled for release November 4, 2016 on Shanachie Entertainment. All songs are written by Lindsey Webster & Keith Slattery. Lindsey comments euphorically:  “Here it is our third album! I am excited to say that this is by far our best work. In terms of the songwriting, the production, and the overall sound, we are thrilled to deliver this labor of love to you. Special care was taken on each song to make it the best it could possibly be, and I think that my evolution as an artist, a songwriter, and a producer are reflected on this album?Already on her previous albums Lindsey flirted with timbre and style of the most famous singer Sade. On the lead single Back to Your Heart she has perfected this skill to breathtaking similarity. Nevertheless she doesn't bend her own personality, which flashes superbly in many passages. Her strength of expression gives Where Do You Want to Go a delicate decor of vividness and individuality. I Know You Well is less an intimate description of a relationship, as a platform of manifest vocal artistry. Those Three Words chooses the reciprocal approach. Lindsey's voice becomes a gentle breeze of affection with a touch of romance. One At A Time follows this stylistic line with Kirk Whalum on sax in duo partnership. The song was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and is Lindsey's answer and practical implementation.

On Our Way has the dynamic and tension curve of Grover Washington's Just The Two Of Us. Holding the tone in such a flamboyant way will initiate applause on every live event. With her resonant voice Lindsey leads Somehow to ups and downs in a positive sense. On Living a Lie she showcases passion, audacity and expressiveness pulling all stops of her full-bodied vocal gift. Tremolo, falsetto, smoothness and strength, the full range of a high professional interpret. Ain't It Funny delivers an utterly explosive vocal firework with virtuoso performance of all horns. The style on Next to Me is easily identifiable. Influenced by Sade Lindsey transforms her voice to new qualitative highs. Keith Slattery's instrumental harmony of keyboards and Rhodes piano adds a fine acoustic stimulation. Final delight for ear and soul is Fast and Slow.  Lindsey challenges herself and masters these tasks marvelously. Lindsey Webster combines on her new album Back To Your Heart empathy and sensibility with attentive mastery and a prodigious musical talent. Her already achieved level of artistry goes far beyond her notoriety. It's up to the audience to provide a welcome balance. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Webster/BackToYourHeart.htm

Back To Your Heart

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Lindsey Webster - You Change

Size: 102,3 MB
Time: 44:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Soul/R&B Vocals
Art: Front

01. Fool Me Once (3:51)
02. I Found You (4:12)
03. Open Up (4:24)
04. Lost One (3:04)
05. You Change (5:03)
06. In Love (4:59)
07. Bleed (2:27)
08. I'm Strong (4:55)
09. Break Through (3:52)
10. Universe (7:16)

Do you remember that moment when you first heard Anita Baker or Sade; the effortless, sultry, and soaring vocal that captures all of your attention? Lindsey Webster's delicate and powerful voice takes you to that place - an unabashed nod to the greats and yet 100 percent Lindsey. The Soul Songstress is proud to announce the release of her sophomore album, You Change, via Atlanta Records on July 17.

The album is an eloquent collection of work showcasing Webster's expressive vocals and uncanny talent and the two lead singles "Fool Me Once" and "Open Up" are out now and available to stream HERE. ""You Change" shows the growth we've made as artists since our first album; in both our songwriting and who we are as artists. From a delicate song like "Bleed", a song about utter heartbreak, to an anthem like "I'm Strong", we explore many facets of our songwriting and are extremely happy with the result", states Webster.

Growing up in Woodstock, NY with a heavy emphasis on arts and music, her grade school had a progressive music program where Lindsey cultivated a deep love of music by learning the cello. After playing for 10 years, often in first chair, she moved to NYC to attend Fiorello H. LaGuardia School for the Music, Art & Performing Arts. As she grew musically, she transitioned from strings to voice where she heard her calling and found herself.

In 2009, Lindsey met her partner, Keith Slattery, and started performing professionally. Together, with a band of world-class musicians, they've performed over 600 shows in venues including Bearsville Theater, Levon Helm Studios, Helsinki Hudson, Daryl's House, The Falcon, The Lambs Club, Rockwood Music Hall, The Red Lion, and Groove.

The success of her first album and winning "Best Acoustic Song" in the Independent Music Awards caught the eye of Brian Hurst from UK's soulandjazz.com. Hurst brought Webster to Atlanta Records, who signed her to release her second album, You Change.

You Change

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Lindsey Webster - Lindsey Webster

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Maxophone Records
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:05
Size: 122,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. Be Cool
(5:25)  2. Free
(3:56)  3. I Do
(3:04)  4. Static
(3:52)  5. Soul Records
(3:31)  6. Denied
(4:23)  7. Press Rewind
(3:42)  8. In the Right Place
(4:49)  9. Don't Go
(3:12) 10. Choices
(7:08) 11. Soul Salvation
(4:44) 12. In the Moment

"Wow"~ Sting

"Absolutely Incredible"~ Michael Bolton
"Lindsey has got a world-class singing ability and really knows how to win the audience's heart"~ Jay Collins (Levon Helm, Dukes Of September, Jay Collins Band)

At just twenty-five years, Lindsey Webster has completed her debut CD, shared the stage with Grammy-award winning musicians and artists and has sung on a grammy nominated CD (with the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra). Now, Lindsey is gradually laying the bricks for a path of success all her own. Lindsey Webster's new CD, self-titled "Lindsey Webster", is a wide-range collection of original material, with most of the songs written by Webster and Keith Slattery. Other song contributions were made by Scott Sharrard, Jay Collins, Joey Eppard, and Joanna Teters/Ben Carr. "This is a very eclectic collection of music. It ranges from jazz to rocking songs with blistering guitar solos to slow ballads" says Lindsey about the brand-new release. "There were moments of pure ecstatic joy and all out tears", Webster explained about the making of the record. "We tracked the first song on the CD at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY and the rest at Clubhouse Studios in Rhinebeck, NY. That all happened in about 4-5 days.

But after that, we only had our home and closet to finish over-dubs and vocals. So a wonderful and amazing year later, after sending mixes between Las Vegas (The Studio at the Palms) and Woodstock, NY, we finally have our finished product. My debut CD!" Lindsey has traveled across the country, playing in famed venues such as Carnegie Hall, Musikfest, Summerfest, The Elephant Room/Austin, Falcon Live, The Bearsville Theater, The Brooklyn Bowl and many more. With a powerful four octave vocal range, Lindsey's sound is a blend of Soul, Jazz, and R&B, with soulful blues influences. Scott  Sharard, the lead guitarist of the Gregg Allman Band, claims that "Miss Webster's got soul to burn" and that "Lindsey's got the kind of pipes that will peel the paint of a Cadillac and will make a blind man leave home".

(http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8974646&style=music&fulldesc=T).

Lindsey Webster