CHICO — I grew up in a Catholic church, and for 18 years that was basically my only experience with places of worship.

Catholic services are very solemn, quiet and traditional. There is a choir that sings beautiful music and a piano player. The music played by the choir and the songs sung by the choir are very traditional and moving.

Since moving to Chico, I have been attending the Catholic Church here, but I have also decided to broaden my horizons a bit and try out some other churches to see what they are all about – much to the chagrin of my mother, who is a traditional Italian Catholic.

One of these churches was Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. I was writing an article about an event there and was intrigued. There I met Pastor Robert Morton and his now wife Rachel Morton. I decided to attend a service the following Sunday.

I was overwhelmed – not only by the church, but also by the music.

Robert Morton has the most powerful and beautiful singing voice I have ever heard. He commands one’s attention in such a way that I feel enchanted when I listen to him. I was surprised at how much of the service was devoted to singing; coming from a Catholic background, I was used to singing and music being only one aspect of the service and not the majority of it.

When he preaches, you can feel the enthusiasm and love for God that comes out of him. And I love seeing the people swaying, singing and clapping along to the music.

And then there’s the band.

The trio, led by local musician Webster Moore on piano and a guitarist and drummer, also caught my attention. I wasn’t used to hearing a drummer with beats like that in church, or the soul and gospel sounds of these young guys. But my attention was mainly focused on Moore, who has been playing the piano since he was five.

Moore plays all over the area as a full-time musician. He has played in bands such as Decades, with whom he was with for two years, and also Big Mo. He enjoys playing at the Chico Women’s Club, where there is a large black Steinway piano on the stage that he enjoys playing.

Not surprisingly, his musical motivation came primarily from church. Moore said he was influenced by former Bethel AME pastor Loretta Dickinson Smith, who alternated between preaching and playing piano.

“She was a great singer and a really good pianist,” Moore said. “So I learned some of the hymns by watching her play in a gospel style. It was nice to have that influence.”

Moore has spent a lot of time honing his craft, but says there is always something new to learn.

“I’ve definitely played with a lot of different bands and genres of music. I’ve played in a salsa band, blues, funk, etc. I think the musical diversity is what makes making music so much fun for me,” Moore said.

It will be a sad day when Moore leaves Chico. He grew up in Magalia and has lived in Chico for some time. He wants to challenge himself and advance his career by moving somewhere like Nashville, New Orleans or Austin, Texas.

“Nashville would be a big step and there is a lot of competition there,” Moore said. “Here in Chico, there isn’t a lot of competition and I want to be proactive about moving to a place where there is more pressure, which helps.”

Moore won a Cammie Award for Best Keyboardist in 2019, an awards ceremony for local musicians held each spring. He plays some shows in Utah in September with the Hattie Craven Band and played with the band Decades for two years.

Moore likes how music connects him with others. “I’m learning and growing,” he said. “No matter how long you’ve been playing, you’re doing something you can learn about. I love traveling, meeting new people and sharing my music with people on stage. It’s special.”

Moore wants to record an album before he leaves Chico and if he does, I will be sure to download the album when it comes out.

Moore can be found on Instagram as webby_moore and on Facebook as Webster Moore. He can be booked for appearances through his social media accounts, but can also be reached via email at [email protected].

Jennie Blevins writes a weekly arts and entertainment column. You can reach her at [email protected].