Café ZED: Monthly Coffee House Opens Thanksgiving Eve at New Jersey Arts Incubator

Something new is brewing at the New Jersey Arts Incubator (NJAI) and it's more than just  the coffee.

Singer-songwriter-painter Tom Picard is producing an informal monthly coffee house-concert series for the not-for-profit arts organization located in the Essex Green Plaza, Prospect Avenue, West Orange. This month, the engaging singer and songwriter Kathy Moser will be the featured performer. Doors open at 7 p.m. followed by an open mic. Figure on Moser's starting to perform sometime before 9 p.m.

Tom Picard talked about the new series: "Café ZED's purpose is to provide a performance opportunity for developing and emerging performance artists of all types and levels," Picard said. "Each concert begins with an open mic which may include singers, musicians, spoken word artists, magicians, comedians, etc.  Anyone who wishes to participate is welcome and encouraged to perform."

As to the main performance, Moser is a singer, songwriter, teacher, social artist and plays a mean guitar. The New Jersey based Moser performs frequently throughout the state and nationwide as well as leading workshops. She has appeared at well-known folk venues, such as Club Passim and Godfrey Daniels, as well as at colleges, churches, coffeehouses, prisons and does frequent benefits.

The advance word on Moser is terrific. "Kathy is a veteran of the New Jersey acoustic music scene and an entertaining, dynamic and inspiring performer," Picard said. "She is known for her insightful songs on a variety of contemporary subjects as well as her social activism and advocacy. Her performances always leave an audience uplifted and energized."

Given that her topics include world peace, lawn mowers, dysfunctional families, shopping malls, and to the wisdom of trading in your car for a horse, it ought to be quite a night.

NJAI Executive Director Carol Berman shared her thoughts on the new series: "The New Jersey Arts Incubator is thrilled to have Tom Picard producing Café ZED," Berman said. "We're excited to bring people together on the night before Thanksgiving — a time when we all have so much to be grateful for — NJAI is appreciative to all those New Jersey artists who share their work and we look forward to offering it all to our community."

Insider's tip: Leave time to view "Contemporary Tribal Markings," a collaborative show by photographer Tony Cordoza and artist Gina Rivas-Velazquez now on view at the NJAI.

Admission is $7 and refreshments and coffee will be on sale. NJAI is on the upper courtyard of the Essex Green Plaza, down from the entrance to the AMC cinemas.