Laura Webster
Laura Webster is a fusion singer/songwriter, heavily steeped in the traditions of jazz and blues. From Cleveland, Ohio, Laura spent much of her early career as a lead singer and songwriter in New York City, performing in clubs throughout the metropolitan area. Jim Carr, director of music at St. Dominic Church and producer of “Saturday Night Concert in the Park” had this to say about her performance, “A huge hit – great voice, style and material. The enthusiastic reaction of the audience made it clear where they stood!”
Laura’s debut album, “Coming Home” was released in January of 2004. This initial collection of original songs showcases her musical breadth as she steps up her performing career. From the hard driving melody and lyrics of “Mamma” to the tenderness of “Nation of Two,” “Coming Home” is a musical journey from past to present. Webster then formed the band, “Willoughby Run”, an eclectic folk/rock fusion band that performed regularly at venues such as the Barking Spider and dison’s in Tremont.
In the 1990s, Laura studied music at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She formed the folk-blues band “The Stompers” with guitarist Dan Isenberg and performed on campus and at local clubs. She was lead vocalist for the rock band, “the Meteors” and the lead singer and songwriter for the funk band, “Tropic of Cancer,” During summers, Laura auditioned songs she had written as a street musician in cities from Boston to New Orleans. She continued formal voice and music education studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). During this time she managed the University Circle Chorale, was a guest soloist with the CWRU jazz band and sang with local jazz and blues bands. More recently, Laura is the vocal arts director at Hathaway Brown School where she started a jazz solo class for singers and directs two vocal ensembles. Webster is in demand as a classical soloist as well as jazz solo artist throughout the Cleveland area. She is currently teamed with guitarist and vocalist Jim Carr and together with fiddle player Nikki Custy, they play in various performance venues throughout the Northeast Ohio area.
With her role as music teacher and with Laura’s busy performance schedule, her career is in full stride. Recently Anne Cochran, international recording artist and vocalist for Jim Brickman said about Laura, “She has the voice of an angel. Her songs are honest and spoken from the heart.”
