Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder were in the house Wednesday night.

No, Marley did not come back to life and Wonder was not physically present at Santa Monica’s Zanzibar, but self-described Marley and Wonder-influenced soul singer Destani Wolf put on a show that would have knocked the socks off any Marley or Wonder fan.

Wolf, alongside band members Marc Key (guitar), Pancho Tomaselli (bass), Joey Heredia (drums) and Maya Kronfeld (keyboard), sang a mix of old and new tunes, including some never-before-heard songs.

One such debut, “Hard for Him,” featured a soft tuneful opening by Kronfeld, and as Wolf’s silky-smooth voice entered, echoes of Stevie Wonder reverberated throughout the intimate venue.  Indeed, Wolf’s soulful singing and highly melodic writing evoked bits of Wonder’s “How Come, How Long.”  The power of Wolf’s voice was evident in this tune, as she was able to brilliantly sustain notes near the close of the song.

Wolf’s newest blues tune, in effect a tribute to her parents, opened with great lyrical potential, describing a quiet afternoon scene.  While the music was excellent, lyrically the song slightly faded, ending with overly repetitive clichés.

Wolf closed with a reggae number, “So Much Trouble in the World,” that almost instantly captured the spirit of the great Bob Marley classics.  She proved herself a highly versatile musician, equally comfortable (and indeed equally effective) in this genre.

The tune largely maintained a reggae rhythmic and harmonic feel, shifting to a rock tone, replete with ascending bass riffs, near the close.  The song ended with the audience singing the recurring line, “So Much Trouble in the World.”

To reach reporter Andrew McIntyre, click here.