In honour of Webb’s Feb 12, 2026 performance at Hugh’s Room Live in Toronto
by Nick Krewen
The piano is certainly a picturesque instrument: within its 88 keys is a palate of tonal colours that can be mixed, matched and stirred to unearth a kaleidoscope of sounds ranging from emotional epiphany to textured gravitas, dependent on the player who is mastering the apparatus.
Last night at Hugh’s Room for the second of two shows, legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb effortlessly coaxed a wash of colours from the keyboard as he performed many of the smashes he wrote that were hits for others: “MacArthur Park,” the close-to-eight minute masterpiece first covered by Richard Harris and later discofied by Donna Summer; “All I Know,” Art Garfunkel’s first solo hit beyond his association with Paul Simon; The 5th Dimension’s escapist “Up, Up and Away” – and a whole slew of material made famous by Glen Campbell, the biggest trifecta being “By The TIme I Get To Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman” and “Galveston.”
Although those numbers will forever stand the test of time, what hit home and was the revelation for me during his concert – probably the most charming I’ve witnessed over the past handful of years – was the richness, the intense splendour of sonic canvas he created beneath the immortal melodies and unforgettable, corporeal lyrics – that effortlessly flowed from his fingers: a churning ocean of certainty sprinkled with the what-ifs of second-guessing as he sang topical prose that touched on various aspects of the human condition, from romantic failure to enduring tenacity, and everything in between.
Although his singing voice was occasionally pitchy, Webb’s showmanship was epicentered by passion – and the stories he told, shaped and moulded by decades of music business involvement – were often as entertaining as his odes. One tale: Webb performed “The Highwayman” for Glen Campbell, who came up with the idea that he should gather such country greats as Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings to sing it with him and release it as a single. Campbell was riding high at Capitol Records at the time, recently topping the charts with “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Southern Nights” (Webb didn’t mention this; I’m adding it for perspective) and Webb says that after he played the numerous A&R suits at the label the song, they countered with something they thought Campbell should cover on his next record: The Knack’s “My Sharona.”
“When he heard that, Glen Campbell walked out of the Capitol Records office forever!” Webb told the audience .
The coda to the story is that the song “Highwayman,” was eventually covered by Willie, Waylon, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash, who christened themselves The Highwaymen after Webb’s number, releasing three albums and embarking on a number of superstar tours, including a visit or two to Toronto.
At 79, Jimmy Webb is healthy, entertaining and offered an exceptionally enchanted evening mixture of musical recitation and raconteuring. Special thank you to Jane Harbury for the admission: it was an honour to be in the audience for this one..