Independent (label)
02 September 2019 (released)
16 July 2019
I think that, in recent years, I haven’t heard anyone with a voice like Sean Webster. The soul and the unbridled passion in that man’s singing is something to be wondered at.
Add to that his guitar playing which is up there with the likes of Alan Nimmo and it’s a wonder that he isn’t being hailed as a Blues superstar.
This was recorded – as the album title suggests – over three nights at venues where his music can be captured and the audience reaction feeds into his playing - Bootleggers in Kendal, Mainsforth Community Centre in Fernhill and Legion Blues Club in Poynton – the sort of places that are the mainstay of the British Blues scene.
His band is excellent – Hilbrand Bos on keyboards, Floris Poesse on bass and Ruud Gielen on drums – and I particularly enjoy the Hammond playing by Bos but the focus is very much on Webster and that really is where it needs to be.
Most of the material was written by Webster, the exceptions being John Mayer’s ‘Slow Dancing In A Burning Room’ and Keith Urban’s ‘Till Summer Comes Around’ and you really can’t say his own songs are inferior.
He opens with a belting ‘Give Me The Truth’, drums kicking out a strong rhythm and the keys building the sound until he comes in with that signature ‘sixty a day’ bellow. The number has a great punch and you can’t help but shift your booty to it.
He immediately slows it down with ‘Hands Of Time’, no drop in the passion or in the punch and snap of the band along with a terrific guitar solo from Sean but it is with ‘Slow Dancing In A Burning Room’ that the real heartfelt soul comes through, soft support from the band and a great vocal from Webster leading into a beautiful guitar line, riffing on the melody and then taking off into a lovely take on Stevie Wonder’s ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ before coming back to his vocal.
The track that particularly gets to me is ‘The Mayor’. Dense and dark and with the whole band working to really create a mood and show another side to the music.
The main set finishes on ‘Highway Man’ an extended Blues rocker followed by a powerful encore in the shape of ‘You Got To Know’.
The sound quality, for a live recording, is excellent and the mix by Wayne Proctor puts the listener right in the middle of the crowd.
Excellent album and showing just how good the music being played live today is.
