Zucchero – live in Washington, DC – September 13, 2022 (photo credit: Daryl Bughman)
After his two previously scheduled U.S. tours were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, finally, Grammy-nominated singer Zucchero, hailed as the “Italian Joe Cocker,” is back on U.S. shores, fresh from opening a show for The Rolling Stones on their current European trek, and wowing audiences across the country with his soulful blend of rock and blues majesty. Over his career, tallying over 60 million in global sales, Zucchero opened his tour in Atlantic City, NJ on September 9th, followed by a triumphant sold-out show at New York’s Beacon Theater with successive shows selling out. Zucchero’s captivating two-hour show-stopping performance draws from his entire career including key cuts culled from his newest albums, D.O.C. and Discover.
Backed by an exceptional seven-piece band featuring noted lead guitar player Kat Dyson (Cyndi Lauper/Prince/Sheila E./Seal) and a bounty of seasoned musician and singers from all over the globe (Cuba, Italy, West Africa and the U.S.) inject an distinct international flavor into the mix. Zucchero’s show is a spirited potpourri of dynamic musical styles and daring invention. Zucchero, proclaimed by the press as “the father of Italian Blues,” delivers big time live. One of the show’s standouts was “Miserere (Have Mercy),” a rendition of his celebrated recorded duet with his friend, the late opera giant Luciano Pavarotti. Augmenting this emotional rendering, visuals of Pavarotti and Zucchero singing together are displayed on a giant screen.
Another highlight of the show matched Zucchero with West African singer Oma Jali for an arresting performance of “Facile,” which was received rapturously by the audience culminating in a standing ovation.
Zucchero’s mastery as a vocal powerhouse of international renown is on prime display during these recent performances, wowing the crowd with his prodigious singing prowess. A singer’s singer, Zucchero has shared the stage and the studio with such heavyweights as Bono, Sting, Brian May, Miles Davis, BB King, Ray Charles, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones, Peter Gabriel, and Solomon Burke.
While many of the lyrics are sung in Zucchero’s native language of Italian, in concert, the impressive musicality and percolating rhythms displayed on such jewels as “Baila,” “Diablo En Mi,” (which he recorded in 2014 as a duet with soul legend Solomon Burke), “Soul Mama,” and “Dune Mosse” kept the audience dancing and on their feet, proving that great music transcends all boundaries.
Catch Zucchero on the remaining dates of his U.S tour in the following cities:
TOUR DATES
9/25 Vancouver, BC, The Chan Theater
9/27 Portland, OR, Revolution Hall
9/29 San Francisco, CA, Palace of Fine Arts
9/30 Los Angeles, CA, Saban Theater
10/1 San Diego, CA, The Balboa Theater
10/2 Tuscon, AZ, Fox Theater
