WEBSTER AVE
DAYLIGHT
THIS ANGRY WORLD–SING ME A SAD LINE–RONNIE O–MIDNIGHT SUN–DAYLIGHT–NEVER SURRENDER–WHENEVER–BAD THING–NEVER TENDER YOUR GOODBYES–AIN’T THAT A SHAME–TO BE A CHILD–MY POOR HEART–HEAVEN KNOWS–JUST DON’T NEED THE RAIN
Webster Ave consists of three veteran players from the Northeast. They have just released “Daylight,” fourteen originals that are as varied and eclectic as the populations of the areas they call home. On strings and vocals, there is David Webster. He is a native of Worcester, MA, who moved to New York in 1973. His love for Hendrix, Clapton, B. B., and others served him well as an in-demand studio player. Andrew Caturano is on drums, having studied at the prestigious Manhattan School Of Music. And, on bass, is Tony Mercadante, who grew up singing on street corners in the Bronx, not far from the real Webster Ave.
On these compositions, the trio brings all their influences into the mix, and they are also not afraid to back down from hot-button societal topics. David, as a young man, played with a number of reggae artists, and the story of “Ronnie O” effectively captures that skipped-beat pattern perfectly. “Sing Me A Sad Line” employs a horn section of Joe Meo and Jamie Finegan, and the lush arrangement herein goes down as smooth as anything from the vaults of 926 E. McLemore. The fellows take a look at life when stuff was a whole lot simpler, and we all oughta stop and look at what is was like “To Be A Child.” The set closes on a strong note of positivity, as “we all need a helping hand sometime,” and we “Just Don’t Need The Rain.” Andrew and Tony handle the vocals on this one.
The socially-conscious cuts served as our favorites. Crime in the streets and the tragedies that accompany it is the theme of “Bad Thing.” The stinging horn-fed funk of “Ain’t That A Shame” belies the subject matter of daily indignations where the innocent are made to suffer. And, the leadoff cut puts a harsh stamp on the current state of affairs in this country, as it has morphed into “This Angry World.”
The trio of Webster Ave has taken blues, jazz, funk, soul, reggae, and anything else you can think of and turned them all into the melting pot that is “Daylight.” It is a brilliant, ebullient debut, indeed! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
donandsherylsbluesblog 