Born in Sacramento, California, Webster grew up in nearby Davis, where she studied piano and saxophone yet focused primarily on vocal performance. Her initial professional break came as frontwoman for the California group Mumbo Gumbo. Those powerful, soul-infused performances quickly drew notice, prompting a move into solo work distinguished early on by a large share of self-penned material. The debut recordings issued under her own name leaned heavily toward blues textures, situating her sound in the overlapping territory between R&B and country. With the 2004 release Ten Thousand Miles she asserted herself as a serious bluegrass artist; the album lists her sister Cassie and Scott Nygaard as co-credited collaborators.
Among the musicians appearing on that bluegrass project are Darrel Angar, Steve Berlin, Nina Gerber, Jackie Greene, Barbara Lamb, Mike Marshall, and Scott Nygaard. Additional credits include sessions with Asleep At The Wheel and opening slots for the Band, Los Lobos, and Lucinda Williams. Her catalog of original compositions has continued to expand, earning placements with the Band and, in 2005, two Gibson Guitar Awards—one for Best New Singer Songwriter and another for New Musician.
