Published on Oct 13, 1999
It’s a shame that it took the recent death of blues pianist
Katie Webster for me to re-evaluate her importance to the scene.
Way back in 1989, when I was a mere pup in the world of college
radio, my first job as the blues coordinator for the station was to
listen to and program two new CDs from Alligator for the station.
One of those discs (which, aah, “disappeared” when I left the
station) was
Two-Fisted Mama! from Webster. I loved the power, the
emotion… the risquéness. Here was a larger-sized woman not
ashamed to talk about sexiness, and she made you believe it.
Ten years after its release, this disc still packs a punch, and
it makes me wonder why Webster didn’t achieve greater fame while
she was still alive. (She did perform with Otis Redding prior to
his death in a 1967 plane crash, so it’s not like she never saw the
glare of the big spotlights.)
The title track, which opens up the disc, lets you know you’re
in the presence of a blues and r&b master (or is that
“mistress” in this case?). Webster’s powerful vocals and rhythmic
piano work take this song, as well as others on the disc, to new
levels that you probably didn’t know existed in blues. The
instrumental “C.Q. Boogie” solidifies her role as one of the blues
world’s underappreciated pianists.
The r&b aspect (quite possibly an influence from Redding) is
evident on tracks like “Love Deluxe” and “Money Honey Or Honey
Hush”, tracks that show the versatility of her musically. And if
this wasn’t enough proof, check out her cover of Dire Straits’s “So
Far Away,” done with a slight gospel tint to the music that brings
the song into a whole new light. Although I was never a big fan of
the original version, I can’t help but like Webster’s version.
The more mature side of Webster’s music comes through on the
tracks “Pussycat Moan” and “Red Negligee,” the latter track almost
completely delivered in a speaking voice by Webster. It’s
interesting, though the kids might not understand what she’s
talking about. (Relax; Webster actually handles the subject matter
very discreetly.)
Two-Fisted Mama! was an album that should have turned
Webster into a star; unfortunately, as is the case with far too
many blues musicans, it didn’t. So many people will probably
discover her music now that she is gone – and that is the biggest
tragedy of the blues. At least she left an album like this as her
musical legacy, and it’s well worth adding to your collection.