October 5, 2017 – A few years back, I spent nearly a month living out of a suitcase in a West Palm Beach hotel along with a group of colleagues from my office. We worked very long days, saw very little of the city other than the inside of its courthouse, and had but one saving grace: Thursday nights, when we would gather in the hotel bar for drinks, and just as importantly, live music, provided by a young local vocalist, Ziarra. She was usually accompanied by a guitarist who expertly brandished a flaming red Telecaster, and together they covered the music universe — soul, rock, hip hop, R&B, top 40 hits, you name it. Ziarra always lifted our spirits with her powerful, rich voice and sense of humor, and I often wondered to myself then why she wasn’t on a bigger stage given her obvious talents.
Fast forward to last week, when I saw by happenstance an ad for Ziarra’s New York City release party for her eponymous debut EP, which I’ve since learned includes 7 original tracks of tight, often propulsive, R&B/soul. We feature here “Higher,” a ballad that showcases Ziarra’s considerable range and deft use of dynamics as well as a rip-roaring monster of a guitar solo. Enjoy.
(And go Ziarra, chase your dream!)
By Robb Patryk
