(Photo by Dion Ogust)
Some consider her a contemporary torch singer. Her smooth voice and soulful delivery reach down into the very heart of the music and bring it to vibrant life. And now this voice, said to have a four-octave range, will fill the hall at Mountain View Studio in Woodstock Saturday night, when Webster headlines “September Songs,” a Performing Arts of Woodstock fundraiser to support the organization’s next season of programs.
Just back from Le Caprice in London last week, and earlier in the month in Atlanta to perform and do a slot on jazz public radio station WCLK with Jamal Ahmad, the singer/songwriter is promoting her new album You Change. “Putting an album out is such a…it’s just that’s who you are,” she says, talking with Ahmad. “It’s like, ‘Here it is.’ You always want to give a performance that is going to make people listen to the song. I try to get into that frame of mind, that of giving an honest performance.”
With a diverse repertoire of soul, jazz, R & B, and pop, Webster has been compared to just a few of the greats — Aretha Franklin and Chaka Kahn — and claims Mariah Carey as her first music idol. A quick listen to a clip on the artist’s web site (www.lindseywebstermusic.com/) hints at the texture of Sade or Basia. You compare and choose. Or simply enjoy the flow of notes coming out of this adept and original young singer. At Mountain View Studio, the Woodstock native will be accompanied on keyboard by long-time music partner and Grammy award winner Keith Slattery. Together the duo has performed over 600 shows in venues near and far, producing a captivating sound that takes audiences to a new high.
Also on stage this Saturday to provide a bit of comic relief and get audiences ready for the upcoming season, PAW presents two one-act play readings. “Victoria Station” by Harold Pinter will feature Johnnie Morello and Ed Hajj, and “If Men Played Cards as Women Do” by George S. Kaufman will feature Joe Veillette, Farrell Reynolds, Bob Sills and Alan Lipper. Kimberly Kay will emcee the evening. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; a cash wine bar, delectable hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be available with the first glass of wine included in admission.
“September Songs” PAW fund-raiser, Saturday, September 5, 8 p.m., $35, Mountain View Studio, 20 Mountainview Avenue, Woodstock; reservations at 845-679-7900 or through PayPal at www.performingartsofwoodstock.org.