The latest addition to the jazz line-up in Healdsburg comes from a young talent still in high school. Kai Devitt-Lee, who’ll be a junior at Healdsburg High next fall, will be showing off his still-developing skills on jazz guitar at the Palette Art Café on alternate Sundays this summer. (Update: Kai has been upgraded to weekly appearances at Palette, every Sunday this summer.)

Kai, still only 15 years old, has been playing guitar for about 4 years, though he showed early musical aptitude as a pre-schooler. His father, Martin Lee, made sure there was a piano in the house when young Kai started picking out tunes by ear, and formal piano lessons started at the age of 8.

But Kai began to focus his talent on guitar when he was 11, and his aptitude took off rapidly. Within a couple years he was playing with informal jazz combos, and when he got to Healdsburg High music director Randy Masselink encouraged his interest. He’s now student-in-charge of the Jazz Combo, a sextet that provides a showcase for high school musicians.

Randy Vincent, a well-known area jazz guitarist, has been a mentor and teacher for Kai. But not only jazz floats Kai’s boat – he’s also a developing flamenco guitarist, under the tutelage of Mark Taylor. In fact Taylor may sit in with Kai at the Palette, possibly either on second guitar or playing the cajon, a box-like percussion instrument. Kai’s flamenco music will be showcased this summer at Manzanita Restaurant (336 Healdsburg Ave., 433-8111) on Saturday evenings, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Palette Art Café (235 Healdsburg Ave., 433-2788) started their Sunday Brunch menu a couple weeks ago, and Kai will play every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, from July 12 to August 23, and possibly beyond that if all goes well! Come for the food, stay for the music, and welcome Healdsburg’s newest jazz talent, 15-year old Kai Devitt-Lee.

Brazilian guitarist, composer
Toninho Horta shares his music

Where: Palette Art Café
235 Center Street (Behind La Crema tasting room)

Date: Monday,  June 1, 2009
Time: 3:30 – 5:30 pm
Tickets: Limited availability
$75.00

Experience a rare opportunity to learn from a great living master of Brazilian jazz, Toninho Horta. This is truly a very special educational event, a chance to meet and talk with Toninho about his way of playing, his style of improvising his compositions.

Vocalists are welcome, and other musicians can bring their instruments — guitars, flutes, harmonicas, horns, drums, whatever – to the class, as there may be a chance to play with Toninho at the end of the two-hour class.

Toninho will talk about his background; explain about his way of playing, his style of improvising and talk about his compositions. He will also review his guitar left and right hand techniques.

The Toninho Horta Trio with special guest Airto will headline the “Stars of Brazil” show on the previous day, so ears will be perked and blood will be primed among musicians for this master class.

Here’s what Pat Metheny has to say about Toninho Horta: “Through his work with Milton Nascimento, his own recordings and the cover versions of his tunes that have appeared on various albums throughout the past decade or so, Toninho has emerged as one of the most harmonically sophisticated and melodically satisfying Brazilian composers of recent times.

“Somehow, he writes chord progressions that defy gravity, moving up when you think they’re going down. His melodies stay with you for days; you’re sure you’ve heard them before, but they are brand new. And as an arranger, he’s a master, moving up when you think they’re going down. His melodies stay with you for days; you’re sure you’ve heard them before, but they are brand new.”  (For more, visit Toninho Horta’s MySpace page).

This two-hour class begins promptly at 3:30 at the Palette Art Café, with  a special lunch menu is available for class participants starting at 2:30.  The lunch special costs $15 and includes a sandwich of your choice: Turkey Club, Chicken Pesto or Veggie Club, a glass of wine, beer or soft drink, and a side of soup or salad.  (Please pre-order. We will contact you by email after registration about this option.)  Coffee drinks will be available as well.

The Healdsburg Jazz Festival is very fortunate to have Toninho Horta bring his music to town for the 11^th annual festival, and doubly fortunate that he is willing to share his knowledge and love of the music with us in this intimate setting. “I am looking forward to meet all friends together,” he tells us.

For more information phone (800) 838-3006 or email the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.

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Brazilian BBQ and concert

Grupo Falso Bahiano

Location: Palette Art Café
235 Healdsburg Ave.
Phone: 707 433-2788  |  Visit on the web
Date: Sunday, May 31

Time: 8 pm; dinner served from 6 pm
No cover
Meal price: $20 with advanced reservations, $25 at the venue

If you didn’t have enough fun at the Stars of Brazil show at Rec Park, Brazilian music continues at the Palette on Sunday evening. The venue will serve exotic Brazilian cuisine, including an Outdoor BBQ, while Grupo Falso Baiano plays.

Before there was samba and bossa nova, Brazilians grooved and danced to the intricate music known as choro, a virtuosic style often compared to bluegrass.

In the Bay Area, no ensemble has done more to keep choro in the foreground than Grupo Falso Baiano, a captivating quartet featuring Zack Pitt-Smith on reeds, Niko Bell on cavaquinho, Brian Moran on seven-string guitar and Los Angeles-based percussionist Ami Molinelli.

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BBQ Menu: Rice with coconut milk, Feijoada - Black beans & Sausage, Esfihas - Beef Empanadas, Churrasquiho - Barbeque Brazilian style; Beef, Chicken, Sausage and Vegetables, and Panquecas - Vegetarian Dinner Crepes

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With a repertoire spanning more than a century, Falso Baiano plays traditional choro, as well as contemporary, jazz-tinged arrangements by modern masters like Hermeto Pascoal and Hamilton de Holanda. Delivered at breakneck tempos, the music combines deliriously playful group passages with luscious melodies and soaring solos.

» Visit Grupo Falso Baiano’s website

» Return to Complete Schedule

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Title: ”The Big Trio” w/Wayne De La Cruz
Location: Palette Art Café
Link out: Click here
Description: Wayne De La Cruz – Hammond B3 Organ
Paul Bannin – Guitar and Saxophones
Kendrick Freeman – Drums
Date: 2009-03-26

A captivating versatile group of dynamic musicians with a repertoire that not only represents the organ trio genre but a full spectrum of jazz and blues.

Title: Benny Barth Trio

Location: Palette Art Café
Link out: Click here
Description: Randy Vincent – Guitar
Chris Amberger – Bass
Benny Barth – Drums
Date: 2009-03-19

Belated Birthday Party Celebrating Benny’s 80th Birthday which was February 16th. Come and enjoy this jazz legend playing with his long time working trio.

See Benny Barth at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival on Monday, June 1

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Title: Eric Muhler Quartet feat. Sheldon Brown
Location: Palette Art Café
Link out: Click here
Description: Eric Muhler – Piano
Sheldon Brown – Saxophones
Michael Wilcox – Bass
Brian Andres – Drums
Date: 2009-03-12

Eric Muhler’s chord voicings are his own, his improvisations are full of constant surprises and, although quite aware of the jazz tradition, he sounds unlike any of his predecessors. His writing is fresh and personal, evolving before listeners’ ears and expressing a wide variety of emotions and moods.

Title: BBC Trio with Bob Drew, Bill Fouty & Carl Vast
Location: Palette Art Café
Link out: Click here
Description: Bob Drew – Alto Saxophone
Bill Fouty – Bass
Carl Vast – Guitar
Date: 2009-03-05

The BBC Jazz Trio (sax, bass and guitar) plays mainstream jazz, Bossa Nova and swing, emphasizing intuitive ensemble music. Since 1984, the Trio (Bob Drew, Bill Fouty and Carl Vast) has continued to define its style and expand its repertoire, delighting audiences throughout the Bay Area.