John T. La Barbera and Laura Campisi
Last night Fat Baby Lounge was, for a moment, transported to the Via dei Candelai in Palermo. Normally a venue for rock-and-roll acts, singer-songwriter, Laura Campisi, and guitarist, John La Barbera, took to the stage in this multi-level bar (located in Manhattan's Lower East Side) and dazzled us with their brilliant brand of Sicilian folk-jazz.
As noted in my review of their recent performance at Bleu, this was not a show I wanted to miss. It's not every day one gets to see two premier, award-winning Southern-Italian musicians perform live in New York City anymore. The duo performed a wonderful selection of songs from their extensive repertoire. Highlights included traditional Sicilian classics like Buttana di to mà (forever immortalized by Rosa Balistreri) and original masterpieces like Cuorefisarmonica. Needless to say I was not disappointed.
The duo's passion for music is obvious. While passion is important in performers, it's not always enough. Their great skill and talent synergized with their passion to make these two artists very special. Music lovers will understand when I say listening to them gave me the chills.
Afterward, we spent the evening getting to know one another, discussing a variety of topics. I was impressed by the number of people who approached our table to tell Laura how much they enjoyed the show and inquired about her CD's. I was most interested in her experiences here in the States and, unfortunately, discovered some were less than flattering. Overall, I think, she had an enjoyable visit and made many new friends and contacts. She certainly has a new fan base. Soon Laura will be returning to Sicily; however, having to go visit Palermo to see her again doesn't sound like a bad thing.
