OVER THE WEEKEND

Tralfamadore Café:

Leah Zicari 

by Jim Santella

Some musicians have talent, others have the gift. Leah Zicari is blessed with the gift of innate musicianship and personal style.

The local guitarist-songwriter does have a few obstacles to overcome before she stands any chance of achieving the super stardom of a Madonna or Jewel. One, is her intelligent lyrics, the other is the honesty and integrity that stamp every syllable she sings.

Saturday in the Tralfamadore Cafe, Zicari, with drummer Nick Corallo and bassist Geno Rzeznik, delivered a crisp dozen originals that had the intimacy of a cocoon. Defying easy categorization, Zicari displayed a wide range of styles, all served from a delicate palette of tonal colors.

            The performance was the trio’s debut; may it live long and prosper. The schooled guitarist has a warm, articulate tone, and her fully voiced chords provided the super structure for her delicate melodies. Her gentle humor and comfortable stage presence eventually won the audience over.

            Zicari’s guitar work, which has graced many local pit orchestras, never has been in question, but her vocal work has progressed from adequate to sensitive to vulnerable. It’s a perfect vehicle for her personal songs.

            She opened with an homage to the summer solstice, “If the Summer Were To Come,” which used the sun, summer and the heat as a metaphor for love and passion. “Prayer” alternated between a belting voice and a catch-in-the-throat tenderness that encompassed both orthodox and secular connotations. It was quickly followed by “One Foot Out The Door”, another polished gem of graceful thought.

                                   The final song of the set, “So Much To Say” was a perfect description of Zicari’s                                     talents, which seem to have arrived at a maturity that demands attention.