I first saw Amelia White and Sergio Webb almost a year ago when the East Nashvillians came to The Extended Play Sessions for the first time, so I knew that their return visit would be fabulous.
This time, they brought the Blue Souvenirs with them for a live show that was being recorded, which added immeasurably to the show.
I cannot claim to have penned the phrase “writer-songsinger” but it describes Amelia perfectly. She is a songwriter first and in fact mentioned that she had to become a good singer in order to give her songs the performances they deserve.
She played in Boston’s underground (i.e., the T) before moving to Nashville about 13 years ago and the move has clearly agreed with her. Surveying her four most recent albums, the music gets tighter yet freer with each release. She has a new album, Home Sweet Hotel, due in early winter and plans to run a crowdfunding campaign around it.
Sergio Webb, meanwhile, is an in-demand session guitarist who performs with many of Nashville’s best. White and Webb perform together frequently and have developed a musical chemistry that works. He is one of the most expressive guitarists I have ever seen, despite his unassuming demeanor offstage. When the band was introduced as “Amelia White with Sergio Webb and the Blue Souvenirs,” he clarified that he is a Blue Souvenir.
The other Blue Souvenirs are Marco Giovino (drums, vocals), Russell Chudnofsky (guitar, vocals), and Richard Gates (bass), all based in the Boston area. I hope to see them — together or separately — again soon.
White’s songs are clearly steeped in the country music tradition, yet I think that even people who say they hate country music would like them. She puts her heart out for all to experience and loves to connect with her audiences.
This was, I believe, the first time they had all performed as a group, or possibly the first time in a long time. They sounded wonderful, although most of the songs required a second recording because they were not happy with the first. This was the beauty — for the performer — of this not being a true concert. The band are perfectionists who wanted the songs to sound as good as possible, and I think the retakes stemmed from the fact that they do not perform together on a regular basis. To the audience, though, they sounded great the first time!
It would be worth your while to delve into Amelia White’s music, and especially to see her live. She does not play in the Boston area a lot, but she does tour with Webb. Who knows, perhaps they’ll add the rest of the Blue Souvenirs in the future. Regardless, this was a terrific night of very high-quality music from some incredibly talented, nice musicians.
This review was originally published on Suze Reviews the Blues. Click here to see photos of this fantastic show.
