Jazz and Wine Dinner
Kai Devitt-Lee Trio
Location: Dry Creek Kitchen
Address: 317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg
Time: 7 – 9 pm
Tickets: No cover; dinner reservations recommended (707 431-0330)
Even though he’s only 16, guitarist Kai Devitt-Lee is already a local fixture who has soaked up experience sitting in with various groups around town. With his fleet fingers and mature approach to improvising, the Healdsburg native is at the start of what promises to be an impressive career. This year he was chosen out of the entire state to be the guitarist with the Californian 2010 All State Honors High School Jazz Band.
For his Festival debut as a leader, he is joined by bassist Miles Wick and drummer Jimmy Gallagher. Kai plays a special guitar made by Healdsburg master luthier Tom Ribbecke.
The Dry Creek Kitchen is one of the culinary landmarks of the Wine Country. Enjoy world-class dining from master chef Charlie Palmer while enjoying the Kai Devitt-Lee trio during this festival week. For more information visit charliepalmer.com.
I have been having the pleasure of seeing Kai play in several settings. What 16 year old can play four or five nights a week sitting in with the wide range of jazz duos and trios in any town much less one of 11,000 souls?
Kai is brilliant and I have seen more than one unsuspecting duo leader who thought he was “letting the kid sit in” as a courtesy get whiplash when Kai rips off an amazing solo.
One night at the Hotel Healdsburg he sat in with a trio on the second half of all three sets and on the third, they were playing “All The Things You Are” and Kai was changing the tempo every four bars! The trio kept up but were more awake on their third set than usual.
Don’t miss him.